The warmer it gets outside, the more my daughter wants to get outside and play. I am all for that, in fact, I’d rather she played outside than sat inside watching television. One of her favorite things to do is ride her bike. The problem with riding her bike is that she can ride a lot faster than I can walk.
So I got creative and decided to go for my husband’s roller blades. Roller blading is a great sport and it can be really invigorating. I thought it would be a great way to let her bike and allow me to keep up with her.
I know how to roller-skate. I figured how hard could it be to roller blade?
I’m sure roller bladers everywhere are laughing at me at the moment. First of all, roller blades are rigid and there is no give around the ankles at all. In roller skates, you have a little more flexibility.
Okay, I can do this.
Now, another thing about roller blades is that instead of having a stop on the toes like roller skates do, your stop is on the back or the sides. So now, not only do you have to figure out how to stop, you have to figure out how to do it without ending up in a heap on the side of the road.
I practiced for a bit in the garage and around the sidewalks near our house. I figured that I was getting the hang of it, so when my daughter wanted to go out and bike, I put on the roller blades and off we went.
10 minutes later, we were back and my daughter was bubbling over with laughter and concern. How else could she feel about watching Mommy take a header off the sidewalk and land in the heap I’d tried to avoid. Since I wasn’t wearing safety gear, I managed to bruise my knees, my hands and my pride.
So the reason why you need kneepads has more to do with safety, than style. I’m investing in a pair along with some elbow and hand guards. I’d rather look like an umpire on a hockey team than tear my hands and knees up. My daughter reminded me that it’s better to be safe, than sorry. So try out roller blading this summer, but do it the right way and even if you can’t avoid a heap, you can avoid skinning your knees and hands.
Not to mention – it’s a really good example for your kids. Enjoy yourselves out there!