Originally Posted by
jcwitte
Maybe you could use this to teach him about bike safety. Explain what happened with the link pin. From now on have him go over all the connections with you. Like a pilot and co-pilot thing. You could do a safety check before every ride - every thing from the helmet down to the safety pin. And then get back on the bike right away.
I would think that the more time that passes from that episode to when he actually gets back on the bike, the more he will associate bicycles with that spill. But, it may just take time and him seeing other kids having fun on their bikes before he wants to get back on one himself.
Even if he doesn't get back on right away, you could let him help you attach the trail-a-bike and watch you ride it around the block a few times.
Don't beat yourself up though. Scrapes, bumps, bruises, a chipped tooth or two, the occasional broken limb, and sometimes worse, is all a part of a boys childhood.
Im really glad your sons OK, but I think before you can use this as a tool for teaching safety, you should/could admit to your child that it happened due to you not being safe
I know some of you wont like this reply but its the truth, that trailer should have been checked and double checked BEFORE you sat your boy in it
It'll show him that everyone makes mistakes, including dad, and he'll be more likely to admit HIS mistakes in the future
Im not trying to make you feel bad and apologize if I do, its not my intention, my intentions are for you to make sure it never happens again by teaching your son to check and double check both the trailer and the bike, and showing him that, in some situation, its OK to make a mistake and own up to it
