Tag Archives: learning

Going Super Fast On The WOOM 1 Balance Bike

Having never used training wheels, our little girl has quickly progressed her bike riding skills on the WOOM 1 Balance Bike. It’s been two months since Avery started riding on her new balance bike called the WOOM 1. Riding might be a little far-fetched, she mostly sat on and scooted with it at first. But she had a cool hat and Soft Star Shoes!

balance bike, kids, bike riding, learning, no training wheels

But only a month later,  she built up her confidence to rockstar riding status.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

She had gone from a slow scoot, feet always on the ground, and many falls to acquiring balance and rolling down our driveway with feet in the air. There were still plenty of falls, but not from just standing there, it was from working on her newfound speeds.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding
Feet up and hair in the air!

She’s been riding for just over two months now, and Going Mom and I can’t believe how far she’s come. We made it a point to get her outside almost every day to ride “Rocket” around a small loop in our neighborhood or up and down the driveway. Since she was pretty slow at first, we never put a helmet on her, but as the speeds increased, the need for head protection was obvious.

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Ha ha, just kidding, but isn’t that a cute pic? Thanks to Mathias from WOOM Bikes, we were sent an awesome helmet from Melon Helmets. We were worried she may not like having a large helmet to wear, but on the contrary…..

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Yeah, she loves wearing her helmet and knows to ask for it before riding on her WOOM 1 Balance Bike.

She’s proud of her “Rocket” and it shows by how overprotective she is when anyone else (kid or adult) so much as looks at it. Riding on two wheels is one thing, but sharing is a completely different lesson. Right now the focus is on riding and potty training (more on that later), so we just have to pick our battles.

Now that Avery has learned to ride so well, the next step is learning to use the hand brake to slow herself down. Her new shoes are already getting a nice sized hole from acting as her only brakes, so hopefully she learns soon. As you can see, she can go “super fast”, just like Rocket on Little Einsteins.

One of the features I loved most about the WOOM 1 is the fact that it has a brake while many other balance bikes lack this important feature. I’ve seen how fast kids can go on this bike, and stopping with just shoes is not the best option. Just like we’ve been doing, we’ll continue getting her outdoors and working with her on the brake. I have no doubt she will be squeezing the handle to slow down from her super speeds in less than another month!

My wife and I are extremely grateful to WOOM Bikes for providing their WOOM 1 Balance Bike to us at no charge in exchange for an honest review. We can’t get over how well she does when riding, and never using training wheels will make the transition to a bike with pedals much easier to manage. When the time comes, I have no doubt we’ll choose a WOOM 2 Bike, the next step, as the looks and quality are all A-Class in my book.

woom 2 balance bike

Disclaimer: I was provided a WOOM 1 Balance Bike free of charge in exchange for my honest, unbiased review and was not compensated any other way. All thoughts are 100% my own. Seriously, love this bike!

Gaining Confidence with the WOOM 1 Balance Bike

We’ve had the WOOM 1 Balance Bike for only a month, and our little girl has already improved so much! Her coordination, speed, balance, and most importantly, happiness on the bike all increase every time she gets on her Rocket.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

I’d say that’s the look of one proud and confident kid if you ask me. Pretty darn cute too!

Going Mom and I have been spending a lot time watching and encouraging her as she practices gliding down our driveway. Not always with both feet in the air, but building her balance a little more each time.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

Here she is with both feet up as her hair apparently follows suit. She’s loving her new Soft Star Shoes when she walks, runs, or rides too. Aren’t they cute?

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

There are times, however, when a car will pass, a bug will fly by, or she sees “money” (it’s just a dead leaf) that distracts her just enough to lose focus. Consequently, her balance is lost too.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

But, no biggie, we’ve never had a quick knee-jerk reaction when she falls so as to not foster her into thinking she can be a drama queen. Instead, we just shake it off and do a little shaky dance. Followed by picking up her crashed WOOM 1 Balance Bike.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

The bike is made of lightweight aluminum alloy and weighs in at just 7.7lbs, which is no problem for our strong little girl to pick back up and get back to riding. Sometimes daddy likes to make Rocket fly by lifting up the front wheel and “taking off” with her in the cockpit/seat.

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

I think I enjoy doing that more than her, she just want to ride……on her own! She usually makes it quite clear, so I make sure to keep my distance for our confident daughter. Notice that poor rejected dad in the background?

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

Guess I can understand though, she’s already turning into Little Miss Independent. I’ll just have to keep an eye out for the neighborhood boys.

So, in just over a month, our initial impression is a very pleased one. Getting the WOOM 1 for her to ride was a great choice, and we’re extremely happy to cut out the need for training wheels.

With her first downhill session looking like she was impersonating the Flintstones driving their cars to learning to lift her feet up and glide down somewhat smoothly, we couldn’t be more proud of how far she’s come.

We still have lots of biking adventures to come. The next thing to work on is riding on flat ground at a pace faster than the Mayflies blowing backwards in the wind. All in due time, check back for updates on her progress soon!

WOOM 1 Balance Bike, kids, bikes, riding

Disclaimer: I was provided a WOOM 1 Balance Bike free of charge in exchange for my honest, unbiased review and was not compensated any other way. All thoughts are 100% my own. Seriously, love this bike!

6 Bedtime Books Your Kid Will Love

As a bonus, parents will love these bedtime books too. When it comes to books, it’s absolutely paramount for the parent to enjoy the book as well. Otherwise, we might not put enough into the story and therefore shortchange those eager little ears.

How we tell a story can be the difference from hearing a story, to hearing A STORY!!! Putting emphasis into the words of each character, changing the tone of your voice depending on the situation, and getting your kids involved by saying certain lines or finding something on each page.

You get the point, find something you like to read, and everyone will enjoy the book so much better. That is, until you’ve read it for the 87th time, and you will read it 87+ times! Here are 6 bedtime books I think you’ll enjoy reading just as much as they’ll enjoy hearing over and over again.

1. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

bedtime book, story, books, kids, parenting, reading

Most of us should remember this story from our own childhood, so why not share it with the next generation? Avery loves the crazy monkeys, and it makes for a good way to explain why she shouldn’t jump on the…..well, she jumps on everything.

2. Pajama Time!

bedtime book, story, books, kids, parenting, reading

We love all of Sandra Boynton’s books, so it’s only right to include this one. Our whole family cites the words from this book throughout the day, it’s definitely fun and catchy. Another favorite is The Going To Bed Book, our favorite page is when the exercise on top of the boat deck.

3. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

bedtime book, story, books, kids, parenting, reading

I grew up with my mom (g-ma) reading this to me all the time. Then, as I grew older, I read it all the time. Such a fun story and kids will love seeing the ways the little mouse tries to keep his cherished strawberry away from that hungry bear.

4. Bear Snores On

bedtime book, story, books, kids, parenting, reading

Nana gave this to Avery before she was one and we’ve grown to love this book so much. I even made a YouTube video of my wife and I reading it to Avery. Yes, I act it out.

5. 10 Minutes till Bedtime

bedtime book, story, books, kids, parenting, reading

We’ve owned this book for a while, but only recently has our toddler shown interest. Now that she’s counting and “reading” herself, we sit and try to find the hamsters (there’s 10 with numbers on each page) together. It’s a longer book and is fun to read during the day too.

6. Llama Llama Red Pajama

bedtime book, story, books, kids, parenting, reading

This is a fun rhyming book and it’s the most recent in our collection thanks to G-Ma. Ours came with a cute baby llama plush that Avery has added to her 6 other animals that go to bed with her. She loves the story, and there’s a great message about being patient in there. Maybe she’ll catch on soon…..

Going Mom and I switch off on who reads and who holds our precious Toddler for bedtime, and I’m sure these 6 bedtime books have been read well over 87 times. And it’s not all at night or nap time, no, a really good bedtime book is good any time of day!

Hope one or all of these books find their way into your home for you and your little ones to enjoy as much as our family.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of my links, I earn a whopping few cents each time. It won’t change a thing for you, but I’d appreciate buying a cup of coffee without asking my wife at least one time. 🙂