My daughter has always been inspired by her older brother. When he was potty training, she wanted to get rid of her diaper. When he learned to swim, she taught herself in a day. When he got their two-wheeler bike, she wanted one too.
My favorite part about her when she gets determined to do something is that she does it in silence. She is quiet about it and instead of talking about how she’s sad she can’t do something, or she feels bad about herself she tries over and over and over until she gets it right.
I watched her practice swimming for hours one day at the lake when she watched her brother take off underwater. There were no tears wondering why she couldn’t do it, she didn’t even ask me to watch her. She was in the zone, concentrating on her goal and in no time, she was swimming too.
I have to say that her brother wasn’t quite as pleased with her as she was with herself that day. I could see that his reaction only made her more driven.
So, when he got his first skateboard after using his friend’s for a few months, she wanted one too. I was hesitant about this then realized it was my own fear– I’ve never been good on a skateboard and have fallen more than once. I realized I was trying to talk her out of it because it was something I wasn’t comfortable with.
She wasn’t interested in roller skates or rollerblades. She had no desire to ice skate or take dancing lessons instead. She wanted a skateboard– a very special skateboard with skulls on it.
I don’t know why I was surprised at how well she took to it after seeing how she accomplished all the other things she wanted to. It was second nature to her and instead of wanting to go to a dance class, all she wants to do is skateboard with her friends, or by herself.
My daughter’s skateboard has given her confidence. Not only has she learned to do a few tricks, you can tell with each ride she gets better and better which makes her feel good about herself.
It’s been a great way for her to bond with her friends. They love grabbing their boards and going for rides, or going to the local skatepark. They’d rather be there than at the movies or the mall which is great for me because I don’t have to drive them anywhere.
It’s great exercise. My daughter hasn’t really taken to many sports which is fine. But she has her skateboard and in the warmer months she’s on it for hours at a time.
She’s helped teach her friends how to use their skateboard too which boosts her self esteem. It’s always a proud mom moment when you see your kids teaching other kids how to do something new. This has given her more patience than she already had which I didn’t think was possible.
Now, as a teenager her skateboard has been a form of therapy. She loves getting outside on any path she can find and spending time alone with her thoughts. It’s also been the vehicle which has shown her a little fresh air, sunshine, and exercise can really go a long way if you are upset or have something on your mind.
Of course there is a risk of injury just like so many other things kids like but I say it’s more important to let them be themselves and try things out while taking all the safety precautions you can.
My daughter’s skateboard has been such a lifesaver and she loves it so much. It has definitely been a great purchase for her and done so much for her confidence. I can’t recommend it enough so, if you have a daughter who wants one and you’ve been on the fence consider this your sign: Buy your daughter the skateboard. You won’t be sorry.
