Learning New Skills: Roller Blades

Miss A was given a pair of hand me down Roller Blades and decided that day she would learn to use them.  No time like the present I guess is her philosophy.  Since roller skating comes pretty easy to her, I knew she could master the concept pretty easily.  The only problem is that our house in on a hill, and our driveway is very steep hill.  Yikes.

The process of getting ready to tackle this new challenge, however, was not one Miss A could do on her own.  There were elbow and knee pads, wrist pads and a helmet to put on and, of course, the skates to be put on.  Thankfully, she had willing helpers in her siblings who were able to help her get ready.

Not one to accept defeat easily however, Miss A convinced her sister to help her navigate the hills and at times hung on to her with all her might.  Sisterly love.  I got a kick out of watching Miss M and Miss A go up and down the street with one sister on skates the other walking beside offering encouragement and a welcome hand at times.

At one point, Miss A was ready to give up, but with her sister's cheering continued on for a bit longer.

I'm thinking there are a lot of life lessons that this snapshot of Roller Blades could teach me:  perseverance, support of those we love, sharing the burden and finally asking for help when it comes to putting on the "gear needed" to accomplish a task. Those are exactly the kind of skills I desire for my children to have when the go out in the world; how fun that my 9 and 13 year old are learning that while on Roller Blades.  Perfect.