Poor Judgment

I'm going to keep this one short because I'm tired and my brain is shutting down. I just wanted to comment on poor parenting judgment. We all have it some days. It's okay to admit it. I forgive you. As long as it's not something that's a total lack of common sense and puts someone in danger or makes them sick, then I forgive you. Let me tell you about my latest lapse in judgment.

We were out to buy a new bike for J, since he's outgrown his old one. While we were at the store, my husband saw a cool little bike for E. It was just his size and had no pedals, so it was great for him to get around on. He hopped on, said, "beep beep," and started for the doors. He was in no way going to leave that thing behind.

Enter mental lapse: Why did I ever let him take that thing out of the store? He learned how to ru  last week, and he was already going fast enough. Then I agreed to give him wheels. Maybe it was because he was just so cute riding around the store, or maybe it was because I asked my husband what he thought about it, and both of those are forgivable in normal circumstances. But to give a bike to a toddler whose only goal is to go anywhere fast.....

So now every time E sees a window or door, he sings, "Bide bide bide bide!" And every time we do go outside he's off and running for that thing and then off and rolling down the sidewalk as fast as his short little legs can take him. Come to think of it, his speed and size really do defy physics. And then there's J zipping up and down past and around us both (he got a really cool bike too), while I'm running after the one of them and shouting after the other one. I think I'm going to petition for a fenced sidewalk. Or maybe I'll make little stop signs that say, "STOP, now listen to your mother and turn around."

Maybe I need a course in how to do favours for myself. But I look at how happy E is on that little thing and I can't regret it. Mostly. He'll be too big for it next year and then it's going to my niece, unless my sister refuses (which she will if she's smart). Summer can't be that long, right? And if this doesn't help me burn calories.....But still, poor judgment.