Abby M got a "balance" bike for her birthday....

[Justme]

What the heck is a "balance" bike? It looks like a normal bike w/out the peddles....

 

And Mel is 9 days away from her due date and starting to contract.

[TrishaMiki]

They gave her a bike with 4 wheels, but they just wanted a fancy name for that :lol:

[luckystone]

They are bikes without the pedals...meant to practise the balancing. I think there's a bit of a debate over whether they are better than training wheels? I don't know. They seem a bit of a waste because you can't go fast! Unless you use your legs to get a head start, then put them on the handlebars and zoom down a hill!

[Koala]

1. Why do those idiots have that poor baby trying to ride her bike in a skirt?

2. With the way that helmet is tightened and fastened they might as well not have bothered.

3. Mel is very pretty.

[dawbs]

I want a balance bike for my kid for her birthday....

because at not-quite-2, she doesn't have the coordination to pedal but REALLY wants to do a bike (and not a trike--she has been pointing at bikes every time we go into a store)

You've about got it w/ 'normal bike w/o pedals'

[SimplyMe]

I never got a balance bike for any of my kids- but I've actually heard they are great for younger children.

Do the Maxwells live in a normal suburban neighborhood? A few recent pictures make me think they do. I always pictured them living on a rural property somewhere like so many other fundie families. It's pretty amazing to me that they manage to stay so isolated if they really are in the middle of a neighborhood. Where do they all live relative to one another? I pictured them all (Christopher and Nathan) living on the same property. I wonder what they do if the young kids see other children playing outside and want to join them?

[asinglevoice]

Melanie looks so pretty, but I always can't help but notice that her smile never reaches her eyes. I often wonder if it's from the grief of losing a child (that never goes away) or from living such a tedious existence within the Maxwell lifestyle. I hope the new baby brings her more real, honest-to-goodness joy that Steve cannot squash.

[ilovetchotchkes]

I want a balance bike for my kid for her birthday....

because at not-quite-2, she doesn't have the coordination to pedal but REALLY wants to do a bike (and not a trike--she has been pointing at bikes every time we go into a store)

You've about got it w/ 'normal bike w/o pedals'

Yeah, my 2 year old overlord wants a bike too. He wants NOTHING TO DO with tricycles, no, he wants one like the big kids.

[mastercleaner]

Nathan and Melanie live across the street from Ma and Pa Max, directly across the street!

You can see it in some of the pics when they bring the babies home from the hospital.

I think Chris and NR Anna live on the compund. IIRC the Maxwells built the house they live in now on the same property, and then when Chris and NR Anna got engaged, they went over to the old house and painted and re-tiled and stuff like that. And we all know that Gigi and Grandad live next door, and you know that Stevie has already snatched up that property for the next Maxwell to get married. I also think that with the amount of old ladies in the neighbourhood (as per NR Annas baby shower) that Steve has his eye on a few houses in the same neighbourhood so he can keep all his kids within arms length!

What I want to know is, Steve didn't allow his kids to socialize with thier own cousins. So I wonder what is going to happen when Joshua wants to play with the girls? Will they let thier kids know thier own cousins? (I would have used "play with" but we all know they dont play, thats as bad as "fun")

And ya, what happens when Abby sees a kid when they are out for a walk? does she want to go play with them? We rarely see them at the park, they go once in a blue moon, and the park they go to is always empty, makes me wonder if they drive around looking for an empty park? i mean god forbid that Abby meet a little girl in pants who wants to go on the swings with her........ :roll: So sad!!

[MamaJunebug]

1) Wish *I* had had a balance bike! I had such trouble learning, it would've been a great help!

2) Abby will bike in a skirt because that way her movement will be restricted, as is right and proper for her and every other [jezebel!!!] woman, thus sayeth The Steve,

3) I have a harder time getting the message in Bible verses when they are in the KJV-style ... But I suppose if that's the only translation one ever reads, one gets it. SMH.

4) Previous photos show the Steves living in a subdivision, but IIRC not one with concrete sidewalks. Methinks they might've gone a few streets over to avoid Abby having to balance in the street.

[Fundilicious]

I'm kind of surprised that the little girls have so much toys. I noticed in the Christmas posts some Melissa & Doug toys. I'm curious if Steve is ok with toys for the children? Wouldn't toys= fun?

[Rosa]

My kid started with a balance bike when he was 2 or 3 - he got SO FAST on it, he wouldn't ride his tricycle at all, and we had to start making rules about how far ahead of the grownups he could be. It made the transition to a pedal bike pretty easy, though he did use training wheels for about a year because he couldn't get started on the pedals without falling over. He probably would have been a rider anyway - all the grownups around here get around on bikes - but it made him really love it, early. Now he's on a regular bike, no training wheels (he's 6) and we rode 8 miles together yesterday with kayaking in between. There was some whining for the last 2 miles but not insurmountable amounts.

[MarciaBrady]

I think it's ridiculous that they expect her to ride a bike in a skirt. But I'm pleasantly surprised to see that she was given the bike to begin with. That seems like such a normal and fun thing that I'm surprised that it's even allowed. It's making me hope that Nathan and Melanie are (and will continue to be) less strict with their children than Steve was.

I have often wondered if they are less strict with their children than Steve was and maybe Steve tolerates it because he knows it would make him look really bad to his cult followers if he was estranged from one of his children.

[argypargy]

They are bikes without the pedals...meant to practise the balancing. I think there's a bit of a debate over whether they are better than training wheels? I don't know. They seem a bit of a waste because you can't go fast! Unless you use your legs to get a head start, then put them on the handlebars and zoom down a hill!

My 20-month-old son has one. They're great. They are better than bikes with training wheels, because the child actual learns how to balance and glide without using the training wheels as a crutch. It's easier for them to go to a normal bike from a balance bike, rather than a bike with training wheels.

They can go pretty fast, too. Just scoot with your feet, then put them back on the foot rests (there are places to put their feet up) and fly. They are incredibly popular here.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I never got a balance bike for any of my kids- but I've actually heard they are great for younger children.

Do the Maxwells live in a normal suburban neighborhood? A few recent pictures make me think they do. I always pictured them living on a rural property somewhere like so many other fundie families. It's pretty amazing to me that they manage to stay so isolated if they really are in the middle of a neighborhood. Where do they all live relative to one another? I pictured them all (Christopher and Nathan) living on the same property. I wonder what they do if the young kids see other children playing outside and want to join them?

Most "serious" bike nerds I know endorse the balance bikes - it seems to be the modern best theory on how to teach kids to ride. The idea is that they don't learn bad habits about leaning and turning while relying on training wheels (on any vehicle you can sit on without moving). I find it interesting that Abby's bike apparently converts? Sarah mentions they can put the pedals on afterward. Anyway I see lots of kids near me with balance bikes these days.

The Maxwells live in regular suburban-style Leavenworth, yeah. Just on a street with houses and garages and lots of cars. The "compound" such as it is is just a few houses that happen to be on the same block, but it's just regular suburbia. I know others here (I see mastercleaner among them) have details on just which house is where - it's a total of 4 houses they have now I think, one for each non-reversal son, one for the main Steve-O family, and one for the grandparents.

What I want to know is, Steve didn't allow his kids to socialize with thier own cousins. So I wonder what is going to happen when Joshua wants to play with the girls? Will they let thier kids know thier own cousins? (I would have used "play with" but we all know they dont play, thats as bad as "fun")

Steve-O wouldn't let his kids play freely with their cousins because Steve-O is the one who decided to start this new form of religion and isolate his kids off. Meaning, their cousins don't believe the same way, and so they will introduce all kinds of harmful influences (they have Easter egg hunts, that sort of thing).

This new generation of cousins is different, because both of them have parents (the brothers) who GREW UP "sheltered" by Steve-O and apparently (according to "Hearts") valued that upbringing, so they presumably will do the same with their own kids. Meaning, there shouldn't be any "bad influences" that Abby and Bethany can possibly expose the new kid to, or vice versa. Abby and Bethany are already sheltered.

I imagine that they will maintain the theoretical position of the individual parents vetting all and being WILLING to cut all contact, but probably the two families will be enough in outlook that they'll be able to mingle quite a bit.

Of course if one of them were to move off in a less strict direction, surely that'd be cause to cut contact.

I do wonder what they do with the young kids if they meet up with other kids. Of course they're supposed to be best friends with EACH OTHER but... yeah, if they went to a regular park they'd see kids. Maybe they don't go to the park unless it's a big enough family outing that the family activities capture the kids' attention and they don't go looking for other kids? Dunno. Definitely wonder what they've been TOLD about other kids though, if anything. "Don't mix with the locals?" Or what? There's no language barrier, after all...

It will be interesting to see if biking is kept strictly as "exercise" or if they let it be more "f*n" or heaven forbid... TRANSPORTATION.

Off to bike to work... :)

[Witsec7]

Some Amish sects use a version of balance bikes, they are adult bikes without pedals and gears.

[Deleted03]

I want a balance bike for my kid for her birthday....

because at not-quite-2, she doesn't have the coordination to pedal but REALLY wants to do a bike (and not a trike--she has been pointing at bikes every time we go into a store)

You've about got it w/ 'normal bike w/o pedals'

my cousin learned to bike at 2 1/2. She's a feisty little girl and her brother is just a very insecure kid. His pushy father gave him a bike, but he's just not into it, but the little girl is very willing to take risks and learn new tricks. She knew how to bike before he did (he was 5 1/2). I am pretty sure the bike had training wheels, but knowing her she won't use those for long.

[RR88]

I work at a preschool. Last week, the kids all got to bring their "wheels" (bikes, scooters, roller blades) to school and learn about the physics of vehicles and motion. One little girl had a balance bike, and she rode around on that thing faster than any of the kids with pedal bikes did!

[doggie]

easy to make one get a small bike that you can remove the training wheels and lower the seat enough for your child to reach the ground with their feet. remove the peddles and off they go. then as they get good add the peddles and raise the seat. training wheels are terrible about teaching a child to balance. Just like walkers slow down learning to walk.

[ilovetchotchkes]

easy to make one get a small bike that you can remove the training wheels and lower the seat enough for your child to reach the ground with their feet. remove the peddles and off they go. then as they get good add the peddles and raise the seat. training wheels are terrible about teaching a child to balance. Just like walkers slow down learning to walk.

That's exactly what we plan on doing. We're hoping to find a teeny bike on freecycle or craigslist and have my FIL take off the pedals- (he loves to tinker on bikes).

[doggie]

That's exactly what we plan on doing. We're hoping to find a teeny bike on freecycle or craigslist and have my FIL take off the pedals- (he loves to tinker on bikes).

it's such a fast way to learn much better then training wheels. wish I knew about it years ago.

[Rosie]

At least she got a bike, and not a Bible cover.

[ElphabaGalinda]

At least she got a bike, and not a Bible cover.

That's probably what she'll get in a few years.... Though bikes aren't necessarily what some might call fun, they can say it's for excersize and be just as Godly. I wonder if a bike can become an idol.

[jockosmom]

Do you think the Maxwell younguns are allowed to have a childrens' bible? With pictures and easy-to-read stories? Are they KJV only?

[haveapicniclife]

That's exactly what we plan on doing. We're hoping to find a teeny bike on freecycle or craigslist and have my FIL take off the pedals- (he loves to tinker on bikes).

Yep, this is exactly what we did. My four year old daughter learned in one week, put the pedals back on and voila. Way cheaper than buying the actual balance bike thing. My neighbors tried it with similar success for their girls.