About a month ago or so, my son shows me a drawing of our family. You can’t imagine how proud I was (I may have even cried). “It’s a drawing, it’s not like he invented a new drug”, I know many of you are saying it out loud (and rolling eyes at the same time :D), but for me as a parent, there isn’t anything more satisfying than when my kids get a hang of something, be it colouring inside the lines or riding a bike. Watching my kids with smiley faces, is what makes me alive. Literally.

For me personally, those are some of the most precious moments. I am not only proud of my little superhero for learning something new, I am proud of myself for teaching him how. Teaching your child new skills is the greatest bliss there is. It’s simply priceless, and needs to be rewarded. So what did I do – I brought Christmas early to our home this year.

My son has been begging me for a while to get him roller skates and I was absolutely against the idea – I mean what if he gets hurt, falls and breaks his nose or arm, so roller skates were big NO-NO until he showed me the drawing. When I saw how proud he was of his art, I realized just how much effort he has invested in the drawing and if that does not deserve a reward I don’t know what does. So I went online and read about 50 reviews (and even more articles on roller skates safety) and bought roller skates for my Picasso. Now that was a one-way ticket to endless happiness; my son was ecstatic (hubby got it all on camera).

Of course, it took some time to get him in the right state of mind and learn how to keep balance, but a lot of will-power and training sessions paid off at the end. Now I realize what a fun, cool, interesting and leisure activity it is, and is also a great form of exercise. My advice – teach your kid how to to rock their roller skates; I’ll show you how.

Skating equipment

It is very simple, the only equipment that you need for rollerskating is just a pair of roller skates that fit. You can buy a pair from a local sports store or online or rent a pair from a roller skating rink. But beside roller skates, additional safety equipment such as knee pads, wrist guards and a helmet is a must. You are just starting to teach your child how to roll, and chances that he will not succeed at first are rather high. Therefore, you want him to be protected as much as possible and prevent him from injuring himself in case he falls down.

The Right Posture

Place your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees. Next, lower your back toward the ground and slightly lean forward in a squatting position. Balance is crucial when rollerskating and this position will prevent you from topping over.

Walk Like a Duck

With your toes pointed out and heals together, begin slowly walking forward first to the left, then to the right and so on. Keep your heels in a position underneath your body to keep balance easier and keep squatting.

Glide

Lengthen each stride by allowing yourself to roll for a while. Push with one foot and glide with your other one until you lose momentum and then switch the gliding foot. While gliding on one foot, keep the other foot above the ground so it does not impede the gliding.

Stop

The right roller skates should have a brake located on the toes of the skates. In order to stop, glide with the skates placing them parallely. Continue in a squatting position and lean forward. Put the right skate in front of the left one, lift the toe of the right skate and press down hard on the toe. The harder you press, the faster you will stop.