Advice, Help, or

just shoot the s@!#!

So the wife just mentioned today that she was thinking about getting a little scooter for my sons 10th birthday on July 5th.
You know the one that Hodakaguy(can we change that to something easier to remember/spell ) upgraded...yeah that one. Not even sure if they still sell them anymore. Used to be at Al's Auto Supply.

Anyway, here's the thing. I can think of at least 3 reasons to say NO to every one reason someone can say YES.

OK, someone elses turn.

The mini-scoot he did with his dad? Edit:
Wait a minute! Is this reverse psychology?

Are we supposed to answer in double blind inverse responses to oppose the implied meaning possibly hidden within your question?

Just askin'

LOL. The second she said it I was like, "YES!! We can get 2!! One for him and one for me"

Then the stupid parent in me started nagging me.

Inspector wrote:

LOL. The second she said it I was like, "YES!! We can get 2!! One for him and one for me"

Then the stupid parent in me started nagging me.

Oooohhh... The what if my kid gets hurt thing?

Well then you already answered your own question, Inspector said: "YES!! We can get 2!! One for him and one for me"

Demonstrate your superior Fada skills and exceptional insight by getting the two mini-bikes. Make sure you let the wife ride them first (tactical advantage), then have a blast teaching your kid and doing hot laps in the driveway, across the yard, around the back of the house until the neighbors complain. Then change directions after telling the neighbors the opposite direction will cancel the noise, until they compain. Then let them take one for a spin, and then you ask them to buy fuel if they want to ride. At which time the neighbors will probably lose interest but concede it was a blast and no longer complain when you and your kid buzz around the yard. Having a blast, I might add.

TOP SECRET INSIDER INFORMATION: (then next spring you can say "gee hon, he sure looks awful big for that mini-bike. We should get him a "real" motorcycle so he doesn't hurt himself - ya, that's the ticket )

Welllll...There is really no place to ride them but on the street or on school grounds. Either is illegal.
Also he really doesn't deserve one. Doesn't do well in school. Doesn't do well on chores. Isn't really helpful. (don't get me wrong, he's a great kid)

The reason the wife was thinking about it is he rides the neighbors and is doing pretty well at it. She thought it was legal for them to be riding them.

Inspector wrote:

Welllll...There is really no place to ride them but on the street or on school grounds. Either is illegal.
Also he really doesn't deserve one. Doesn't do well in school. Doesn't do well on chores. Isn't really helpful. (don't get me wrong, he's a great kid)

The reason the wife was thinking about it is he rides the neighbors and is doing pretty well at it. She thought it was legal for them to be riding them.

Awe shit, getting all serious... Ok...

If he's riding a neighbor's already, then maybe its an opportunity to help him do better in school and chores? Don't get me wrong, my own parenting skills are probably far from perfect but even my own boy (11yrs) has glitches where he lets his grades slip or gives me lip for taking the kitchen garbage out of the house, or cleaning his room, or mowing the grass, or bathing his dog, or getting his hands dirty, or for not using the phone, ( )

But I'm getting off track...


I've found as my kids are getting older, they value those things that are truly special to them, and I value sharing with them.

I'm not saying to be a evil grownup and jerk snatch all your kids toys away, but I have taken things away like a bike for a week, or made deals where my boy earns TV time by not getting notes sent home about late homework. He also earns XBOX time by doing chores. He screws up, he gets a timeout on stuff he likes. That kind of stuff. Gentle stuff that won't scar a kid.

As a parent, its hard. We don't want to hurt our kids, but teaching them responsibility and discipline is important in life. Unfortunately, their little brains are just as fragile as ours were when we were that little. It tears me up every time I have to enforce my evil dictator dad rules (actually, I'm a big softy and frequently get in trouble because I counter mom's decisions).

I'm gonna step out on a limb here about "deserving one" - I had a pretty shitty childhood, poor, divorced mom, other stuff... My life really didn't feel that great until my mom married my step dad when I was 10. I can remember to this day how many times I got told "I didn't deserve" a kewl toy, a bike, a skateboard, to have friends over, when I was little etc. Those kind of words to a child can cause damage we don't see as adults. Well, not until they get older and start to fight back...

But when I about 11 or 12, my dad came home with a briggs and stratton minibike. He made it clear my sister, brother and I had to keep up on homework and chores or we would not get the fuel it needed to run. It was a huge influence and we kept our rooms picked up, mowed grass, vacuumed, loaded the dishwasher and did homework all faster just so we could ride that mini-bike around the culva-sac.

When my dad noticed how much we enjoyed riding the mini-bike, and how well we did our chores and schoolwork, he picked up a 1978 JR50 and a DS80. As children, we were blown away! But the moral of the story is the rules got tougher as we got older. Instead of riding in the culva-sac, culda-sac, whatever... We had to load up the bikes and go to a local open area to ride.

What I'm trying to say is that little mini-bike started a life long learning experience, both as children and now as parents. "Not deserving" is a harsh term for young minds. Children are blessed with the gift of innocence until they get old enough to know the difference between good and intentional bad. It's up to us as parents to mold them into the people we would like them to become.

I know you don't know me from Adam, but you might consider looking at the "mini-bike" situation as an opportunity vs. a conflict over "deserving."

I would venture to say if you take the leap of faith, the reward will be totally worth it!

p.s. who do I send the psycho-bullshit bill to?

By the way, my kids are testing my patience these days. A 15yr old girl and a 11yr old boy are like having a case of nitro-glycerin sitting in the living room. Always on the edge of maybe exploding.

I adjust and learn something new every day! I hope I didn't step out of bounds with my advice above If I die knowing I made my kid's lives just a little better than I had it, well then I will feel successful as a parent.

Good luck and sincerely hope you have a great summer with your boy!

Bill

Crap..Now I have to sit down with the wife and talk this through.

I just feel there is a fine line between spoiled and something worth wild. Spending that kind of money just so he can say he has one to his friends and only be able to ride it once a month if that, (my neighbors are "call the popo" kind of people)

*I was thinking...if there was just a place within such and such miles...then i would do it. Well, there is no "dirt" place. What about large parking lots? I got a pickup, ramp....hmmmmmmm

Something like this
Baja MotorSports Doodle Bug Mini Bike — 97cc,

*just looking that's all

I wasn't a kid too long ago, and I'll be the first one to admit, I was a little shithead. If he shows interest in it, then thats a good sign. Like Griz said, it may help him turn his grades around and do his chores. When I was 13, I found a junker 1972 DT 250 for free. My parents helped me fix it up, and having a hobby like that really helped me to quit being a shithead. Just sayin', It could be a good move. Also, just for the record, I'm not saying your kiddo is a shithead, I was just using my shitheadedness as an example.

get that kid a bike!!! you know how much fun you have riding yours,right??? sooooo, just think how much fun it will be for him!!! i seriousley think it helps people become better quick decision makers, you know what happens when you hesitate when picking a line for your bike. so it probably will help make um be a better driver in the long run. teaches about mechanics and taking care of your maintainece, checking oil, chain adjustment, ect. i don't have any kids, [luckily didn't get any fathers day cards in the mail yesterday ] but i have spoiled the shit out of some neices with motorcycles, snowmobiles, cars, ect. they thought it was pretty cool at the time, and now there older, they still remember all the fun that was had.

"shitheadedness" (good advice!)

You'll figure it out Inspector, and you are right... By the time I was a teenager, I was pretty spoiled and didn't know it until I had to start paying for my own stuff.

As you said, "to make it worth while and not be spoiled" is a challenge for any parent.

I don't have kids, at least any that I know of... anyways... When I was a lil' kid, all I wanted to do was be like my dad, and pick up his hobbies. I wanted to do anything that would bring us together. I am one hell of a beer drinker and womanizer because of it. Just kidding, , more like a bad amateur gold panner and, well, still one hell of a beer drinker. Seriously though, you ride bikes, obviously, and I bet if your boy were to be able to ride with you that would be something that he would live for, and what boy wouldn't want to do something like that with his father?

OK, I'm not sold on it and I think it's going to end up being a lot of work (for me), but the wife is almost INSISTING on one for my son. So.....I've looked at the Baja ones for $250 and know what i'm in for on these models. Any other ones??? Anything else I should know about??

Well the wife stopped in at PepBoys (the only local place that sells them), and all the Baja stuff they have there has been recalled so they can't sell any of it.

After searching the interwebs....the only other thing I found was closer to a full on dirt bike for more then double the price. Wife wouldn't go for that which sucks because weight limit was 250+lbs. Hell, I'd be riding it with all my gear and I could still jump it.

Yamaha champ I thought the description was pretty funny but $200 bucks is a "steal"

Do they have titles for those things? If it's his, how can she sell it?

I dunno and good question

I was poking around Craigslist dot org and saw that little scoot. The only two mini-bikes I found were kinda scary. One was a mini-chopper and one was a mini-fatbob harley.

You're right though, it literally could be a "steal." I'll email her and ask, he he....

this part edited out....cause it's gone

*I went throu HE77 calling BAJA customer Service. Idiots I tell yeah, IDIOTS!! lol

I'mma go ahead and use this thread for links.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/mcy/1820299038.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/mcy/1821548094.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/1819823285.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/mcy/1818418283.html ,---I want

Haha! Those green doodle bugs are sweet! Good price on the pair too. Go for it!

called, still for sale, going tomorrow morning to check/buy them.

*going to give one to my son and one to my wife. if she doesn't ride it.....then I will KILL it. bwahahaha.

Inspector wrote:

called, still for sale, going tomorrow morning to check/buy them.

*going to give one to my son and one to my wife. if she doesn't ride it.....then I will KILL it. bwahahaha.

Very nice! Enjoy!

Inspector wrote:

called, still for sale, going tomorrow morning to check/buy them.

*going to give one to my son and one to my wife. if she doesn't ride it.....then I will KILL it. bwahahaha.

we need pics and vids when you get them !

I am sooooo far over my head. First thing I did when I got home was try to start it. Ended up yanking the pull-rope off. Now I can't position the spring correctly in it to get the damn thing back together.

*googling pullstart thingies now.