Inside Trike

We have few toys that are less appropriate, or more awesome, than our inside tricycle. I bought it when my daughter was about one and half. Uncharacteristically of me, I bought it by myself. I can count on one hand the number of times I've done this. Usually, just the fact that I think something is a good idea is enough warning to me that it's probably not actually a good idea. It's at least an indication that I should run it by my wife, which in this case, I failed to do.
It occurred to me on that fateful day that we had a very smooth living room floor, but a very rough driveway. It was much more likely that my daughter was going to be able to learn to pedal someplace smooth and easy, than someplace bumpy and tough. Learning to pedal is one part of learning to ride a bike and teaching you child to ride a bike is one of those parental rights of passage. Besides, when I was a kid, we had rollerskates for the basement, so a tricycle for the living room was a small leap. It made perfect sense.

All of my kids have learned to pedal in the living room. They've pushed, pulled, towed and chased each other around with it. They've ridden in diapers and pajamas and princess dresses and capes and completely naked. My son could thread the trike, at full speed, through a gap between the couch and the desk that was less than an inch wider that the rear wheels. I measured. And he could do it over and over and over and never hit. They learned to slide sideways on the low traction floor and to spin out completely. They've shared nicely and they've fought bitterly and had it taken away for a week at a time. The two older ones have finally, very reluctantly, outgrown it. They've moved on to real two wheeled bicycles outside. They miss it though and have frequently asked if we can get a bigger inside bike. So far we've declined. It's hard to head down that road. Once we get a bike big enough for a 10 year old, we might as well get one big enough for Daddy. Whenever I suggest that, I get a look from my wife that lets me know that this idea, which seems really good, actually isn't.