Scary experience with 3 year old and scooter

[matildasun]

this may be flameful. Please be gentle. I am mostly writing this out so I can better process it. I am still shaking and really just want to cry about the whole experience.

A, who just turned 3, has a mini kick scooter. In the last two weeks she has gotten really good on it. This week she has been riding it to and from school, which is a 1/2 mile away. She can turn it, and stop it and has decent control. She is also good at stopping when and where I ask her to.

Today she did a great job, until I asked her to stop, so we could cross the street to go home. I am still not sure what she was thinking, but she didn't stop. Instead she turned the corner and kept on going as fast as she could down the block and then turned the second corner where I couldn't see her. I was terrified that she was going to try to cross the street, and since I couldn't see I was also terrified that she had landed in the street. I was running, but had started a quarter block behind and was wearing the baby. A car that turned the corner stopped until I got there, essentially blocking traffic, which was kind, but added to my anxiety that maybe she was in the road.

She had stopped on the sidewalk, right around the corner. When I got to her I put my hand on her shoulder, said no in my sternest voice and took the scooter. I told her that not stopping was dangerous and she scared me. She burst into tears and threw herself to the ground. I calmly told her to get up and walk with me. She did, but was yelling that she wanted her scooter. I told her calmly that little girls who don't stop don't get to ride their scooters. When we got to where she was supposed to stop, we stopped and I asked her what the procedure should have been. I then told her again that I was very scared when she didn't stop, and that it was very dangerous.

I carried the scooter the rest of the way home with her stomping and yelling about wanting the scooter. I tried to keep my responses calm and consistent. When we got home I put the scooter away and again told her that she scared me and had her describe to me what she was supposed to do and what she did instead (in a way that was age appropriate)

I feel like I handled it okay, but I am really worried that she doesn't get the safety aspect of it. She knew as soon as I got to her that she was wrong, but I am at a loss as how to make sure it does not happen again. Having her ride the scooter makes getting places easier, but of course her safety is my number one concern.

[anna7602]

I think you handled it perfectly.

Impulse control can still be hard at that age, but I don't think you should question your use of the scooter. She could have just as easily run away from you on her two feet (no scooter involved), and gotten out of sight, KWIM?

I'm not an advocate for keeping a kid in a stroller until junior high just because it's a "safe" place, which is the only alternative I see in this scenario.

[celiacmom]

How scary! I think you did perfect! Lease don't beat yourself up. Luckily everyone is safe. Huge hugs because I know how scary that must have been!

[8675309]

OMG, my almost 3yr old DD has the same scooter and we had a similar experience except that because I took her down a mildly sloped street she couldn't stop. It was the scariest moment of my life watching her roll down the street going faster than ever. The problem was she couldn't stop because she was going too fast. By the end of the steet we were BOTH in tears. Was there a decline where you guys were riding? I still have anxiety thinking about what could have happened.

If the scooter hasn't been so awesome I would probably never let her ride it again but it has taught her amazing coordination and balance and she is a rockstar on it. She held on and didn't panic and that was more than I could have hoped for.

I also felt like the worst mom in the world for taking her down that street.