Yeah, maybe my kids are weird. And they definitely are at the mercy of the one in the house who wields the remote, but this is our 4th year watching the 23-day bike marathon event that in my house spells summer. After all, there are quite few important family-type values expressed during the Tour de France:
1. Being good at something takes hard work. The fact that these guys ride 5-6 hours a day, sometimes up grueling mountains, and can still sprint at the end is not lost on kids. When they ask how these guys can do this, about all I can say is, "Practice." Oh, and seeing these guys get up and ride after they crash is pretty inspiring too.
2. Riding a bike is fun. I admit, I'm something of a cyclist. Or, er, a wannabe anyway. But my kids really get into the elation that's evident on the faces not just of the winners but even of the guys who just finish this thing. 3000 miles or so over 3 weeks? Riiight. That deserves elation. And it makes my kids want to ride more (even though one is having trouble making the transition away from training wheels).
3. If you break the rules, you're out. My older son (11) can't help but notice the talk of drugs, drug screenings, and the resulting rider bans. Some of his favorite riders aren't riding the Tour anymore because of it. Which I think sends a huge message that needs no embellishment from me (though we have talked about WHY they might choose drugs).
4. If you're a kid, you can make play out of anything. Though it's a little weird hearing my 7-year-old discuss the relative merits of her favorite riders, I have to remember that these are the kids who can get competitive about racing snails and assign candy colors to represent Top Chef contestants. So naturally they get into the drama of a three-week bike race.
Join us? It's not too late. Though today's Stage Four has already been ridden, there's almost 2 1/2 weeks left. Oh, and fair warning: it took me the entire first year to figure out what was going on: the races-within-races, the strategy, understanding the commentators. Which was all just part of the challenge and the fun.
