I went back to the park where I learned to ride a bike and counted 14 kids on phones, then one kid caught my eye

Grace King · 2026-09-24T16:45:04.160654+00:00

Took my lunch break at Franklin Park in Boise last Thursday, the same spot where I ate gravel learning to ride a bike back in '92. Back then there were maybe 3 kids on the swings and everyone else was running around, but this time I counted 14 kids sitting on benches staring at screens. Then one little guy, maybe 5 years old, kept falling off his bike and getting back on while his dad just watched from a bench. After his 6th try he finally stayed up for about 20 feet and screamed so loud the whole playground looked over. The dad didn't even clap, just nodded at his phone, so I clapped instead and the kid beamed at me like he'd won the Tour de France. Anyone else notice how rare it is now to just sit and watch a kid figure something out on their own?

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I went back to the park where I learned to ride a bike and counted 14 kids on phones, then one kid caught my eye | Daily Small Wins - Chatter Central