One Ontario mom was determined to let her daughter learn how to ride a skateboard when she expressed interest after a skate park opened near their home. 6-year-old Peyton thought only boys could skateboard, but this awesome mom said no way.
Peyton’s mom, Jeanean Thomas, stated in TODAY:
“She’d only ever seen boys skateboard so she just assumed that it was a boy sport. She and I had a long talk–there’s no such thing as boy things or girl things, there’s just things, so if something interests you, you can do it.”
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When they arrived with a pink helmet in tow, Peyton was intimated by the older boys, some of whom were smoking and cursing. For a moment, it looked as if Peyton’s dreams of skateboarding were about to be cut short, until one boarder offered to help.
Apparently, the experience turned out so well that Thomas wrote a now viral letter on Twitter, titled “Dear teenage boy at the skate park,” hoping the skateboarder’s parents would see how generous and helpful he was. Thomas wrote how much her daughter enjoyed the experience:
“I want you to know that I am proud that you are part of my community, and I want to thank you for being so kind to my daughter, even though your friends made fun of you for it. She left the skate park with a sense of pride and with the confidence that she can do anything, because of you.”
While Thomas thought their helpful skateboarder was a teenager, it turns out the boy is actually 20-year-old boarding coach Ryan Carney. Carney is surprised his good deed got so much attention, telling Cambridge Times:
“The day of it…I didn’t think much of it to be honest. I don’t really know why it’s a big deal…I went up there just simply to be nice. If I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, and I was in a place that could be intimidating at that age, I’d want someone to help me.”
Sounds like a sweet day that will be remembered fondly by all. We’re glad Peyton was able to happily pursue her dream of skateboarding, and that she has a mom who supports her interests no matter how “girly” or “boyish” they are.
