Teaching Kids to Ride the Bike
Teaching kids how to ride a bike is important. Aside from discouraging children to just sit at home the whole day and play video games, biking is a good form of exercise. Biking makes children fit, helping them achieve mental and physical well-being.
When teaching children how to bike, it is important to remember that at one time or another, parents would need to let go. Teach them the value of independence. This is the reason why children need to be potty trained and taught how to wash their own hands. Giving them the right tools would help them become more independent. For example, getting them Kidz Step safety stool would help them to reach the sink and faucet and learn how to wash their hands on their own.
It’s the same with teaching kids how to ride the bike. Parents can’t be there the whole time to hold their bikes for them and keep them balanced. So it is important to give them the right tools, teach them the importance of safety, and instill in them the value of self-confidence to help them learn better.
- Get the appropriate bike. If the child is 3 or 4 years of age, get a tricycle. If the kid is 5 years of age and over, get a bigger bike with training wheels.
- Make sure the bike is in perfect condition. Check everything, especially the wheels, pedals, and brakes.
- Dress them appropriately – no loose-fitting shirts or pants that could get caught up in the bike pedals. Sneakers and rubber shoes are also recommended.
- Arm them with protective gear like helmet, hand gloves, and knee and elbow pads.
- Teach them the importance of traffic safety and how to watch out for cars.
- Start off with bikes with training wheels. Make sure that the training wheels are not too low that they touch the ground ahead of the rear wheel. This will make the brakes useless.
- Teach them how to steer, pedal, and brake.
- As the child becomes familiar with the basics, it’s time to remove the training wheels and teach them how to balance.
- In teaching a child how to balance on a bike, parents should NOT hold the handlebars and the saddle. Doing so would stop the kids from learning how to steer and balance properly. Let the children learn how to act based on their own instincts. Parents should also refrain from steering the wheels for them, as training would be useless. Holding them by the shoulders while running along with them is recommended.
- Lastly, let them learn at their own pace. Learning curves vary. Some professional bike riders have learned to ride the bike at a later age, like 12. Teach them how to be patient, just like how parents should be.
photo credit: echoforsberg photo credit: Shiny Things
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