4 Things to Remember When Teaching Your Child to Ride a Bike

Riding a bike is a great experience for children; they’ll instantly be consumed by the joy of riding their bike around the neighborhood. It’s important to remember though that children are not instantly going to sit on the bike and be able to ride. Be prepared to spend some time struggling with your child because bike riding comes with time and it will require practice. This article will outline a few of the main things to remember when your kid is ready to start riding.

1. Patience- It’s very important to remain patient while your child is learning how to ride a bike. Just because you really want them to start riding today doesn’t mean that they will be the next Lance Armstrong tomorrow night. It’s crucial that you take slow steps and get them slowly used to the general idea. You might want to start by staying right behind them holding them upright, or maybe helping them practice with a tricycle first.

2. The Right Bike- When trying to get your child into bike riding, make sure that the bike they’re riding is right for them. Your child should be able to place their feet on the ground without too much trouble. It’s necessary for them to put their foot on the ground because they won’t have a good sense of balance until they’ve gotten use to riding, and being able to put their feet on the ground will make them feel much more comfortable.

3. Be Supportive- Don’t get frustrated and never act negatively towards your child when he or she is learning to ride. If you’re expressing yourself negatively it may upset your child and may even make them lose interest. You can tell them what they’re doing wrong, just do it in a supportive way. Tell them that they’re getting the hang of it, but they just need to change the way they’re holding their feet on the pedals.

4. Safety- Stress safety when teaching your child how to ride their bike. When teaching them make sure you’re in a flat surface concrete area and that you’re far away from the street. It’s very important that you tell them never to ride on the road without looking both ways or asking you. Safety should be your prime concern when teaching your child how to ride their bike because riding often takes you through roads and rough terrain.

If you follow the advice given in this article, your child will be up and riding their bike before you know it. Just make sure you stress safety tips to your child and that when you’re criticizing them that it’s constructive and not destructive.

Photo Credits: Ed Yourdon

Originally posted 2009-09-30 03:52:26.

This post involves:

bike riding, concrete area, feet on the ground, flat surface, general idea, good sense, how to ride a bike, lance armstrong, learning how to ride a bike, neighborhood, patience, sense of balance, slow steps, stress safety, tomorrow night

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Biking, Motivation, Safety

Posted by Bike Swim Run on December 1, 2009 in Biking, Motivation, Safety. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.