Can your kids ride a bike? My 7 year old son won't even try. He got a bike last Christmas and has been on it a handful of times. Doesn't want training wheels because he's "a big boy", but every time we try to get him to ride it's hell, if you even mention letting the seat or handle bars go then that's it he's done. He loves his scooter, but I felt a kid should be able to ride a bike, hence the Christmas present. He's natuarally a cautious kid, but seems to have a huge aversion to riding a bike.
Do we keep pushing, or are some kids just happy with a scooter these days?
9 Replies
Try a balance bike
Its very scary but once hes learned he'll be right. Teach him. On grass.
My almost 9 year old has been able to ride (without training wheels) for years but some of her friends can't.
Mine (7yo daughter) is the same. Won't go without her training wheels, won't let us do anything to help teach her. She struggles riding her current one because she doesn't get how to turn properly. I wanted to take her pedals and training wheels off to teach her how to balance like on a balance bike but she won't have it. She has really low core strength and is very right-dominant and I think that has a lot to do with it. She can't/won't ride her scooter either.
To be honest, I was stressing thinking she was missing out, but I don't think she is. We don't have that much time in the week to focus on it anyway, and it's not an essential life skill, IMO. Mine's just started gymnastics, and she will hopefully develop more strength and balance through that, maybe we'll be able to try again in a couple of years.
Having a few OT (occupational therapy) sessions could help her
My 5 year old has been riding without training wheels for a year, but he loves his bike and rides it every day. Lots of kids his age can't ride a bike I think it depends on the child.
My little boy is three and a half and has been riding with no training wheels for about six months but I mean some kids just don’t want to ride bikes. I wouldn’t worry. My younger brother loves scootering and it’s still balance and all that.
Don't push .... My 17 year old went on his first bike ride this year. His mates arranged a bike day and off he went. Had never ridden before and had to borrow brothers bike to go. We spent lots of time making him feel bad about not wanting to learn. He's good at other stuff , we should have just encouraged that .
Don’t force it. They usually do bike ed at school, he might be keen to learn then