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Help and advice on getting my son to like his balance bike
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swooshFree Member
I got my son a balance bike for his 2nd birthday about 8 months ago but he still doesnt like riding it.
He didn’t like it when I first gave it to him as he didn’t keep it upright and so I think he was put off by it falling over and him not getting anywhere. We persevered for a few months but eventually put it away until last weekend when we got it out again and tried him on it. He got a bit further this time but after 30 seconds he was bored and just wanted to tell me to ride it!
I’m a little disappointed that he hasn’t taken to the bike a little better as he is always a 3-wheeled trike (no pedals) at nursery so thought he’d take to the balance bike better than he has.
I think we have come to the conclusion that we will get a “scuttlebug” for the time being until he likes the balance bike. The scuttlebug will be used for our daughter when she reaches the right age so it’s not a waste of money.
Has anyone else had similar experience? Or got any advice?
petrieboyFull MemberYup. Mine was the same around that age. Loved his scuttlebug but if he touched the rothan he just wanted to walk with it between his legs (not sitting on it)
I took a step back, let him do what he wanted and in his own good time he decided the rothan was the best toy ever.
Incidentally, we’ve since had the same issue moving him up to a cnoc taking him a year to try pedals (using it as a balance bike instead) same story tho, put the pedals on every so often, let him have a go and took them of on request. Last month he finally got it and there’s no stopping him now.
Don’t worry, bikes are awesome. He’ll get that eventually!!Tracker1972Free MemberOur 2 year old didn’t like hers until she was 3. Thought she would never like it but she took to it like a duck to water at 3. Last week’s 6 mile ride on her bike with pedals, at the type old age of 4 tells me that the low pressure but don’t give in and get a scooter or trike (or scuttlebug?) approach worked. Was fully prepared for her to just not like it though, they just might not.
Going through the same process with our 2 year old now 🙂Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...jam-boFull MemberDon’t push it. My lad has taken about 9months to get the hang of it. Clicked about two weeks ago and there is no stopping him now. Still gets off it in the middle of the park and wants me to carry it for a bit.
daftvaderFree MemberMinivader is 6 and still not interested in bikes… He has had balance bikes and a bike for every size he has been so far… Still no joy. Sorry couldn’t be any help. However I won’t pressure him to ride, I’ve always told him that there is a bike avaliable and that I will go ride with him when he wants…. And I suspect that this school holiday he will realise that it’s far quicker than the scooter…. Hopefully!
scaledFree MemberMy daughter has always seen me going out for rides with my mates and she felt left out.
Asking her if she wanted to go on a bike ride with dad worked quite well! We’d do a trip to the end of the close and back, then round the park and before long she was balance biking to nursery.
Same issue with the cnoc as above, I didn’t know what to do really then one day it was ‘daddy, I’d like to ride my big bike to school’ 30 seconds later she was pedaling.
Overall I’d say let them lead it, if its the norm in your family then they’ll get it.
isitafoxFree MemberI agree with daftvader, my first son was desperate to get on a bike like me and was racing about on his balance bike shortly after his 2nd birthday and on a 16″ Hotrock without stabilisers the week after his 3rd birthday. Second son wasn’t as interested so instead of pushing him to ride I just left him to his own devices, one day he just decided he wanted to have a go on it and that was that. Was the same when he moved to a big bike, as he was such a big lad the balance bike was too small for him pretty soon so he ended up on the hotrock with stabilisers. Didn’t want to go near it without them for months until one day he asked me to take them off then he was riding in half an hour, can’t get him off it now!
steve_b77Free MemberMy little ‘un got a frog tadpole for his 2nd birthday and was feet up, bombing down the garden path 2 hours later, a few days later we went to a country park and he clocked 4km on the paths round there. I think they either like it or not I’m afraid.
kcrFree MemberI would suggest not putting the bike away. Just leave it lying about, so the opportunity is there, and wait for nature to take its course.
tallieFree MemberThis vid really helped enthuse my 3 year old – she really liked watching it and wanted to be just like the “little” boy.
[video]http://youtu.be/xz6zG9EYOKI[/video]
MarkieFree MemberMs Makrie had hers for at least 6 months before it clicked, which as I recall happened sometime around her third birthday.
She turns 5 tomorrow and is moving from a Cnoc up to a Beinn – she’ll be more thrilled than me, and that’s going some!
Be patient and good luck!
ampthillFull MemberIt just takes time
my son did 14″ wheels and stabilizers for ages (until 5) i can’t remember but it was really late on. We took the stabilizers off a few times and he eventually got it pedaling. The pedals off downhill didn’t work for him when we tried that
So just keep being melow and patient. Its not like now his 17 anyone asks him when he started riding a bike
TiRedFull MemberGet something with pedals and stabilizers. Or a scooter. Both of mine were riding a 12″ bike without stabilizers at three. Balance bikes don’t suit everyone.
Kryton57Full MemberYup. Mine was the same around that age. Loved his scuttlebug but if he touched the rothan he just wanted to walk with it between his legs (not sitting on it)
I took a step back, let him do what he wanted and in his own good time he decided the rothan was the best toy ever.
Incidentally, we’ve since had the same issue moving him up to a cnoc taking him a year to try pedals (using it as a balance bike instead) same story tho, put the pedals on every so often, let him have a go and took them of on request. Last month he finally got it and there’s no stopping him now.
Don’t worry, bikes are awesome. He’ll get that eventually!!This, with the exception that within 10 minutes on a pedally islabike Kryton Jnr was up and running.
Don’t push then too hard especially at 2. Now he’s 5 KJ is up and down at the skate park, off road down big slopes etc. Its great to watch.
theotherjonvFull MemberCan’t help with the “Do’s”, but on the “don’ts”
DON’T let your Mother in Law say “that’s not a proper bike, it hasn’t got any pedals”
Nothing kills a kid’s desire to ride a balance bike than being told it’s not a proper bike.
Witch.
stilltortoiseFree MemberRelax.
I did the same. I bought a nice little Norco balance bike for my son’s 2nd birthday. He was 3 before he actually began to enjoy riding it. He’s now 5 and I watch him ride his Specialized Hot Rock with my heart somewhere between swelling with pride and being in my mouth with fear 😯
It will come
shifterFree Member+1
Don’t let MIL buy them a bike with stabilisers for nana’s house.My 5yo could ride her proper bike before she showed any interest in the balance bike.
cookeaaFull MemberI’ve had to deal with some regression, first child took a while but got on OK with the balance bike, but the missus never took her anywhere with it during the day, it was always me suggesting we ride it anywhere, anyway I eventually bought her a nice bike a year or so later but both her and her mum insisted she had the stabilizers fitted… 🙄
Fast forwards a bit and this Tuesday night she’s blatting round the garden on her bike, still with stabilizers, but finally now begging me to take them off and teach her to ride without them… Its only taken ~2 years and seeing various other kids riding proper bikes to persuade her (ditching the coaster brake helped also).
Second child is now 2 and does the shuffling along, stood up, with the balance bike between her legs thing, then typically drops it to one side, gets upset, and gives up, this goes in 10 minute cycles, where I am doubled over helping her stay up and getting her to sit on the seat…
Its a natural learning curve/coordination thing, where every child will be different, it does help if both parents try to encourage and help though, pushy Dads on their own seldom win, but if Mum is on board too they’ll be more encouraged…
They are both proper Girly girls though and bikes will never beat plastic Dolls or pretend kitchen furniture for their attention, but I think the’ll both ride soon enough…
cookeaaFull MemberOh yeah my MIL helps to kill a lot of things off by being a bit too risk averse.
Best one lately was telling her that using the monkey bars in a playground, with loads of nice soft wood chips just below was “too dangerous for little girls” the other day, cue all sorts of crying and foot stamping…
She’s incredibly easy to discourage and a bugger to motivate so when she actually shows a bit of enthusiasm for something other than watching TV, I’m always expecting to have to cut off the MIL (and more often my missus) mid-sentence before they can ruin things…
#ridiculousfearofeverything
mintimperialFull MemberDon’t worry about it, give him time. My boy didn’t take to his balance bike till he was past 3, we just let him decide when he wanted to go for it. Same for the step up to pedals later on. They learn when they’re ready, just keep trying every so often and don’t make a big deal of it.
He’s just turned six and loves riding now, he happily blasts round the National Cycling Centre indoor BMX track from the top of the 5m ramp, gets a bit of air on the step ups and everything. He’s not quite got pumping cracked yet but then it took me till I was 36 to get that one… 😉
bencooperFree MemberWe found that just leaving it next to the front door was a great incentive – to start with she wasn’t all that keen, but just seeing it every time we went out she decided more and more she wanted to give it a go.
Also, shamefully for a non-helmet person like me, she loves wearing a pink helmet and cycling is a chance to wear it more often 😉
ScamperFree MemberIt will all suddenly come together and before you know it he will be flying along. I think it helped that he had always seen me on “daddies” bike so wanted to join in. Bought a Strider for his second birthday last September, and he wanted to kind of ride it, but made zero progress apart from shuffling it along the living room standing up. Left it 5 months over winter, a few small practices at home and suddenly he was whizzing along on holiday in April, even getting to the stage of having both feet in the air – its almost as if it just clicked for him. Since, there has been steady improvement even though he does not ride that often. He now looks really at ease on the bike, if not always 100% in control especially downhill, but a few bloody noses and fat lip hasn’t put him off! What I think helps is a week of intensive use – we took his abroad with us and it was hilarious seeing other tourists reaction who evidently have not seen one before as he weaved between them. I’m not sure at what stage to move him onto pedals/brakes though.
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