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It has come time to teach my 6 year-old how to ride a bike without training wheels.
This past Sunday we gave my son his first lesson. We spent most of the day teaching him how to balance a bike, how to use the breaks and ride without the fear of falling.
Here are a few things I learned from a Mom’s point of view and I thought I’d pass it on to you for future use:
Tip #1: Hire Dad. Maybe you are brave enough to teach your child how to ride a bike but I’m not. Somehow my husband has a great way of explaining how things work to my kids, where I seem to stumble on my words and make them more confused and lost. I know when I should stand back and let my husband take over and this is one of those times.
Tip #2: Don’t scream, say ouch or cringe when your child falls. Just smile and say, “You’ll be ok,” even if they have blood dripping down their leg. You can traumatize them way more by screaming than the actual fall. I’ve learned to turn away or bite my lip to stop me from screaming out and it actually works.
Tip #3: Pad the kid up from head to toe. See tip #2.
Tip #4: Be their biggest cheerleader. Your child is looking to you for encouragement so shout things like, “You can do it!”, “Way to go!” and “Put your foot on the break, NOW!!” Hopefully they’ll listen to you before you have to shout out the last one.
Tip #5: Be their hero. If your child falls {and they will} be the one to run over, wipe away their tears and bandage them up. They’ll need that boost of confidence and someone to catch them while they fall. Moms are great at picking our children up, dusting them off and giving them the encouragement they need to try again.
Who is the “bike instructor” in your home? Have any tips to share?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
That is so cute. I’m terrible at explaining things to the boys, it usually ends in them looking at me like a deer in headlights. I need to get the hubby on the bike riding thing, all his friends can ride two wheelers and he’s still rocking the training wheels.
Hey nothing wrong with that. My 6YO is still timid about it, but we figured it would be time to try.
Love this! My husband is definitely going to need to be the bike instructor. We are getting E a bike for his 4th birthday. He will definitely have the helmet, elbow and knee pads, and possibly a roll of bubble wrap wrapped around him!
Steph´s last [type] ..10 Things I Learned at Bloggy Boot Camp Philly
Yes bubble wrap will come in handy!
I had to leave the bike ride instruction to my husband. I was terrified that my girls were going to fall and get hurt. He did all of the right things in your tips above while I cringed and hid my eyes and covered my ears on the couch inside. Thanks to my husband, my girls now can ride with their hands off. I still panic but I grit my teeth and let them enjoy it like I did when I was their age.
Kristen´s last [type] ..Bloggy Bootcamp Philadelphia
It’s so scary isn’t it? My hubby is so good at explaining things, so that’s his department. I am a nervous wreck!
We don’t have kids, but we have seven nieces and nephews. So far we have convinced their moms and dads to AVOID TRAINING WHEELS AT ALL COSTS. I find I am kind of a snot about this. Give kids a scoot bike, a bike without pedals, and let them loose. When they start lifting their feet and gliding for long distances, you know they can balance. At this point, our niece and nephews have been handed over to us. We get them on a bike with wheels on a grassy surface. Usually it only takes them a few minutes to figure out the pedaling thing and then they are good to go. It’s brilliant. (Of course, these aren’t our kids, so we don’t go freaking out when they fall. We are the mean aunt and uncle. Or the awesomest ones.)
NGS´s last [type] ..Advice From the Internets, Part II
Can you come teach my son how to ride a bike? LOL
We are still trying to convince our 4 year old to learn how to ride his bike with training wheels. I am about to give up and give his bike away to a little boy who will use it. This is the 2nd summer in a row that he will sit on it for 5 minutes then say he gives up and walks away. He then proceeds to get mad at us if we try to get him to try again.
Nolie´s last [type] ..Are you going to Blissdom Canada 2012?
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