On teaching a 6 year old how to ride a bike
My parents came up today for Sunday dinner. We played outside where my parents helped my son on his bike. He’s seven years old on the 16th and I’ve got a bug up my butt about the fact that he still hasn’t gone through the rite of passage of learning how to ride a two-wheeler.
Little Man is already a bit shy about trying new things and taking risks, so getting him on the bike without training wheels required some coaxing. It was worse after he fell and bumped his nose and mouth. He’s improved a little with his lesson today, but he’s nowhere near ready to ride by himself.
My dad was obsessed with taking the pedals off the bike and letting him sit on the bike with his feet flat on the ground so he could walk it around. He read an article where this process was used for adults who never learned how to ride a bike.
My mom insisted on holding him up while he pedaled and steered.
In the end, though, the whole “teach Little Man how to ride a two wheeler” turn into four adults bickering about which method was most effective.
After we got tired of arguing and Little Man got tired of falling we all went inside and for dinner. I made chili with a new recipe from All Recipes. It was a big hit.
well, the chili part sounds good!
The two-wheel riding will come in time! Once he decides that he really wants to learn, he will. (no matter how much the adults help)
Comment by Tracie — November 1, 2009 @ 11:00 pm
Tracie,
I’m sure you’re right that Little Man will learn to ride his bike when he’s good and ready.
After doing a little research to see what other parents did, the same idea kept coming up: find a shallow slope in the yard and have him practice going down the slope straddling the bike so he can put his feet down if he needs to. If he falls, he’ll be on the grass anyway, so no harm. It seems like a good way to teach him balance.
Comment by Kim — November 4, 2009 @ 6:27 am
Your thoughts made me laugh as I thought of our own son. Now 29, he refused to learn how to ride his bike until he was 10 years old. He used to run behind his best friend all the way to school! We would ask if he wanted to try it out and he always said no so we waited until he was ready. He now runs marathons!
Comment by Joan — November 6, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
Hi, Saundra here! This is a good family network. I need to know more family oreinted blogs my blog is Womens Maternity New Baby, and I have more questions than answers. I’d like to do a post about bike safety is always very impotant.
Comment by jerome newman — November 7, 2009 @ 11:36 am