Teaching your child to ride a bike is a treasured milestone! However, many parents looking forward to this day feel perplexed and overwhelmed. Learning to ride a bike isn’t quite as easy as we remember! What’s more, it’s easy to introduce some bad habits that can make it more difficult for your little one to safely ride their bike independently as they age. Have no fear! These no-nonsense tips for teaching a toddler to ride a bike will help you get off to a great start!

Skip the Training Wheels

Did you know that training wheels are now considered outdated? The school of thought promoting training wheels pushed the idea that giving toddlers extra support would help them focus on pedaling. This would give them a chance to become good at riding a bike. However, training wheels are counterproductive. Toddlers who learn to ride with training wheels become reliant on those wheels to keep upright. They always need to learn to balance their weight on the bike. As a result, it can be like starting from scratch by learning to ride once the wheels are removed. Reliance on training wheels can be frustrating and embarrassing as kids get older.

The updated recommendation is a balance bike. Free of pedals and training wheels, a balanced bike allows a child to learn to ride intuitively by balancing their weight to keep a bike upright. This option can be safer in the long run because the risk of a bike falling on top of a little rider is reduced if they have control of the bike.

Emphasize Scooting Over Pedaling

Becoming good at riding a bike is about more than keeping contact with the pedals. That’s why teaching “scooting” is important. Scooting is keeping your feet near the ground to “feel out” the situation and maintain balance. It starts with sitting on the bike, pushing off with your feet, and connecting with the feeling of the bike. A great way to show toddlers how to scoot is simply to do it with your bike, for example.

Create an Obstacle Course

While riding a bike in a straight line is a big accomplishment, it’s only the first step. Bike safety comes down to navigating a bike properly through unexpected terrain. This is where creating a little obstacle course that forces your toddler to practice turns becomes helpful. Simply make a little course using bean bags, orange cones, or any other items that can create easy, safe boundaries.

Get Them Acclimated to Their Helmet

As you know, toddlers should always wear helmets while on their bikes. However, getting used to the way a helmet feels takes time. This can be distracting when learning to ride a bike. It can also make it harder for a little one to find balance. Let your toddler get used to the weight and feel of having a helmet on their head by allowing them to wear it around the house for a bit.

Published by Stephanie M.