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Learning to ride a bike–a challenge for kids and parents
Nothing compares to the
freedom and simple joy a child feels when he pedals a bike on his own for the
first time.
The accomplishment also has
many physical and mental health benefits:
- boosting his self-esteem
- helping him to socialize with other kids
- increasing his endurance and muscle strength
- improving his balance and coordination.
Yet, learning to ride a bike
is complicated and not every child takes to it easily. It can leave some kids,
and their parents, feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do next.
The reason for this is simple:
it takes many different body systems to be in sync to balance and pedal a bike.
Your child’s body needs to know where he is in space, be able to sense his
movements and speed, and stay balanced and oriented. He also needs strength in his
legs to pedal, and in his core, chest and arms to control the handle bars. If
your child has difficulty with any one of these body systems, it can be more
challenging to put it all together to ride a bike.
As with learning any new and
difficult skill, breaking down the task and practicing it in parts can help
prepare your child to ride a bike.
- Find a safe practice space. Choose a traffic-free area that is
large and smoothly paved where he can learn to ride safely. Some good places
include a park path, empty parking lot or empty basketball court.
- Get comfortable with a bike that
doesn’t have training wheels. Have him hold the handle bars and walk with the bike,
turn in different directions, practice using the kick stand and get on and off
the bike. Support your child as he holds the bike, but don’t support the bike
yourself.
- Do a few stationary drills. Have him get on the bike, lift
both feet and balance in place, tipping side to side and using his feet to
catch himself.
- Practice glide and balance. Lower the seat so his feet are flat
on the ground, and have him propel the bike forward with his feet, gliding and
balancing as he feels comfortable. Riding a scooter and increasing the glide
time is another great way to work on this skill.
- Put it all together. Once he's mastered balance, handle
bar control and can consistently glide on his bike for five to 10 seconds at a
time, he’s ready to begin working on putting all the skills together with
pedals.
There are also many great community resources to help your
child learn to ride a bike, so you don’t have to go it alone. Let’s Get Biking is a
group class for children and their parents offered every spring through Courage
Kenny Kids. The class begins
indoors with activities building a child’s strength and balance, then moves
outside where kids work on various drills on their own bikes.
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