TIPS FOR TEACHING YOUR KIDS HOW TO RIDE THEIR FIRST BIKE

Do you remember riding a bike for the first time? If you can, you can probably also recall how daunting it was. To take the stress and fear out of the situation for your kids, read the tips below.

Use the Right Safety Gear

Before you and the kids set off on your first bike riding adventure together, it’s best to make sure that you’ve kitted them out in safety gear. Wearing the safety gear your self will also encourage the kids to wear it as well. Even though it might not be comfortable for them, it will certainly ensure their safety.

Set the Example

They say that some of the best sporting captains lead by example, so why not adapt the same strategy with the kids? Make sure you show the kids how to ride the bike, show them how to hop and off the bike and also how to pedal and brake as well. Equally important though, is to adopt a fairly laid-back attitude to show them that it’s not that scary to do!

Fit Training Wheels to their First Bike

Along with getting the right safety gear to fit the kids, another great idea for helping to ride their first bike is by fitting training wheels. These are a great way to stabilise the bike for the kids, so that they won’t fall off. It also will help them to learn how to ride and they can eventually progress to taking them off. You can click here to get a pair of training wheels for your kid’s first bike.

Hold on!

Now that you’ve got the safety gear, fitted the training wheels and set the example of how to ride the bike, it’s time to get the kid onto the bike and riding. At this point it’s important to hold onto the bike as your child gets comfortable and used to it. Gently prompt them to start pedalling and hold onto them, slowly letting go. Make sure you stay close, but not too close, just in case anything happens. Now it’s time to let them go and start riding. But make sure you remind them how to use the brakes!

Be there when they Fall

When the inevitable happens and your child does fall, make sure you are there to help and encourage them to get back on their bike. It’s very important to be positive and reinforce to them that everyone, even yourself, has fallen off their bike whilst they were learning. It is all about practice and it is a skill that they can enjoy for the rest of their life once they have learned it.

So there are five tips on teaching the kids how to ride their first bike, but what are some others? What has worked and more importantly, what hasn’t worked for parents out there that have tried teaching their kids?