How to Teach a Child to Ride a Bike
When your child reaches the age of four or five, he or she should be ready to learn how to ride a bike. While it can be scary at first for any kid to jump on a bike, you can give just the right encouragement and support so that his first biking lessons will be productive (For more information regarding bicycles, read The Guide to bicycles). If you want to teach your child to ride a bike, keep in mind the following things first:
Provide the needed safety equipment.
Give your child the proper safety equipment. Children usually fall off bikes and get hurt in the process of learning. In turn, they get turned off to bikes at such an early age so it may take more time for him or her to learn.
Gloves, helmets, safety pads for knees and shoulders will not only boost his or her confidence but also provide safety and security. Also, practice first on a grassy area to minimize pains resulting from possible injuries. Encourage your little one to wear it from the get-go and you’ll have an easier time forming his or her safety habits.
Use bikes with training wheels.
kiddie bikeTo help the kids balance, most starter bikes designed for small children come in training wheels that are located at the back wheel of the bike. Your child won’t need to worry about keeping the bike upright and can instead focus on how to steer and pedal first.
Make sure to adjust the bike properly so that your child can comfortably reach the brakes, bar and pedals (Learn how to adjust your bike seat). If your kid has mastered steering and pedaling already, you can slowly but surely raise the training wheels off the ground to teach him or her the basics of balancing. If you notice that he or she is confident enough, remove the training wheels all together.
Guide your child as you push the bike.
If you don’t have a bike that is equipped with training wheels, you can employ this tried and tested technique. Hold your kid by the shoulders as you put him or her on the bike. Don’t hold unto the seat or the handle bar to teach him to balance on his or her own.
Let him or her master steering and pedaling before shifting your focus on balancing. You can then slowly let him or her go to balance on his or her own. Run alongside your kid and cheer as he bikes away but make sure you are near just in case something bad happens.
Practice, practice, practice.
Constant practice is needed to master all the techniques needed. Ride with your child and set aside a portion of your time each day to help him or her learn the basics. It may take more than a couple of sessions but the result will definitely be worth your time.