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It's like riding a bike


Milestones such as learning to walk and talk are fundamental. If your child could not perform these tasks you would address it. (For a more detailed list of developmental stages visit this link)

In addition to these basic milestones, activities like learning to ride a bike are also extremely important to your child's development.

This will probably be the one of the first activities that your child will need to consciously work at over a period of time.
Learning to ride may not come easy, they will need to overcome an element of fear. They may get hurt. They may get discouraged. Overcoming these obstacles and learning how to ride their bike will give your child a great sense of accomplishment and pride. It will also set the foundation for how they deal with obstacles and difficulties later in life.

A learning Opportunity for you

So what is your role in all this? As a parent your job is to recognize risks and mitigate them, Provide support and encouragment, Guide without dictating (probably the hardest element)

So how do you do this? Create a safe environment - Make sure your child has proper safety equipment. At a minimum a helmet, Gloves and pads can also help to prevent unnecessary cuts and scrapes and provide some extra confidence.
Find a generally flat, traffic free area to practice.

Make sure the bike is the right fit for your child - If you are unsure check with your local bike shop but here are some basic pointers
Bikes for children are sized by their wheels: 12”, 16”, 20” and 24”.
Your Child should be able to dismount and comfortably straddle the bike flat footedly.
With a slight lean of the bike, get their bottom back onto the seat, put their foot on the pedal and, when the skill is there, ride away. When the foot is on the pedals there should be a slight bend in the leg that is fully extended. There should be a slight bend at the waist and your child should not have to stretch to reach the handlebars

Be positive and have realistic expectations: Your Child will make mistakes and may not follow your guidance let them find their own way, encourage and congratulate their success's no matter how small.

Know when to call it a day: or Don't beat a dead horse. This is a corollary to the previous paragraph you want to ensure that the experience is positive don't let frustration set in. Try to end on a positive note.

Here are some Links to stories about bike riding that you can read to your child

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