Thread: Impatient boy
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Old 09-23-18, 11:04 AM
  #12  
atbman
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Originally Posted by MadMan2k
Thanks for the replies. I had not considered balance bikes because in my mind I was thinking they were for kids under 3.

I think I will try taking the training wheels and the pedals off of my son's bike and teaching him to push and balance on it and go from there. Maybe the size of the bike is too constrictive now for him to comfortably pedal and we're just adding an obstacle.

Thanks for the link for the Islabikes website and sizing info. I did not know there were quality mountain bikes available for small kids but that is a good thing to keep in mind.
A few more tips:
  • Never push the bike (a) it knackers your back and (b) you may not quite be pushing him in the direction he's steering
  • Place your hand (or even fingertips) on his upper back - maybe between his shoulder blades - this gives him sufficient flexibility of choice to learn to steer more easily while still giving him some help
  • We play the counting game on both the balance bike and when the pedals are back on. Once he starts to lift his feet off the ground for a few yards, get him to count how many seconds (very roughly) he can keep them in the air. When he's pedalling, do the same to see how long he can keep going before losing his balance. This should, in my experience, take his mind off losing his balance and focus it more on how ell he's doing and how much he's improving.
  • I've no hard and fast rule for when to switch to pedals - you'll know that much better than me as you watch him
Good luck!
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