Two weeks after Gab got his Strider Balance Bike, he has found his balance and glides beautifully on his bike. He’s getting faster and looks ready for a race. 😀
Balance Bikes have no trainer wheels which forces the child to really balance. The Strider Balance Bike did just that. Gab did not receive any formal bike lessons from me. I just let him sit on his bike and let him move around. I gave a few safely rules for him and that’s it. After a span of only two weeks, he just found his balance and glides all around.
I do recommend buying balance bikes for kids if you want them to learn to bike. It looks funny at first but I found it to be very effective in teaching Gab to balance on a bike. Gab is 3 years old and looks ready for bike tricks.
Here are some tips on how to teach your kids to bike a balance bike… without really giving any bike lessons.
1. Let them watch the balance bike videos. There are a lot of videos in Youtube of toddlers riding a balance bike. It was Gab’s first lesson before Lolo even bought him the bike. He just watched what the kids are doing with their bikes and he probably just mimicked what they are doing. Push with the foot and raise your foot as you glide.
2. Instill safe biking attitude. I would remind Gab to stop if there are people around. I ask him not to bump people and things, even though he sometimes thinks it’s fun. I keep on telling Gab to look in front to where he is going. I put boundaries where he can and cannot bike. The steep ramp at the corridor is off limits to him and he avoids it. He is not allowed where there are cars and vehicles like roads and parking lots.
3. Explore wide spaces. Bike are meant for open spaces so we go to the park once a week. This is where Gab really gets pumped up, takes more risks, and learns fast with his bike.
4. Encourage a healthy attitude when they fall off. Falling off the bike can be a defining moment for a child. Will they become scared and quit? Or will they take it as a lesson and become a better biker? Gab’s first fall off his balance bike was really bad. His face was on the ground and his mouth caught some sand. He cried hard. We dust him off and gave him time to recover. We told him that he got off balanced and that is why he fell off the bike. We told him that it’s ok to fall sometimes. We did not blame anyone or anything. No explanations. Just state the fact that he fell off and it’s normal and it will be OK.
While still crying, we asked him if he still wants to ride the bike. He was silent for a while. Then he said yes. He still wants to bike. Quennie and I smiled and asked him to tell us if he is ready to ride again. After a few seconds, he’s off with the bike and would even go pass where he just fell off. It was a good lesson for all of us.
This is where Gab first fell off the balance bike
5. Let them enjoy and take some risks. Watching my 3-year-old bike can be scary . When Gab starts lifting his feet off the ground, I’d pray for all the angels to come down and keep the bike steady. But that is the point where Gab would squeal in delight. He loves it when he glides. So I just watch him. I refrain from giving pointers like slow down or look front or watch out. I just let him find his balance and enjoy the ride.
Here a video of one of his best moments with his balance bikes. He loves lifting those feet off the ground and shouts “Weee!” while at it.
It’s another Like Father Like Son moment. I love bikes since I was a kid. I am happy Gab is learning to ride a bike and is also learning other lesson on life through it.
