any advice to help child learn to ride?

[tulip]

My nephew was scared at first, so my brother just let him call the shots. When he (nephew) was ready, he decided and it was on his terms.

I'd say let her be and don't push it. Drop the whole topic and let her decide when she's ready, as it is apparently a source of alot of stress and pressure at the moment.

[kie_fujo]

i totally agree. i wouldn't force her to. that's why we are at a standstill. just waiting for her to be ok with it. that's why i was asking for advice to maybe entice her and make her more comfortable.

[tulip]

i totally agree. i wouldn't force her to. that's why we are at a standstill. just waiting for her to be ok with it. that's why i was asking for advice to maybe entice her and make her more comfortable.

I'm saying stop trying to entice her. Do other things and forget the bike. When she's ready, she'll let you know. Best of luck!

[kie_fujo]

i understand what yr saying. and i don't really bring it up. she loved this bike we saw and i told her she needed to learn to ride first, before i invested more money in another bike. but that's about it. i'll ask occasionally if she wants to try and if she says no then that's the end of it. and soon winter will be here so it won't even be an option.

[SouthernBelle]

I think often a parent should find someone else to teach a child this sort of thing. I remember my father teaching me how to drive.

On the other hand, I was the one who taught my nephew how to jump then dive off a diving board. Not that I was gifted at it, but he and I snuck off from everybody else and did it. Then he presented it as a fait accompli (sp?).

[wildhawk]

Put a small rack on the back of her bike - I remember when I was little my Mom bought me and my older sister identical full-size bikes. My sister was taller and learned to ride hers first. But I was too short for mine so I would run alongside it and try and keep up with my peddling sister. My Mom threatened to sell my bike if I did not learn to ride it. My neighbor saw me running with this obviously too tall bike and offered my brother her granddaughters bike to use to teach me. It was the perfect height and it had a rack on the rear. My brother put me on the bike and coached me to pedal while he was holding the bike upright with his hand on the rack. We went around the driveway several times and I was peddling like crazy while trotted along behind helping me balance. He then let go of the rack and I was balancing and riding on my own. I have seen a product at Walmart that consists of a large u-shaped handle and it bolts onto the rear of the bike - that looks like it would work the same way that rear rack did. Good luck and be patient. My Mom wasn’t with me, but thank goodness my brother was. She will be riding along with you in no time.

[Iris616]

Can you rent a "tag along" bike for a day or a week? We rented one on vacation this summer for my 5YO. It did wonders for her self esteem, and got her excited to ride faster. The one we rented was a Giant, and it wouldn't tip over. When we came back from vacation, there was a significant improvement in her balance and confidence levels. She learned to go with out training wheels the next weekend.

One word of caution.. The tagalong really affected my balancing abilities, so I had her go with my husband, who is much bigger and stronger than me.