How to teach a child to ride a bike?

The bicycle has become an integral part of the life of children, athletes and all adherents of a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays, children sit on it almost from the age of one: the very first bicycle with a parental handle allows kids to see more interesting things while walking, and two-wheeled models, which older children ride, help to improve health. Riding a bike is not only healthy but also fun. However, the kid is unlikely to be able to learn how to drive a bike without the help of his parents.

Cycling develops agility in children, and also increases their endurance and physical strength, strengthens the muscle frame. In the process of movement, organs and tissues are actively saturated with oxygen and their blood supply is significantly improved.

Scientifically proven that cycling helps to strengthen the immune system and accelerate metabolism, which is why cycling is prescribed for children with frequent illnesses and overweight children. The use of the "iron friend" can be an excellent prevention of myopia in children and corrects vision in case of astigmatism.

You can learn to ride a bike at absolutely any age, but the sooner the baby masters this science, the less difficulties he will have with the coordination of movements in the future... The first acquaintance with the bike usually occurs at 1-1.5 years old, during this period, models with a parental handle and a comfortable stand are optimal, at the age of 2-3 years they are replaced by three-wheeled products, and as skills are honed, they change to a model with two wheels ...

There is an opinion that the erratic movements of three-year-old children are nothing more than a game. However, this is not the case; at this stage, the real formation of the riding skill takes place.

When teaching a kid to ride a bicycle, it is important to solve several important tasks at once:

• instill in the baby confidence in his own capabilities, help him overcome a set of failures and fears;
• teach the child to simultaneously press the pedals and at the same time turn the steering wheel in a given direction;
• achieve balance.

At first glance, one might get the impression that this task is difficult and impossible. However, there is no need to worry - learning how to drive a bike is not at all difficult if you adhere to the principles of a phased and systematic approach.

Keep in mind that at first training is difficult, they are accompanied by falls, constant bruises and wounds, as a result, bitter tears of the crumbs. Therefore, it is extremely important for parents to attend to travel safety issues well in advance, even when you are planning to start with a three-wheeled vehicle. At first, the child must certainly wear all the necessary personal protective equipment, he needs to buy a helmet, as well as comfortable elbow pads and, of course, knee pads.

Pay special attention to shoes - it should be athletic, tightly wrapping around the legs. It is best to have a rubber outsole that is wide and non-slip, otherwise you will not be able to achieve reliable grip on the pedals. Do not allow your baby to ride without shoes, in flip-flops or in sandals - if suddenly the foot accidentally falls off the pedal, then the baby can hit the toes quite noticeably. And, of course, the bike itself must meet all the basic safety requirements, namely:

• comfortable steering wheel and comfortable seat;
• smooth running;
• increased maneuverability;
• reliability of the materials used.

Now that you have everything you need for training ready, you can start building your skills in riding a three-wheeled vehicle. Please note that the bike must match the height of the baby. It is very simple to make sure of this: let the child sit on the bike if his feet can reach the pedals and at the same time he can stand with his whole feet on the ground - therefore, the bike is selected correctly.

There is no need to rush things. Let the little one first get to know his "iron friend" well, consider his new acquisition, feel it, study it and, perhaps, even play with it. Only after the baby gets used to it, invite him to sit behind the wheel. It is advisable to make the very first attempts to get around on a bicycle at home.

When the child is ready to study further, he begins to express the intention to spin the pedals on his own, if this does not happen, it is worth motivating the baby and encouraging him in every possible way. How you will do this depends only on the child himself, his age, hobbies and character. Be sure to show him how exactly these same pedals spin, how to place the feet on them and how they should be pressed.

It is best to use a stadium or a schoolyard as the main training ground at this stage of training, since at this time the child needs an arena, not a track. His attention will be completely focused on the pedals, so he will move forward without making out the path.

The little ones will begin to master the basics of control and steering only after it has been brought to automatism to ghost the bike in motion with the use of pedals. Some parents, on the other hand, focus on handling the bike first and only then move on to pedaling. If you think this option is more effective, then you can try to build training according to your own scheme, the main thing is the principle itself - in any case, the child will not be able to drive and steer for the first time.

Please note: children's workouts should not last more than half an hour. If your baby is tired or for some reason does not want to continue classes, postpone them until the moment when he has the appropriate mood. Try to match the bike to your child's gender and hobbies. For girls, you can pick up delicate pink and white models, for boys - navy blue, red or green. Be sure to decorate them with pictures of your favorite characters.

Many mums and dads try to use side casters during the transition phase. Of course, the decision is only yours, perhaps this tactic is suitable for someone. However, parenting experience and numerous reviews indicate that after these wheels are removed, parents and young cyclists will still have to spend a lot of time learning how to get under way and maintain balance.

So that the baby can feel what balance is and how to keep it correctly, you can use a run bike or scooter. If you do not have either one or the other, you can remove the pedals from the 2-wheel for a while. Agree, without pedals, this is practically the same run bike. Moving forward, the child will start to push off with both legs at once, this riding option will help him feel an unusual form of transport for him and learn how to manage it effectively.

After that, one pedal can be returned back - in this way you will get an alternative to a scooter. The child accelerates, with one foot pushing off, and the other - leaning on the pedal and moving, practicing his skill to maintain balance.

After that, the very moment comes when the second pedal can also be put in its place and already try to ride a two-wheeled bike with the support of a coach. For those guys who started with a three-wheeled bike and went through all the stages listed above, this stage is in fact the shortest.

In order for a kid to learn a particular skill, he will need psychological support from adults and learning to ride a bike is no exception. At this stage, it is extremely it is important that children have strong motivation: it might be a desire to go cycling with your parents, or it might be an opportunity to have a little competition with friends.Often, the baby is inspired by films with athletes or favorite cartoon characters who ride a bicycle.

If your family has two or more kids, the oldest of them should be taught to drive first. - then others, looking at him, will also want to ride. At first, when a child is just starting to master a three-wheeled bike, a parent or trainers should always stay close to him and carefully monitor so that your baby does not fall - it is extremely important for him to overcome the psychological barrier and get rid of the fear of failure.

At the initial stage of training, you must constantly be on the side of the baby, be sure to hold it by the shoulders, elbow or straps of suspenders, or simply by the shivorot. As soon as the child, with your help, learns to pick up speed and move without stopping, it will be possible to hold the bike by the saddle.

You mean, often for a crumbs, it's not fundamentally important that you actually take on the lion's share of the bike's control, but simply the fact that your parents are there and can insure him in case of an unforeseen situation. We advise you to go for a little trick: when you realize that your baby is already able to confidently hold the steering wheel and pedal continuously, do not hold it so much... Let the child, as before, think that you are near him. However, he will already do all the main work on his own, without even realizing it.

After all the most difficult is over, all that remains is to hone the speed of the reaction. In order for the child to be able to navigate without problems in difficult unforeseen situations that often happen when traveling, he needs to learn how to brake the bike. Even on elementary playgrounds such as a stadium or a well-equipped cycle path, a child can get confused and simply lose control of such trifles as a dog running across the road, a ball that has fallen nearby, or a pedestrian walking nearby.

Make sure to check how well your child is at braking.... Do a workout with him: try to block the path in front of the young cyclist several times and see what he does - immediately press the brake or panic. It largely depends on the child's editorial staff whether you can let him go on independent trips or whether you still need to continue joint activities. It is very important to cheer up the baby, positively assess his slightest successes and, in case of failure, convince that everything will definitely be fine. Only in this case will the training be effective.

You can learn how to teach a child to ride a bike in the video below.