How to Teach a Child Ride a Bike
Your child is 4 or 5 (or older), and you've decided it's time she learns to ride a bike. When you first get that bike out and put your child on it, you'll suddenly realize that you have no idea how you learned to ride a bike. It's something that we usually learn so early on and that is so basic, it's difficult to break down into pieces and remember how to start someone off. The key is to tackle it in small pieces. Be prepared to spend a few days squatting down (and running along) with your little future bike rider as you explain how to start, stop, balance and ride away.
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Instructions
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Start your child in an open, cement area that is flat and smooth. You can also use grass, but it is harder for a smaller child to pedal in grass. Have your child put a helmet on and sit on the bike.
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Make sure that when your child is sitting on the bike, her feet can reach the ground. If her feet can't reach, and the seat is at its lowest position, she can't learn to ride this bike yet. Her feet must touch the ground so she can catch herself to stop from falling. Have her put her hands on the handlebars.
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Explain that to start the bike, you need to put the right pedal (if she's right-handed) at the top position. Have her waddle with the bike between her legs as you push the right pedal to the top. Tell her you're going to hold the bike up to help her balance as she tries, and you won't let go.<br>Have her sit on the seat as you hold the bike up, put her right foot on the right pedal and tell her to push the pedal forward. Run along with her as she gets her other foot on the other pedal and practices riding as you help her balance.
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Slowly let go for a few seconds each time as she rides, while still running alongside. Older kids will be able to balance and learn how to put their feet down as they slow down to catch themselves. Little kids take a longer time and hold onto the bike at first as they slow down and learn to automatically put their feet down. Remind your smaller child as she is slowing down that she has to put her feet down as the bike slows so she can catch herself and not crash or fall over. Practice many times. <br>This is enough for one day.
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Be prepared for the transitional part, which is the hardest. Your child now knows how exciting it feels to ride with you holding on, but she doesn't actually know how to ride a bike. She will run out to the bike, get on the seat and waddle around getting the right pedal up, but she will be scared to go further because she can't hold the bike up and balance. <br>Encourage your child to get used to holding the heavy bike up between her legs, using her arms, and let her get used to getting the right pedal up on her own. Encourage her to sit on the bike seat and get her right foot on the right pedal, pushing quickly with her right foot, steering straight and starting her bike off on her own. This will take determination on your child's part, because it's not an easy process, and must be repeated over and over and over. <br>Once she can get the right foot on the pedal and can get a few inches, she is on her way to balancing. She won't get very far, but this is the hardest part, the balancing. Once she gets this part down, she'll be whizzing away in no time. So give her plenty of time to practice placing the foot and moving a few inches by pushing that right pedal down. This is the time to start teaching her to keep her handlebars straight, so she goes straight and watches where she's going.<br>When she gets going a few inches, teach her to put her feet down to stop herself when she feels the bike getting wobbly beneath her. This will give her security, knowing that she won't fall over because her feet will catch and stop her.
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Teach her that to stop, she must push backward on the pedals. This will take some getting used to, because she will forget once she is going faster and will crash, so always run alongside when she takes her first practice rides. Yell, "Push back on the pedals to stop! Put your feet down to catch yourself!" to remind her as she's slowing down.
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Stand nearby, once she's got the basics down, as she starts off, rides and stops, because she'll forget little things, and there will certainly be a few spills and some tears (sometimes just in frustration!). But hang in there, because if you've gotten this far, she's getting the hang of it, and you have successfully taught her to ride. The rest is practice. <br>Once she starts riding, there will be no stopping her, so just watch and enjoy.
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Tips & Warnings
Take lots of breaks. Give hugs and kisses as encouragement.
