We got my 4yr old dd a bike for her birthday. She rode it great for a week or so and then she fell and scratched her nose up. Now she is terrified to go on it. We told her that everyone falls off the bike sometime. And that you just have to get up and try again. But when we put her on it, she just cries to get off. She makes sure my DH or me holds on to her while she pedals veeeery sloooowly. It is just aggrivating that we spent the $$ on a nice bike w/training wheels and she wont go on it because she fell once. it has been about a month since this happened.
Also, we bought my son a little bike at the same time (he is 2 1/2) and he just can't figure out how to pedal. he keeps trying to pedal backwards.. which is putting on th brakes. My DH and I do not have bikes, so it is a little hard to teach them that way. I have put my hands on the pedals and pushed his feet and legs down on the pedals that doesnt seem to help..any suggestions?

By Jenn on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 09:49 am:

My 2 1/2 year old just uses his feet to move. He will figure it out when he is ready. I would bring the bike in the house as a temp thing. Let her sit on it while watching tv. Let her wash her bike with a little dish/baby soap and water. She needs to be able to trust her bike again. Do you have a helmet? When Jessica fell off her bike, we took her to walmart and got a barbie helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. It took about a week for her, but I let her sit and watch tv for a couple days on her bike, then we took it out on the deck washed it and she rode it around the deck. Gave that a few days. Now she rides all over the neighborhood with me walking next to her.

By Tunnia on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 12:07 pm:

She'll get back on when she feels safe with it. I wouldn't push her, just give her time. As for your ds, he'll get the hang of it. Just keep letting him try.

By Trina on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 12:22 pm:

I agree not to push her. She'll get back on when she's ready. Your DS will figure it out sooner or later. There's no race. What's the hurry?! LOL! Both my kids (newly 5 and almost 7) still have training wheels on their bikes. The interest just isn't there yet. They're content to stay on the driveway for now and that's OK with me!

By Semperspencer on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 01:04 pm:

This sparks a question with me....what is the normal age that a child learns to ride a bike without training wheels? My ds is 4 and uses training wheels and seems nowhere near ready to try it without them....

By Trina on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 01:44 pm:

Amy, I think it depends from child to child. I've heard some kids can ride a two wheeler unassisted as early as 3. I personally didn't learn until I was 9, but that's because my parents didn't buy me a bike until then.

By Kaye on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 01:58 pm:

Pretty much what I am seeing is sometime around kinder to 1st grade is the norm. My dd learned last summer, she was going into 3rd. My middle kid could do if he wanted to, he has great balance on his wheels and we have gotten him to almost try, so we know he can, he is going into 2nd. It also really depends how much time they spend on them. We found up north we just didn't spend as much time outside on our bikes. Plus with three kids I now have one who rides well (and fast), and two with training wheels, one can ride really fast, one really slow, so I am not sure how I am supposed to take them out to practice when I can't watch them all at the same time!

By Mommyathome on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 06:21 pm:

I think a lot of it depends on the kids' friends as well. If all their friends are riding with no training wheels, then they will most likely want to try harder to get those wheels off. My DD just turned 5 and definitely isn't ready to take them off yet. But I have noticed, that since we bought her a scooter that her balance has really improved and her training wheels on her bike don't hit the ground nearly as much.

By Bobbie on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 11:51 pm:

I say just give her time. And I think bringing the bike into the house is a good idea. She is afraid of the bike. This is not good as she can if you don't help her carry this into her adulthood. Think about people that freak out around water because they think they almost drowned. They form a fear for water. No she doesn't have to ride a bike to be able to function but... She may carry the fear into other parts of her life. I would just incorage her to polish it, wash it, sit on it where she is safe from falling.

I rode a bike with out training wheels at 3. But My dad spent a lot of time teaching me. I wanted to learn so I could ride faster with my older friends at the training wheels slowed me down. I wore some major scabs that summer though. I had them on both arms both legs and my nose and face. Mom still says she never thought I would heal up. But I was going to do it or die trying. Oldest DD was 5 and DS was 3 They learned the same summer. While trying to teach DD, DS threw a fit and wanted his training wheels off too. So off they went and he did it before she did. The girls were four. DD and I would go out for bike rides. The girls asked to have their wheels taken off because all the other kids did it with out training wheel. Emily face planted the first week. Tore up her chin, nose and fore head. She had Katie out there incouraging her to get back on though. She was scared too but she did it. And knock on wood no major wrecks since and they have been riding for two years this summer. This is just a case of how bad they want to do it. Not how bad you want them too.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, July 2, 2003 - 04:41 pm:

I should have said this at first...she has training wheels on the bike. She fell because she was going a little quickly and turned into the driveway and fell sideways. I am in no rush to take off the training wheels. She does have a pink barbie helmet. We got my 2 year old the bike because he was there when we bought my DD her bike. We figured we might as wel get his too. his is just one of those little bikes with training wheels.

I guess we want them to ride their bikes because all the kids in the neighbor hood (ages 3-5) ride their bikes with training wheels. They were both all gung-ho about riding their bikes till DD fell. Now since she won't ride it, neither will my DS. I wil try the washing the bike thing. Next time she agrees to ride the bike, i will try putting her elbow and knee pads on her. Thanks!

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, July 3, 2003 - 08:58 am:

Don't push her! My oldest dd, now 13, was terrified of riding the bike without training wheels. She was nearly 8 before she could ride without training wheels. It's not that I didn't try before that! It's not that she couldn't balance the bike before that! She could and if I was holding the seat, I could feel when she balanced and so did she and she would stop!

We finally took the pedals off, let her push the bike with her feet and she learned to balance and feel comfortable with it on her own. Then her 6 yo sister was riding a bike without training wheels 2 weeks later.

Go forward a few years, 8 yo dd now about 10 or so. We buy her a 24-inch bike with gears and hand brakes, etc! Now, like you, we spent good money on a cool bike and she won't ride it! We are talking tears and the whole 9 yards. It drove us nuts! LOL! Then after 6th grade, she went on a camping trip away from home for a week with all the confirmation kids from church. One of the activities was a bike ride. They used, you guessed it, mountain bikes with gears and hand brakes. She found it was fine! LOL! Then not scared anymore.

She will want to ride the bike eventually. Pushing dd never got me anywhere except frustrated and her in tears. It wasn't worth it.

By Tonya on Thursday, July 3, 2003 - 09:52 am:

Timmy learned to ride his bike last spring with no training wheels. He was 3 almost 4. And now you cannot stop him. He just decided one day he wanted them off so I said fine but once they are off they do not go back on he said OK. I took them off he got on and that was it. I got lucky I guess.

By Mechelle on Friday, July 4, 2003 - 10:16 am:

My DD is the same way...once she falls off of something and gets hurt she's done.

Your DD will ride her bike again when she feels safe, and secure of not falling...don't push her, you could push her away from it all together

By Mommmie on Sunday, July 6, 2003 - 01:49 pm:

My son did the same thing when he was learning to ride without training wheels. Fell about age 6 and didn't feel motivated to learn - for good - until age 8. He also couldn't handle the whole helmet thing. I think he asked to work on it once during that time frame, but again there was a minor injury and that was it until age 8. It also helped that I didn't make him wear a helmet anymore.

In our neighborhood we have several kids who learned to ride a two-wheeler towards the end of kindergarten, another just before 1st, we have a boy who is 10 and still can't do it and my son who was 8.

Because of the helmets, once these kids learn they really don't want to do it anymore. They don't want to wear a helmet. Their parents say you have to wear a helmet to ride your bike and they kids decide not to ride them anymore except for parades. I don't make my son wear one and the only kids who are consistent bike riders in the neighborhood are the ones who don't have to wear helmets. We are on the border of two towns. One has a helmet law that is not enforced and the other says they will not create a helmet law bec studies show that bike injuries have increased where there are helmet laws despite the plunging numbers of bike riders BECAUSE of the helmet laws. Who knew?

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, July 6, 2003 - 07:58 pm:

Everyone in my house wears a helmet when they ride their bike, including the adults. Back in 1988, when I bought a new bike, Gary wanted me to buy a helmet, too. The kids have worn helmets since day 1 and it's not up for negotiation!

I have a friend, though, whose oldest daughter stopped riding bikes when they started enforcing a helmet rule. So, now, my friend and other 2 daughters wear helmets, but not the dad.