to need help with my DD learning to ride a bike

[maGicGift]

Ok, she is just 7yrs old and I bought her a lovely new bike for her 6th birthday, she wants to be able to ride it but HATES practising, I just dont know what to do to encourage her or help her learn to ride it, she seems genuinley scared when she has a go.

She can actually ride it, in a straight line, but wont go round corners, she just screams!

Has anyone had a similar problem? I dont want to put stabilisers on as she is passed that now - it would seem like regression as she can ride her bike, but how on earth can I help her be less scared?

Both mine were taught by other children, are there any local friends that could help.

I think a private instructor would be a good idea, she will probably pick it up within an hour with someone who knows what they are doing, and unfortunately who isn't you! I hope you don't take that the wrong way though!

We had an awful time trying to get ds1 to ride his bike. He was 10, his class at school were doing cycling proficiency, his little brother was whizzing around all over the place on his bike, but he has aspergers and was really struggling. His Dad, step Dad and I had been trying for months! I had a thread about it at the time too! But his school were really good after I went in and talked to them and made them realise that they couldn't offer something like the cycling proficiency without ensuring that a child with a special need could access it too. They managed to get someone in from the LEA who spent two one to one sesions with him while the rest of the class were with the other teachers, and he picked it up no problem. I have no idea what they did or if they did something we had already tried, but somehow it worked!

foreveronadiet - i really believe thats the best way to learn - stabilisers teach children nothing!

We lived in the UK till dc1 was 7 and had a nightmare with dc1 with stabilisers (i didnt know any different at the time). She only learned to ride after her 6th birthday and that was only because she spent 2 weeks in Germany with her German grandparents who took her pedals off and let her whizz about like it was a balance bike and she was riding with the pedals on at the end of those 2 weeks.

We then moved to Germany when dc2 was 4.5 and dc3 was 2.7 - did the balance bike thing instantly with both of them (since thats how every child learns here) - dc2 was riding a bike properly within weeks and dc3 had proper bike with pedals (no stabilisers) when he was only 3.8!!

I now cant rave enough about balance bikes - its such a simple (and free) thing to do to take the pedals off a dc's normal bike.

OP - hope it works for your dc!

childrens balance develops between the ages of 2 to 4, it usually the confidence thats the problem. if you hold them under the arms,not the back of the seat they arnt as scared of falling off, also dont hold the handle bars,they may wobble a bit at first but will gain control.
i did all of the above with dd at 4 years and she was off by herself in about 10 mins,killed my back tho.

Agent - I take your point, but some children are just really difficult to teach, especially if you, as a parent are getting a bit het up about it. In my case DS2 was like the OPs child. My DH taught him in the end, but if that hadn't worked, I think a couple of sessions with someone else, more objective and less emotionally involved, would be a good idea. Children learn lots of things from other people - teachers, mentors, Cub leaders. This is just another example of that, IMO

I agree re taking pedals off. DD (3) is currently learning on a balance bike and is doing brilliantly and keeps on pestering me to get her a proper pedal bike. Everyone I know whose children have used them have gone straight on to pedal bikes with no stabilisers.

As someone else said, getting the hang of balance is the key so taking pedals off and practising just balancing is probably the best thing to do.

took dd1 (nearly 6) out to practise this weekend she has a new(to her) bike that is the right size for her and we took the stablisers off but she wasn't happy and hasn't used it so we have compromised with 1 stabliser to build up her confiendence (and have promised ourselves to take her regularly to build her confidence).