To think it's unusual at 8 not to be able to ride a bike?

[OhisHOME]

Very adventurous, physically able 8 year old. Parents are well off so cost of bikes not a factor or is it quite normal to not learn?

YANBU. Although I don't really know many children of that age group, I find it unusual from my own experience.

I didn't learn until I was 9. And at the time I felt I was the odd one out. All my friends had been riding bikes for years. My best friend at the time taught me. I vividly remember the day she taught me how to ride on her bike. My parents then bought me my own bike for my 10th birthday.

My parents weren't/aren't outdoorsy people at all. Perhaps this is why they never taught me how. I remember having a bike with stabilisers when I was very young, but once I grew out of it, it wasn't replaced until the bike I got age 10.

I'm really surprised at how old some of the children are who can't ride bikes. I don't really get the posters,saying that swimming is more important- why the competition? Just get your kids doing both (if they want to).
Ds is 4.5 and learnt to ride without stabilisers just a shade under 4. Loads of his friends can too.

I can't. I'm 55

I went on a bike for the first time at 50.
Never had one as a child.
I cycled all round Le Touquet feeling very French. Haven't done it since.

I wouldn't cycle here ( SW London)

I think it's more unusual to be so invested in whether someone else's child can ride a bike to be honest . Do you not have a life of your own OP?

Dd is 8 and can't do it. Quite common in children with Aspergers. I can ride a bike but I'm not great at it.

Mine were both aged 6-7 and it took a bit of perseverance on our part :)

Mine couldn't without stabilisers until 10 and 11. Not for lack of bikes or trying, just confidence I guess. The eldest needed a bigger bike and I wouldn't buy unless she could ride properly. She got on, rode up the road and back so off we went to Halfords! Not wanting to be outdone the youngest did the same about a week later. It was expensive wonderful to see.

do you want a gold star ImperialLeather for you amazing mothering skills? My DD is 8 and we keep trying to get her riding but it always ends in tears after a few sessions and so we leave it be for a while. She is very scared of falling but can happily ride a tag along or with stabilisers. She is very proficient on her scooter though and swam 600m recently. She'll ride when's she's ready.

Ds1 is 8 and can't ride a bike. He can't swim either.

Partly lack of opportunity (we live in a flat with not a lot of space for storing bikes, he can't just go outside on his own so it has to be a special trip to go out and practice and he's getting self conscious about not being able to do it).

Partly lack of coordination - my dad was determined to crack it on holiday last year but had to admit defeat and he's taught several children how to ride a bike. His balance just wasn't there.

Partly circumstance - he spent several spells between the age of 5 and 8 either in a cast or having to take extra care not to fall.

Partly lack of interest - if he really wanted to do it then he'd probably get there faster.

Like a previous poster, I'm really determined to make this the year that bikes and swimming get mastered!

Piano no I dont want a gold star but you and other previous posters seem to want to re your children's swimming achievements.
Pat yourself on the back

I suppose because knowing how to swim could be a lifesaver Imperial? There are fewer situations where being able to ride a bike could help you escape mortal peril I suppose.

26, still can't ride a bike. Parents never taught me, had a twin (ready made playmate) and all our friends lived within a ten minute walk. No real impetuous to learn really. I don't give it any thought beyond telling people when I need an amusing titbit. Because they're probably very intimated by all my other talents

Toobee, you've reminded me that I was banned from my cycling proficiency class aged 10 because I kept toppling over onto other students and the instructors! Not everyone can ride a bike - I really couldn't balance while pedalling at the same time. I'm now in my 50s and have never managed to learn and it really hasn't made any difference to my life.

We live in a flat, not on the ground floor, the road is 40mph. Quite frankly, it's dangerous and not necessary nowadays.

My DD is nearly 7 and the only reason she can't ride a bike is that she isn't interested. I loved riding when I was her age but no encouragement from me works so I leave her be now. She was nonplussed about scooters too. But she loves swimming and can walk for hours without complaint so I'm not bothered. Her aunts didn't learn to ride until she was 18 and now loves cycling.

Some people seem very judgy about the parenting skills of those whose kids can't ride bikes (or swim). It is often not because they haven't tried.

I have been taking my kids swimming since they were a few months old but neither like doing unfamiliar things (particularly when they involve interacting with strangers) and have refused swimming lessons and I don't see how I can make them go. In fact I know from experience that if DS does not want to do something, you might get him to the right location but he won't do it. I've done my best teaching them myself so DD can just swim a length but doesn't like being out of her depth and DS can do as many strokes as he can manage without having to take a breath but can't swim with his head out of the water and can't work out the breathing! But DD has just started swimming lessons with school and is really enjoying them so I may just persuade her to have some lessons once they end.

Similarly, we've bought them bikes and encouraged them to use them / gone to park with them / tried family bike rides, but it took to age 9 for DD to finally manage confidently without stabilisers (after a year of her insisting we ran alongside). DS aged 7 won't try without stabilisers - but then he has anxiety issues about lots of things. Any suggestions for making him less anxious and happy to try would be gratefully received as I would love us to all be able to go on a decent bike ride together rather than only being able to cycle round the block or the park.

mine can't ride a bike and I'm not arsed about it whatsoever

they can swim like fish though

I was 19 when I learned. I thought it was about time, so with my first salary from my new job, got the cheapest bike that fitted and practiced the next day.

(I was 16 when I swam my first length, and 17 swimming my first mile. Also 32 when I ran my first mile. I could actually attempt a triathlon these days!)

The dog ate the saddle of my hand me down bike. When my mum offered me one at 10, I thought the chances of going anywhere to actually learn how to do it looked unfavourable.

In the nicest possible way why do you care?
DD cannot ride a bike - she is 8 and has tried but hasn't grasped it yet, she has other things she is good at for instance she swims like a fish.

I'm 36, I struggle to balance on a bike, hate riding one so I don't. I've got through life well enough without it being a problem.

I'd hate to think myself and DD were judged because we haven't mastered bike riding!? Or have people think it was because nobody had bothered to teach us. I find it a bit judgemental tbh.

The OP has already explained why she cares

she was really upset today when a 4yo who was shooting round on his offered her a shot & she couldn't do it.

DD didn't learn until she was 7 and a half. She had a bike but couldn't practise in our garden (it is the size of a postage stamp) and with both parents commuting in the week and lots of other stuff on at weekends, we didn't take her out on it much. But she got there eventually.

She's great on it now (at 8), although her confidence took a knock recently when her friend's dad asked her why on earth she was riding a boy's bike (it's a bright green BMX). Apparently, girls should have lufferly pink and flowery bikes only.

I was 36 when I learned to ride a bike for the first time. I felt a bit stupid practicing with my neighbour holding on the back of the bike while I wobbled up and down the road a few times but soon got the hang of it .

My son who is 8 can't ride. We have tried many times but he just can't get balance. I am determined to make sure he practices more as weather is getting better. As others have said he loves his scooter so he doesn't really care yet.

Depends on whether she is unable due to inability or unable due to never having done so. I find it quite strange not to teach a child to ride a bike but obviously our lifestyle dictates our "normal" and I expect that there are many families for whom this is not considered necessary, same for swimming.

DS1 (4.9) cannot ride a bike due to inability. I don't know if I would say he is "unusual" in not being able to ride a bike but I think it is concerning and his GP agrees with me hence we have been referred for physio.

My eldest son couldn't get the hang of riding a bike, he was in his teens before he mastered it
He now cycles everywhere, refuses to learn to drive preferring his bike.