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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

8 yr old dd can't cycle is this normal?

36 replies

Redwood · 06/08/2011 20:31

this may be on another thread so please redirect me. Does your dd cycle at 8? Mine can't and I'm not sure if this is a problem or if I should just chill out and just keep trying every few months tO see if her balance has got better? To be honest she's not too bothered about it. Would I be the worst mum if she didn't learn?

OP posts:

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TanyaBranning · 06/08/2011 20:32

I was about tnat age when I finally learned to cycle. There is no 'normal'. Have you taken her to the park and had a few sessions? this is what it took for me to learn.

Original poster

Redwood · 06/08/2011 20:36

Thanks, to be honest I've not been out as much as should because I have 6yr ddd and he can't cycle either so training two on my own is hard !

OP posts:

An0therName · 06/08/2011 20:36

hi - there have been a couple of threads about learning to cycle that I have seen recently -not sure if on this section - and one suggestion is to take the pedels off the bike to practise balancing -ie make it on to a balance bike - they did it at my DSs school as well
I do think learning to ride a bike while not essential is a good skill to have - I was around 8 when I learnt

nojustificationneeded · 06/08/2011 20:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

create · 06/08/2011 20:38

DS was 8.7 when he finally learned.

The way to do it is remove the pedals and lower the seat. Let her scoot and glide until she's completely comfortable with that, then put the pedals back on. She should start off on a slight down hill, scooting to get herself going and then feet on pedals and off she goes. Don't use stabilisers and don't hold the seat! DS1's OT taught him this way - ran a course of 1 hour sessions everyday for a week over half term, so now's you perfect opportunity! Now at 10, hes rarely off his bike.

SandStorm · 06/08/2011 20:38

My dd2 is 8 and still can't cycle. I think it's probably my fault (kind of) because I haven't pushed her. I don't regard it as a life skill and she's not that interested. She's nearly there and I've promised her a reward if she can do it confidently by the end of the summer but I'm not holding my breath.

(tbh, I'm not that great on a bike either)

create · 06/08/2011 20:38

Ah, it makes doing 2 at a time much easier too, as no need to hold anyone

nancy75 · 06/08/2011 20:40

I'm 36 and can't cycle - I don't regard my mum as the worst in the world and don't feel that i've missed out by not riding a bike!

PacificDogwood · 06/08/2011 20:42

I'd second the balance bike idea - whether it's a dedicated one or taking off the pedals.

Alternatively, try a scooter? Good training for balance, closer to the ground so less daunting and good fun .

And, yes, there is no 'normal' - a fair number of kids will have learnt to cycle by 5/6, but by far not all. For DS2 it had to be seeing a girl younger than him cycle with no stabilisers that made him want to have a go !

UsingMainlySpoons · 06/08/2011 20:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

brightermornings · 06/08/2011 20:47

My dd is 9 and can't ride a bike. I think she's frightened of falling off. I keep asking her if she wants to get her bike out to try but she's not interested. I'm hoping over the summer to persuade her to ride it.

Kewcumber · 06/08/2011 20:50

My mum never really put any effort into teaching me and as a consequence I never learnt to ride. I was self- conscious about it and as a result when to an adult learn to ride course last month. It was blody hard to learn at 46 and I wished I'd learnt younger.

If you have the money pay someone else to teach tehm - the professionals get them going much more quickly - I was riding afetr two lessons (wobbly) and if I can learn at 46 then anyone can learn!

LetLoveRule · 07/08/2011 09:35

I am very heartened to hear these stories! My ds is 6 and can't ride a bike.
Where we live children appear to learn at aged 3-4 so I was feeling very remiss and it was doing his confidence no good to see much younger riders whizz past. We will try the pedals off method, in a quiet place away from the precocious children in our street!

inmysparetime · 07/08/2011 20:13

DD(aged 7.5) only took to her bike this week, after 3 years of trying every trick in the book to get her cycling, she asked to go to the park. I said once she could get both feet on her pedals we'd go to the park, then I left her to it while I went back in for a cup of tea. 20 minutes later, she came in the house "look, I can do it now" and she could. I have now bribed her with a bell for the bike if she can cycle down the street without stopping.

mumeeee · 08/08/2011 21:28

DD1 didn't manage to cycle until she was 9.

GrimmaTheNome · 08/08/2011 21:32

DDs just come back from an activity week. There was a boy older than her - so 13 or 14 - who had never learned to ride a bike. So while the rest of them did mountain biking, one of the instructors taught him - this must have been in the space of a couple of hours.

So, not unique and not an insurmountable problem.

mouthwash7 · 08/08/2011 21:51

Kewkumber - how do you go about finding someone to teach them please?

Oblomov · 08/08/2011 21:51

Children seem to learn quite young here. When ds started reception, he coud not ride. One boy could and everyone talked about it. During the Reception Year most children learnt to ride their bikes. By the end of year 1, all the children, all 60 could ride, including all the SN children.

poptartpoptart · 08/08/2011 22:15

Definitely remove the pedals and try the balance bike method - I cannot recomend it highly enough as it worked for DS in a couple of days. It really helped his confidence and balance. Previously we tried all other traditional methods, ie, holding the saddle and running alongside him, etc and nothing worked.

LynetteScavo · 08/08/2011 22:20

I may be weird, but I consider riding a bike and essential life skill, and would persevere with my children day after day until they learned.

It does help immensely if the child actually wants to ride, though, and you have easy access to flat ground. I wouldn't wait a few months...I don't think balance improves, you just have to get the knack, and it only comes with practice.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 08/08/2011 22:33

DS (7.5) has never really been interested, I decided to teach both him and DD (5) in the Easter holidays, DD picked it up pretty quickly, DS nearly got there (if he pushes it up a slight incline, gets on and starts pedalling as it starts moving he can do it) but that's as far as he has got with it. It is frustrating, I see so many families with the same age DCs all cycling out together and we can't. DS goes everywhere on his scooter, which is fine around town but we can't go off road. I think there are quite a few others around who can't still at 7, so not worried, just frustrated.

I thunk it is essential once they get older, it is a real key to independence for older children, so will be pressing him on, hoping peer pressure will kick in.

Kewcumber · 09/08/2011 10:49

re teachers - I got a card from one of the men who taught the adult cycling lessons who does private lessons. Your local council probably have a cycling deptartment - they probably do cycling proficiency in schools so they should be able to recommend someone.

LIZS · 09/08/2011 10:54

dd only learnt earlier this year, age 9, so i don't think it is a problem. Her school ran the Bikeability course for her year group and it proved the final motivator, passing having only ridden for a week.

sockpoppet · 09/08/2011 12:49

I think it is a life skill. It provides your child with a free and healthy way to get longer distances faster than walking can. Not as important as swimming but still important.

huffythethreadslayer · 09/08/2011 13:01

My dd is 10. Can't ride a bike, doesn't want to. I'm not going to force her.

She also can only just swim. She had 3 terms of swimming lessons privately and couldn't do it. She was always in the tallest in the class, as she's tall for her age anyway, and eventually she got fed up with being held back time after time while the littler kids went onto the next level.

A friend's mum and I took them swimming once a week to supplement the lessons they got at school. She can just about do a length now, so she passed her basics. She swims for fun, but she isn't great.

I guess the fact I don't make her do these things makes me a shit mum. I can live with it.

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