Apologies if I am in the wrong bit of Talk for this, but I wondered if anyone has any bike riding advice for a 4 YO (or for me, rather!).
My quite timid just-turned-4 YO has been riding his Isla balance bike for the last 18 months and is very whizzy on it, balancing with both feet off the ground, whizzing about etc. We bought him the pedal version (also Isla) over Christmas and it is quite big compared to him but he still hopped on and whizzed about. Only issue is that he uses it like a balance bike and won't use the pedals, despite alot of explanation around why you have pedals. He won't even put his feet on them. And really he much prefers his balance bike still.
My husband bought some cheap stabilisers (I know most balance bike fans would say that is a crime and it felt wrong to me too) to show DS how to pedal without him having to balance as well. Plan was to take them off once he learned to pedal (which we assumed would be in no time as any kid can use a stabiliser pedal bike, right?). But he got really scared and upset when he got on it and said the pedals were scary and that he couldn't do it. I must admit I lost my rag a bit as he does tend to do the 'I'm scared' thing when he is a bit trepidatious (sp?) but also can't be bothered.
Anyone had anything like this? Am thinking now I should remove the stabilisers and just wait for him to want to try his big boy bike again, which he will one day, I assume. Such a shame when he is so confident on his balance bike and he has really come out of his shell on so many other physical things.
I'm feeling terrible tonight about my lack of patience but had had a right old morning with him just prior to the bike trip, as despite being timid in many ways he is also quite naughty in others!