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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

Does your 3 yr old know how to ride a bike?

25 replies

Uwila · 02/07/2006 15:47

That's it. Just wondering if mine is behind. We got DD a bike for her 3rd birthday in March. But no one has managed to find the time/motivation to teach her to ride it. Am I slacking off? Should I make this a priority?

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GeorginaA · 02/07/2006 15:58

Nope. My 5 year old can't ride his yet - still has stabilizers. In his school year it seems fairly mixed - about 50:50 in terms of who has stabilizers who doesn't. He's showing no interest in removing the stabilizers yet, but when he does we'll spend some time teaching him

CrocodileKate · 02/07/2006 16:04

Are you talking with or without stabilizers? Ds had a bike with stabilzers for his third birthday and just rode without any teaching. Stabilizers came off just as he turned 5 and it took a couple of weeks to teach him. Friend age 5 is still struggling to peddle a bike with stabilzers. Friend is much more into games that involve fine motor skills.

Original poster

Uwila · 02/07/2006 16:05

Oh, sorry. I meant "can your 3 year old ride a bike with stabilisers?" She can do the stearing part, but hasn't got the pedalling down. She gets frustrated and pedals backwards.

OP posts:

GeorginaA · 02/07/2006 16:07

Ah - sorry I thought you meant stabilizers! No - he couldn't ride his trike until just before his 4th birthday so he didn't get a bike until his 5th. He didn't seem unduly worried He still struggles up slight inclines even now...

Rhubarb · 02/07/2006 16:08

dd couldn't until she was about 4, she used to pedal backwards too. But then it's our fault, we don't take her out on her bike as much as we could do.

muma3 · 02/07/2006 16:26

been trying to teach dd2 5 in 2 weeks , she gave up after an hour and asked for her stabilizers on again . dd1 didnt ride til she was 6 but it was harder for her as we lived in a flat and now have a house dd2 should get the hang quicker and have more opportunuit to ride more often i hope

ediemcreedie · 02/07/2006 16:37

Peddaling backwards is the stage JUST before they pedal forwards ime

drpepper · 02/07/2006 17:06

my dd also 3 can ride bike with stabilizers but i cant take credit they teach them at nursery at play time !

Gem13 · 02/07/2006 18:09

There is the theory that you shouldn't use stabilisers. Take the pedals off so that they learn to balance first and they can scoot along.

Then when they have mastered this, put the pedals back on and let them learn how to pedal.

That's the idea behind the wooden like-a-bikes but removing the pedals gives the same effect.

Surfermum · 02/07/2006 18:22

Mine can't even pedal her trike. She's very nearly there but can't quite get the pedals moving herself. I just figured that she will do it when she's ready to.

kid · 02/07/2006 18:29

DD couldn't ride a bike with or without stabilisers at 3 years old, but she was a late walker and generally late with lots of physical development.
DS was literally running the day he started to walk, he learned how to ride a bijke without stabilisers the day before his 4th birthday. He isn't very good at it though, he can balance and pedal but has no control over where the bike it going!
They will only learn with lots of practice.

jamese · 02/07/2006 21:23

Yes my DD 2.6 can. but I think this unusual. When we bought the bike the man selling it told that she was too young, and wouldn't ride it for another 6 months or so.

Not the case, she rode it straight away. On the 2nd time learnt to steer. Now can ride round and round the garden in and out of the toys etc.

She can't reach the brake which make for an interesting chase on my part down the street...

But 2 of her friends 3+ can't ride it.
She did struggle with her trike though as first. I think bikes are easier than trikes.

singersgirl · 02/07/2006 23:23

Mine have both had trouble with pedalling, and neither could pedal (with stabilisers) till just about 4 - they both did the backwards pedalling thing. In fact DS2 who is nearly 5 has only just started pedalling confidently. I think this is late, though, and most children seem to manage at 3 or so.

DS1 has been able to ride his bike without stabilisers for about 6 months now (he's nearly 8 now), but we didn't cycle at all for about 18 months.

dinny · 02/07/2006 23:25

Uwila, we got dd a bike for her 4th birthday and don't think she'd have been that interested any younger.

She's fairly into it now and can ride it quite well (with stabilisers), but not as much as ds (2 in Sept ) who can ride it already. They are all soooooo different!

Overrun · 03/07/2006 10:25

my ds1 can't pedal his trike yet, sometimes I have spurts of trying to teach him, but he doesn't seem interested in learning so I just ease off.

all his friends can, so worry about him being left out sometimes, but then, surely he would try and learn if he felt this was a problem?

Ledodgyherring · 03/07/2006 10:26

My 3 year old got a bike for her 3rd Birthday in april and she can ride it with stabilisers but because we had to get her a bigger bike than for her age because she is so tall she finds the brakes hard to pull so can't actually stop

expatinscotland · 03/07/2006 10:29

a bike? mine's still on a tryke.

trace2 · 03/07/2006 10:31

ds has rode his bike 12in; since 2.5, but told that was unusual,

suzywong · 03/07/2006 10:34

depends on your lifestyle, in response to OP.
In London ds1 couldn't ride a bike at 3.4yrs but over here ds2 was up and at it like a pro at 2.2yrs - there's more space, more space bike paths and more emphasis on outdoor activity. Ds1 is still a bit behind for his age now, 5yrs, so I make it a priority to take them both out for a 2km bike ride each weekend. Good for me and all.

That's both with stabilizers btw, I was told to be child lead when it comes to removing them.

breadandroses · 03/07/2006 11:00

Why would you buy her a bike then not teach her to ride Uwila?

There's no logic to that.

Bink · 03/07/2006 11:19

Depends how much you care about it, uwila.

In my childhood no-one was "taught" to ride a bike, and it was the norm not to get one until the sort of age when you could learn by yourself - around 8, I'd say - without stabilisers. Don't think any of our development was horrifically delayed in consequence.

Personally I think there's a parallel with potty-training - theoretically a child can learn earlier than they'd naturally do it, but there's a direct correlation between how early it's done and how much effort the parent/carer has to put in. So, as before, it depends on how much you want that bike used.

Original poster

Uwila · 03/07/2006 13:44

Breadandroses, there is limited time in my life. Desires must be prioritised. So I've posted this thread to get an idea of where my priorities should be. From the sounds of it, she is not behind. But, it is probably time to start teaching her.

I think I may put our nanny on the job.

OP posts:

hulababy · 03/07/2006 13:48

DD never mastered pedalling a trike. I know a few children who didn't.

DD got a boke for her 3rd birthday and she can ride that (she is now 4yo) with stabilisers. She is no where near no stabilisers time though.

Pfer · 03/07/2006 13:51

DS1 couldn't ride his trike at all, then when he was about 3.3 ish, we were out and he saw some little lads on bikes and asked for one. We went to the bike shop the same day and an hour later he was pedalling away like a maniac, then he could ride his trike too. He's 4.6 now, still has stabilisers, keeps mentioning them but says he doesn't want them off yet. 50:50 at school for stabilisers though there is one little dot who's just not interested in riding at all yet. I thinks it's like most things, let them do it in their own time, but make sure you give them chances to have a go at it.

schneebly · 03/07/2006 14:16

DS1 is almost three and still cant quite get to grips with the pedals - he loves to drive it round just using his feet on the ground though!

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