How can I teach my 4 year old to ride a scooter ??

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, my daughter has just turned 4 and has never been that confident physically.
Friends of ours gave her a scooter today that used to be their daughters. I thought it'd be good for her co-ordination so we took it out to a country park.
She couldn't get the hang of steering it at all and had so many paddys as it kept going in to the side of a bank. It was causing so much stress. We tried to show her how to do it but she wasn't interested. She wanted to do it all by herself.
Anyway, I wondered how I could teach her to do it properly? or if a little bike would be better for her? She is very tall though and can't manage a tricicle let alone a bike.
I just feel that if she dosn't practise, then she'll never learn but it just caused huge amounts of stress for her.
Ps- she does love the scooter and cried when it was time to go home, so we're not forcing her to do it.

Have you considered a mini micro scooter for her. They are brilliant - we bought one for my son (aged 4) for Christmas and although he struggled with other scooters he mastered his new one after only a couple of trys. They are light an easy and because you dont turn the handle bars but lean and the wheels turn. they do them in pink and blue and look fab and trendy.

I would just say don't get stressed about it - it's supposed to be fun after all! What you did with her today sounds great - you just might need to accept it's going to take a while before she's an expert!

What about a balance bike? Like these

Another vote for the Mini Micro scooter - even 19mo DS2 manages to scoot around on the one we bought DS1 for his 3rd birthday last year

Another vote for the mini micro scooter. Ds had one for his 3rd birthday. He loved it but to be honest it took him a while to get used to steering. I used to help him but one day something obviously clicked and he was off and away! Its been one of his most successful presents.

Funny i saw this dd 4 has just learnt to ride hers today.
It has caused her frustration but she was very pleased when she got the hang of it.
Hers is a two wheel one.
She has had it for a couple months.

Thanks,I'll look in to those.

It was more stressfull for her than us. She gets totally irate if she can't do something. It's a good job no one else was around.

Yep. Mini micro scooters are great. My DS couldn't get the hang of normal scooters with 1 wheel on the front and 2 in the back. The front wasn't stable enough and his foot kept getting caught on the back wheels. The mini micro scooter has 2 wheels at the front and one at the back. DS is got it for his 3rd birthday in November and spent a while practicing in the kitchen before venturing outside. He's delighted with himself and is improving all the time. Just type in the name on google, we got ours on the internet from a skate shop in Colchester. They cost about £30 but are way better designed and made than most junior scooters out there.

Yet another micro scooter vote here! DD got one for her 2nd birthday, and I took her out on it today (she's 3 now) - I was amazed when she did almost a 'handbrake turn' type of thing on it She got the hang of it quite quickly - we let her scooter in the house for the first few months though, down the hall and in the living room (sofa pushed out of the way etc) - perhaps your dd might get on better indoors first?