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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

How do you get a 3yo to pedal a bike?

17 replies

BigusBumus · 23/01/2010 17:29

DS2 (who was 3 on Xmas eve) got a new bike. Perfect size for him, can touch ground safely and it has stabilisers etc. But we can't seem to get him to pedal.

I've been out most of the day crouched down holding his feet on the pedals making them go round, but he just can't fathom it himself. (although he can pedal backwards). Then he got all upset as I got frustrated and he just wanted to be pushed. We've been doing this weekly since Xmas.

How did you teach peddling? Is he too young? I'm sure DS1 just did it straight away without being taught, but i can't quite remember.

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Cyb · 23/01/2010 17:31

3 is quite young for peddalling. had he got a trike he can practice on for stability

(my son didn;t learn till he was 7 btw)

nickschick · 23/01/2010 17:31

most children do just get it but for some its quite a toil to master the co-ordination - look at how we walks down stairs can he walk step step or does he go 2 feet to 1 stair?

Original poster

BigusBumus · 23/01/2010 17:34

2 feet to 1 stair. Is that a sign of lack of co-ordination?

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jamaisjedors · 23/01/2010 17:35

Take the pedals off - we did this with DS1 and he was riding a bike at 4.

Same as those likeabike's but cheaper if you already have the bike and then put the pedals back on later.

Fizzylemonade · 23/01/2010 17:46

Agree with jam, we tried the whole pedal bike thing with ds1, have now removed his pedals so he learns to balance first, he is nearly 7.

Ds2 got a balance bike for Christmas, no pedals they just "scoot" along. Ds2 is 3.7.

This is the first video I can find on youtube and my sound card knackered on my laptop but this will give you an idea of what they do with no pedals

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT-P04Tg5bk

nickschick · 23/01/2010 17:53

Its not a hard and fast diagnostic test and it doesnt mean hes not upto par or anything its quite a hard concept for a child to get he could perhaps practice cycling backwards or you could lie on the floor and 'cycle your feet' and put his feet on yours sole-sole and 'cycle' together ....it will just 'click' with him.

GoldenSnitch · 23/01/2010 17:57

We got DS (2.8) a balance bike for Christmas. He's a little speed demon on it now. It's amazing how confident he is on it.

Original poster

BigusBumus · 23/01/2010 17:58

Thanks everyone, your answers have been really helpful. I know he's only just 3 and i'm not worried or anything, i guess its just that both DSS and DS1 were pedalling straight away at 3 and off their stabilisers before their 4th birthdays! But perhaps they are not the norm and DS2 is.

In fact I will find it a PITA when he can cycle as he will want to do it all the time and need supervising when i could be MNing.

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WBM · 23/01/2010 18:13

Hope this isn't too late to help...

We got DS (19m) a convertible tricycle for Christmas (18m size has a parent handle, etc., then converts to 3+ typical tricycle). To teach him to push, we put two of his old infant socks that have stuffed bugs on them over the pedals. He loved squashing them with his feet. So whenever a bug was at the "top" of the cycle, he would want to squash it and we'd say "push!" as he stepped on that one with his foot. As soon as he figured out that this made him move forward, he took it from there! Bug socks gone, new exercise program for mum!

Original poster

BigusBumus · 23/01/2010 18:21

Oh thanks WBM, thats a good idea too! I could fashion some kind of spider sock things. (He doesn't like spiders) and stick them on.

Also like the cycling on the floor together sole to sole idea.

Thank you!

OP posts:

TulipsInTheRain · 23/01/2010 18:24

you don't. you wait it out until their 4 and suddenly decide they facy pedalling after all..... or at least that's what we do with our lazy pedallers

choufleur · 23/01/2010 18:25

We got DS a bike for his third birthday last april. he has only just started to pedal and use it properly. i stopped trying to get him to have a go for about 6 months and then the other day he said he wanted to ride his bike and just got on and did it. i think he was just too young when we bought it for him.

pigletmania · 24/01/2010 23:41

Oh good so its not only my dd 2.10 who cannot pedel to save her life

LittlePushka · 24/01/2010 23:49

Agree with taking pedals off.

Trying to pedal and balance is like trying to pat head and rub tummy at same time!!

bananabrain · 24/01/2010 23:54

DS1 preferred to sit still and pedal backwards until after he was 4, when all of a sudden he started to pedal forwards and he was off. I think it wasn't so much that he couldn't do it earlier, but actually that he didn't have a wish to! I'm sure your ds will do it when he wants to.

UniS · 25/01/2010 13:06

Take stabilers AND pedals off, put saddle down low, let him get used to it as a balance bike WHen he is whizzing along and freewheeling lots , Then put pedals back on. meantime, encourage him to pedal on trikes etc where ever you go that have trikes.

My lad "got" pedalling in about 5 mins at 3.3 BUT had been very confident on a balance bike first.

Bibmother · 28/01/2010 22:13

My 3.11yr old took ages to learn to pedal his bike last year. We spent ages just literally moving his feet round in a circle to get the idea of the movement as to start with he pedalled backwards and then he'd sort of half pedal but not get all the way round but very slowly he got it and then we started off with very little bike rides, 50m down the pavement and now he can go reasonably well and cycle a mile or two (all with stablisers on).

We also have a balance bike which we bought for his little brother (2.2yrs who incidentally won't touch it and prefers his trike) and he got that straight away but I'm not really sure even if he had been a whizz on that it would have helped his pedalling as they seem to be quite different things to do.

My little boy absolutely loves his bike now btw!

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