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Original poster

3yr old with a mini micro scooter - advice please!

13 replies

choceyes · 03/01/2012 13:31

My 3.2yr old DS was given a mini micro christmas and he has been trying to use for a couple of days. He scoots fine in a straight line, but he is still to learn how to steer it left and right. He doesn't seem to realise that he has to lean left or right for it to steer. Even when showed. He gets really frustrated and stopped using it now.
I had visions of him scooting behind me and me not having to take the double buggy out (have a 16 month old too), but seems like he's given up already.

Anyone with any ideas of how to help my DS to learn to steer left and right? Is it just a case of practising lots?

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Christmasford · 03/01/2012 13:33

Just keep going out. DS got one at three..took hum about 4 trips to nursery on it. Dd 2.5 has now inherited his as he has moved to the maxi, and she has just about got it. The more he is out on the the quicker he will get it...we scoot everywhere!

BeattieBow · 03/01/2012 13:36

oh I thought my 3 year old ds would never get it, but he did and he goes bloody fast too! It's invaluable, so keep trying and he will get it.

bumbums · 03/01/2012 13:45

I got my Ds one for his 3rd b,day and he couldn't do it initially. This put him off for a while so it stayed in the garage, but and we got it out again a few months later and he 'got it' really quickly.

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PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 03/01/2012 13:49

It's a case of practice, practice, practice.

Dd took months to get it. Every time she crashed into a wall/fence/tree it put her off trying.

Ds2 OTOH got it so easily that I didn't even notice.

One thing that I think helped dd was to push her very gently on the scooter, holding her by the hips, and then move her body, rather than her arms, to demonstrate how the scooter turned.

I wouldn't let them scoot to nursery until they demonstrated to me that they could scoot non-stop around our close. It became challenge that they were determined to overcome, rather than a stressful way to get to nursery.

Bicnod · 03/01/2012 13:51

Yes - just keep trying. We got DS one for his 2nd birthday - it took him a month or so to work it out but since then he's been getting faster and faster, can steer and glide and all sorts. Very very useful so stick with it :)

simpson · 03/01/2012 13:54

Keep at it.

When DD first got hers she would climb off the scooter and physically pick it up to change direction Hmm

It took her about 2wks of constant practice (used for school runs as I don't drive) for her to get it.

It is now the best thing I have ever bought (for DD)

winnybella · 03/01/2012 13:57

DD got hers 3 days ago and we took her out on Sunday. She didn't get the turning so DP ended up pulling her and told her to lean left and right and she did that for a while-it seems to have given her the idea how to turn iyswim. She went on it to the nursery this morning but I haven't asked DP yet how it went.

But my guess is that it'll take him a few times and then he'll get it, so I wouldn't despair.

SardineJam · 03/01/2012 13:59

We got DS1 one in November and we go out quite a bit on it, even if its only around the block. It took him a while to get to grips with the turning but doing a great job now, though some times I think he's so caught up in the thrill of going fast that he doesn't concentrate and bashes into walls. He's 2.9 so figure he'll get there

suzikettles · 03/01/2012 14:00

Yes, keep going with it. The steering is a definite technique (and unlike anything else he'll have come across so far) which will take more than a few goes to learn for most 3 year olds.

I can't remember how long it took ds, but i think a good couple of months and then it seemed to click. By the time he was four he was going at crazy speeds and making very elegant, effortless turns Grin

Snowsister · 03/01/2012 14:00

Take him to the park, preferably with a friend who has one, and leave them to it.

Once he gets the hang of it you need to set some scooting rules as they can whizz off really fast.

Original poster
choceyes · 03/01/2012 14:23

When DD first got hers she would climb off the scooter and physically pick it up to change direction

This is what my DS does. I shall leave it till the weekend I think, so it doesn't look like I'm putting pressure on him to use it. At the moment he prefers to ride his bike and choses that over the scooter. But as the bike is much bulkier and heavier I'd rather he used the scooter.
My in-laws gave him a scooter too before we did and he was using it at theirs, and that one you turn the handles when you want to steer, so a different techqniue to the mini micro, so maybe this is confusing him too. But no way will I be using my in-laws scooter on a daily basis, as it is soooo much heavier and bulkier than the mini micro.

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simpson · 03/01/2012 14:34

What got my DD using hers was her older brother showing her. He did not have a micro at the time (I have since bought him the maxi)

But because he was 5 (at the time) he picked it up much quicker and showed her.

I would second (and third!!) going to the park (pref with another child who has a micro) and he can copy.

pranma · 03/01/2012 16:19

dgs will be 3 in Feb and has inherited his older brother's mini micro scooter he learned to scoot from his brother.The parents asked the older boy [then 4]to show the little one what to do and in a couple of days he was doing perfect 'leaning turns' maybe adults over think it a bit and other children are the best teachers.

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