If I get her a bike now, what will be next?

[Schnullerbacke]

Its my DDs birthday in September where she will turn 3. We sort of decided that we would wait with a little push bike until next year. We just saw her play with one in the neighbours garden though and am not so sure anymore. She looked quite comfy on it and knew what to do.

My main reasons for being against it is that
a) she has a little wooden scooter which she plays with

b) if she gets a bike this year, what will she get next year?

I'm totally against spoiling kids and I know most of you know where I am coming from as we just had a couple of threads about it.

If we did wait until next September though, she won't be able to play with it next summer so that is the argument that is swaying me a bit.

I suppose she can keep playing with her scooter, there is always another birthday. What do you guys think?

I would go for it - there will always be something else next year. My ds2 is nearly 4 and is having a bike for his birthday but we've only left it so late because he's been playing on his brother's(broken) old one since well before he was three.

I would get her a bike if you think she is ready for it. Riding a bike is a great way to get around, a really useful skill, abrilliant form of exercise. I don't think it would be spoiling her at all. I'd equate a bike more with swimming lessons than every-crappy-toy-she-sees-and-wants.

What you get her next year is irrelevant.

i think the sooner a child learns to ride a bike the better and i've seen lots of 3yo and some 2yo on the push along bikes and i think it's great.

i wouldn't think of it as 'spoiling' her with a toy but about setting her up with a useful skill and good habits (active, heathly lifestyle etc).

You can always get a second-hand one now. Then next year (or the year after) you might trade it in for a better/bigger one.

She'll probably want something bigger than the wooden scooter sometime too.

Then theres skates...

Kids need a succession of wheels!

go for it this year, next year there will be something else, maybe not a big thing either.

If she got half an idea about bike riding already encourage it , as she gets older she will find it slower to learn and may have picked up some bad habits - like relying on stabilsers. *

Or if your still not sure- how about a little B/D pressie and a bike at christmas.

• either start with a balance bike OR a regular bike with pedals and cranks removed so she "gets" balance on two wheels. Trainer wheels are just a pain ( unless you have a child with balance problems at which point they become sensible,) most kids don't need them and get lazy about their balance using them.

I am biased of course, we are a family that cycle. boy had a balance bike at 2 and is now on a proper bike at 3.3, we didn't wait for a birthday, just for his legs to get long enough. His bike is not a toy, its transport.

Children under 5 don't have that much concept of money. If she wants and needs a bike now get it and don't worry about next year.

We went to a toy shop a few months ago because both children had been given 20 euros each to spend by an old friend.

DD (4) fixated on a little pony worth about 7 euros and was quite happy to give the rest of her money to DS (6) who was eyeing up boxes of lego worth 30ish euros.

You don't have to get her a big present next year just because you did this year. Dd got her dolls house aged 4- she's never had a biggie like that since but I still catch her playing with it and she's in secondary school.

I would give her the bike when you feel she is ready for it, not when it fits into some general present scheme.

Agree that a bike is not a luxury but a learning thing, just like swimming lessons or learning to cook or playing a musical instrument- you wouldn't deny her those just for fear of spoiling her, would you? And, as UniS says, transport. If we were all confident on bikes, we might just about save the planet.

Go for it

Bikes are not toys, after all, so it's not spoiling her to get her one.

Subsequent birthday presents don't have to match this year's, and she's still young enough to not compare anyway.

I agree with UniS too

I would get her a second-hand one, because she won't notice that it is not new, and you will have to buy her a bigger bike at some point so save the money until she will notice whether it has been pre-ridden or not!

I always notice lots of kids' bikes on Freecycle if you really don't want to spend much money.

If you do get a "free" passed on bike, PLEASE get someone who knows a bit about bikes to check it over BEFORE your child rides it. Brakes stop working well if they are not looked after, easy to fix normally, either need cable adjusting or replacing or pads replaced, cost only a few pounds. Sending a child out with non working brakes is not recommended if you live somewhere hilly. UNLESS Its a balance bike with no brakes by design.

If I want to buy my toddler something I simply do so. There are so many great developmental items to buy, and they are young only once. I like to maximise the enjoyment of the current stage, and if a bike etc is relevant, then I would not apportion out the gift.

I got dd a bike when she was 3 but she's still (at nearly 4) very unsteady on it and usually uses her trike. So it mainly lives in the garage. But at least she's getting used to it bit by bit and it will be there for her as soon as she is really ready.

I think it was a mistake to get her the slightly bigger size though. She's big for her age and I didn't want her to grow out of it too fast. I think if we had got the smaller one though, she would be using it a lot more so I think it was a false economy.