Teaching a Child to Ride a Bike without Training Wheels

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I remember when I was little and my mom taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels. Actually, I remember it quite vividly. How can I not? I still have a few scars on my knees to prove it.

My mom and I out in our back alley of my childhood home. Her running behind me while holding me up and then all of a sudden I realize she is no longer hold me up and I immediately panic and fall over.

I remember the fear I felt when I realized she wasn’t holding me up any longer. I also remember me yelling at my mom in the most dramatic fashion when I blamed her for me falling and hurting myself. But, what I remember most importantly is thee feeling of accomplishment when I was able to ride on my own.

I know my mom taught me how to ride my bike how most parents teach their children how to ride a bike. My mom didn’t do anything wrong. After all, children learn by trial and error. From falling I learned how to balance better. I learned what worked and didn’t work. I learned that I didn’t want to fall anymore…. falling hurt. But, I kept at it because I wanted so badly to ride my bike on my own… without training wheels.

I had decided that there must be another way to teach our children how to ride a bike without training wheels. I understood that my children needed to learn balance. That in order to learn balance there must be some falling. But, I wanted to teach my children how to do this with less injuries. And, I did just that. How? By teaching my children the first few days how to ride bike on the grass.

On the grass? Yep.

Steps I used to Teach my Kids how to Ride Bike without Pain

• I didn’t start them too early - They had to understand a bit of balance. They trained hard on Training wheels for some time. We also made sure to raise the training wheels every so often as they got use to them. By the time we removed them from our children’s bikes they were at the highest level possible and the kids were no longer relying on them for balance as much.
  
  
• Started on the Grass - The first few days of training was spent on the grass. This way they were learn balance, but their falls would be much less painful… macadam hurts.
  
  
• Slight Decline on Grass - My background seemed to be the perfect spot for the kids to learn how to ride bike. There was a very slight decline in the yard which gave them a little momentum without making them go to fast.
  
  
• They Need to Know How to Brake - Before the training wheels come off the kids need to know how to brake. I practiced a long time with my children on breaking…. way before the training wheels come off. And, this is necessary. When the training wheels come off you will find that your kids will be concentrating so hard on balancing that they will occasionally forget the things they already learned. You don’t want them to have to worry about learning balancing and breaking at once.
  
  
• Don’t expect too much - I went into this event know there would be some falls, some laughter and probably even some tears. And, that is exactly what happened. The day will have his challenges, but you will find more than that there will be ample rewards too.
  
  
• Celebrate Even the Littlest of Things - This project is a true challenge for the kids. Not only is it difficult to learn, but it can be a bit scary for the kids. So, celebrate even the tiniest of advances. If they stayed up for 20 seconds celebrate it. Be a cheerleader for your child.
  
  
• Inspect the Bike before Training -Make sure all the bolts are tightened and the chains are greased. This way the bike rides as smoothly as possible. Nothing will cause your child to be super scared of riding their bike than to have them fall due to a bolt coming loose. Do not skip this step!!
  
  
• Tell them what you are doing through Every Step - I made sure to tell my children exactly what I was doing every step of the way. Don’t let go without your child knowing that was going to happen. My mom did that to me and the minute I saw she wasn’t holding me anymore…. I’d fall due to panic. Let your child know what you are doing right before you do it.
  
  
• Reminder Child to Always Look Straight Ahead - This might seem obvious to us, but to a child it is not. You will find that your child will be tempted to look at their feet while they are pedaling or to look back to see if you are still holding them. Constantly remind your child to look straight ahead. Not only is this important so they don’t hit into anything, but this will help your child keep the bike balanced as well.
  
  
• Hold your Child Correctly - When you are holding your child up and running behind them you will be tempted to hold them on the back of the seat and handle bars. But, your child will not be able to learn balancing well this way and it will be impossible for the child to learn how to steer as well. Make sure to hold your child up by holding the back of the bike seat and their shoulder or sweatshirt.
  
  
• Dress your Child Well - Make sure that your child doesn’t wear anything that you don’t mind getting grass stained or torn. Plus, you want the less skin showing as possible. Long pant and a Sweat shirt work great. This way if they fall they will be less apt to get cuts and scrapes and be frightened to get back on.

Also, if you do not have a nice area of grass suitable for teaching your child to ride a bike and must do it on macadam please make sure to have elbow and knee pads. Plus, it is imperative that you don’t skip out on the helmet even if you are riding on the grass. Any fall can cause head injury without the proper protective gear.

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