It’s a pretty iconic moment in your child’s life when they first learn how to ride a bike. It’s just as meaningful for the parent, who absolutely cherishes the opportunity to teach their child this skill. That being said, it’s not always easy to know when your child is ready to start riding. You don’t want to start teaching them too young, but you also don’t want them to “miss the boat” when all of their friends are learning how to ride. So when’s the ideal time?
The Sweet Spot
Just like not every kid learns how to walk at exactly the same time, so too with riding a bike. Every child has a different timeframe that works best for them, but there is a range that seems to be pretty consistent across the board. The ages of five and six seem to be a pretty common time for young children to learn how to ride, and that’s when you can start teaching them
Starting Slow
You usually want to start them slow with an easy bike that has training wheels. Once they have that down pat, you can then take the wheels off and see how they fare. Stay close to them and make sure you can help them if they get into trouble, but more than anything, show them that you’re confident in them and that they have nothing to be afraid of.