How To Teach Cycling To Your Child?

As summer is here, you will notice your child spending a lot of spare time in front of a TV or playing video games, with little or no outdoor activities to do. Children these days are so dominated by technology that they have almost forgotten to enjoy in the outskirts of nature. As a parent, you can take up the responsibility of enabling your child indulging in some outdoor sports.

Teach Child How to Learn Cycling

So, let’s start with cycling. If your child is young and doesn’t know how to pedal his/her way then here are a few tips that will help you teach him/her in no time. Following are the ways that you can teach your child how to learn cycling-

1. Shop smartly:

   If you don’t have a bicycle yet then go purchase one right away. Take your child along and make sure you do not get lured by the vendor or carried away by your child’s demand of having a fancy bicycle. Be wise and choose a bicycle wherein your child’s feet should touch the ground when he/she is sitting on the seat, the seat should be comfortable enough and the brakes should be in a good condition. If all these points are assured, you can go ahead and make a payment for the same

2. Remove the training wheels:

   Usually when parents buy a bicycle for their child, they end up choosing a bicycle, which has training wheels attached to it. Sure, training wheels do make it easier for a child to pedal around. But when it comes to teaching him/her cycling, you need to remove the training wheels and lower the seat enough so his/her feet can touch the ground when seated comfortably. Lowering the seat will also help your child deal away with the fear of falling off since their feet will be touching the ground, assuring their own safety

3. Find a grassy area:

   Here’s a little trick that will help you teach your child smoothly as well as remove his/her fear of falling off. Find a grassy area to teach your child cycling as the bicycle will not be rolling away as fast as on a pavement or on a road. The grass will reduce the speed of the bicycle to some extent and also help your child be free from worries when pedalling

4. Don’t hold on to the bike:

   The standard practice involves either parent holding the bike from behind while teaching cycling to the child. But this throws off your child’s balance, making it tough for him/her to learn effectively. You can let go holding the bicycle and walk behind instead. Since the seat is lowered, your child will automatically put his/her legs down on sensing a possible fall

5. Keep your child relaxed:

   Initially a child can sense danger when practicing cycling. This is normal and you can help your child stay relaxed by letting him/her know that you are right behind them, ready to hold the bicycle anytime they feel the need. Try not to put any pressure on them to learn too fast. Provide encouragement and practice only as long your child wants to. If you find your child frustrated, there is always a next day to begin the practice

6. Have fun:

   Don’t make the learning session too rigorous. The aim is not only to teach your child cycling but also to ensure that he/she is having fun while doing so. If your child has fun while learning cycling, he/she will pick up the skills pretty quickly

7. Riding safety to be ensured:

   Since your child is a learner, make sure you invest in safety equipment - such as a helmet that fits your child, knee pads and elbow pads if required. This will help your child not to fear too much about falling off. In case your child hits the ground, he/she will still remain protected with the safety gears. A first aid box must also be kept ready on the scene

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