Our daughter turns 3 in May, and we are thinking about buying her a bike with training wheels? My husband thinks we should wait until she is a little older. Does anyone have any suggestions?
My Daughter had a bike at almost 3 years old, she loved it still does, The rule is she can only ride it with her safety gear (helmet elbow & knee pads). She is really good with it. She will be 5 in August and is on the next size bigger.
Good luck & Enjoy it's a big milestone!
V.
As long as the bike is the right size for her it is great. Just don't get a bigger bike then she can handle or it will be very frustrating.
She is not too young for a bike...my son was riding a big boy bike at two and by three he was training wheels free. Every child is different though. But I would buy her the bike...you have the whole summer to work with her on it. Good luck!
Hi! My daughter was on a tricycle last summer. We just gave her a Mini-Glider balance bike for her 3rd birthday in Feb, and so far she loves it!
It's a "balance bike" and has no pedals -- designed to be the easiest and safest way for kids to learn how to ride a bike. A child starts by walking and pushing while seated, trusting his/her own abilities, while quickly graduating to running and gliding on two wheels. After mastering the Glider, the child can move directly to a bike without training wheels. Which means no "trauma" from removing training wheels on which the child has grown dependent.
You can find tons of info on the internet by googling "Glider Mini Glider." But here's an easy link to Amazon. We had to order this online, as no one around here sells it.
http://www.amazon.com/Glide-Bikes-MG-12R-Mini-Glider/dp/B...
Happy Birthday to your daughter!!
My twins girls also had bikes at 3. They loved them, and were able to ride w/o training wheels when they were 5.
I agree with Jennifer- if she can ride a trike then at three I would suggest a bike. My daughter got her first bike for her 3rd birthday and was able to ride it fairly quickly. My son was riding his bike the spring after he turned 2. You can buy kids bikes just about anywhere, Target, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us.
perfect bday present for a 3 year old......she'll love it
Both my girls got bikes when they were very little. My older daughter was riding without trainers at age 4. My younger daughter couldn't quite get it until 5. Just don't buy her a bike that is too big for her, just because you want it to last awhile. It will be too hard for her to ride if it's the wrong size. Have fun!
The sooner you show them that exercise is fun the better, and you have 2 that can use the bike you get as long as it is taken care of. Get a very adjustable bike and always insist on the use of a helmet, even to "put away" the bike as this will instill a second nature of wearing it.
My son got his first bike for his 2nd birthday and he's been riding it since then, so you're good to go...
She can't try to ride if she doesn't have one to try on. Get her a bike. I have seen two year olds riding bike. Or, not until 8 or 9 to get the hang of it. Let it be an inspiration and challenge to her! xo
I don't think 3 is too young. My nephew started riding his bike without the training wheels around 3 1/2....
The importanat thing is whether your daughter can reach the ground on the bike. When we bought our daughter her bike on her 4th birthday, that is what the bike salesperson was concerned with. If they can't get on their bike seat by themself, they should not be on that bike. So, if you do get her a bike at 3, make it a very short bike that she can reach the ground when needed.
my son has been riding "bikes"-anything w/wheels and pedals since almost the moment he could walk! at around 14 months, riding any type of pedal powered or even leg powered vehicle helps kids gain better balance and develops large or gross motor skills, Get her the bike, it will also give her an opportunity for independance...i know, i know she's only 3....but it will happen eventually so why not foster it in a positive direction.
Buy it and try it. My son was 3 1/2 when he learned without training wheels and my daughter took longer. Every child is different. I think the scariest part for kids is when the training wheels aren't even so they make the bike wobble. Before she gets on it, make sure the training wheels are even and all the way down. You can get the 12 inch bike that are so close to a trike that she shouldn't have a problem.
I agree that it's a perfect idea. The cheapest simplest bikes are $20 and I don't think they are any harder than a tricycle (lightweight too and the no brakes ones mean the tires turn with the pedals just like a tricycle). My son's started riding them at age 2.5. My older son had his training wheels off right around when he turned 4. EXCELLENT gift idea at this time of year!!
I would HIGHLY recommend the Skuut- it's a balance bike and is amazing!
It first teaches your child to balance, and eliminates the need for training wheels altogether. And the seat height adjusts easily to accomodate her size. Perfect for her age!
http://www.skuut.com/
My daughter is two and LOVES her new bicycle with training wheels -- and helmet!
I'd wait until she's 4+. If you buy it you will carry it. My kids wanted bikes too. They look so cute, but then they'd go maybe 1/2 block and say they are tired so you have to carry a kid AND a bike. Of course, my son got one and at 6 was going so fast wiped out. ARGH! Scratches, blood, everywhere. 4 is good.
My son got his first bike and training wheels for Christmas when he was 2 1/2 years old (I love seeing a bike under a tree!) By the time April hit, his training wheels were already off. (He, too has a late May birthday) If she has good balance (or not... she'll have training wheels on) it's an awesome present at an awesome age.
Don't forget the helmet.
We bought both our daughters a bike at 2 and they love them. You can get them as low as 10inches, which is perfect for shorter kids. We just bought ours at Walmart, and the 10 inch at meijers, there around 20 - 25 dollars. We just didn't see the need in spending any more than that, when in a few years they'll outgrow it. Good luck.
they have so many bike-sizes available these days. If she really wants a bike, I say, get one! we had the small-sized bikes for our boys when they were young. they loved it!
We got my kids bikes at 2--put together when they were about 2 1/2. They took a few days to realize how to pedal but then they loved them. We plan to get our little one a bike when she turns 2 as well. We never had tricycles or ride on cars.
The longer you wait the harder it is to get them use to it. My daugther started riding her bike at 2 she got it for her 2nd b day and since then she has always loved it, just make sure the training wheels are straight and the bike dont wobble a lot, thats a scary thing for the little ones, But since she started out that way she was ridding without help from training wheels when she was 5 and been going ever since with no issues of falling. Now my friend kept his kids from the bikes till they were 4 or 5 and when they got one even with training wheels they could not and would not get on it, now at 11 years old his kid is just starting to go with out training wheels and she is teased by other kids...So just a thought from personal experience. Good Luck and remember with most things the younger the kid is the easier they are to teach and mold into what they need to learn....
My son just turned 3 in February, but my mom bought him a "big boy bike" with training wheels last May. He fit on it just fine, and his feet reached the pedals, but the initial issue was his lack of leg strength-it meant we were pushing him up and down the sidewalk. On the upside, he felt like a big kid with his helmet and pads on, and now that his legs are strong enough to pedal, he already knows how to steer. His bike came from Wal Mart and only cost around $30. I hope this helps.
She's a little young for balance isues turning corners. How about HOTWHEELS as a first choice. Made of poly materials and are close to the ground if she should fall. She'll be the envy of the children but most importantly she'll have fun and you won't be running behind her and holding her from slipping off the seat.
take her with to the store, some bikes that are 12 inches are bigger framed then some that are 14 inch. Make sure that she can put her feet flat on the ground while sitting on the seat. And make sure she can actually pedal it, some are VERY hard to pedal, others are really smooth and easy.
My daughter was on two wheels by the end of her 3rd year, so that isn't too early at all.
My twin daughters got bikes for their third birthday. I had to convince my mom to get them, since she just wanted to get them nicer tricycles. I told her that I thought they would know how to do it. I'm glad she listened. I took them about a week to learn how to get the hang of riding their bikes...but they took off and my mom was shocked.
If your daughter knows how to use a tricycle then definitely get her a bike for her birthday.
Not too early. If you think she might not be ready, find a cheap second hand bike. We found a small pink bike with training wheels at a second hand store for $5 and that's what our daughter has been riding for 3 years. We've taken the training wheels and pedals off so she is now using it to learn how to ride without training wheels.
I do not think it is too early; and in fact, my suggestion would be to get a low bike with training wheels that can be removed so she can learn how to ride this same bike without training wheels at an early age if she wants to. The key is having it be a low bike, where when she is sitting on it even with the training wheels on, she can nearly touch the floor (by age 4, she'll have grown and will be able to touch the ground no problem). What we found with all three of our children is that they learned very quickly to ride bikes without training wheels because they could touch the ground and steady themselves and feel comfortable quickly. In our opinion, too many bikes are way to big for children to learn on (with and then without training wheels). Get them comfortable and then go purchase that new 2nd bike.
By the way, alongside raising our (3) children, I am running a business; please take a look at my website and let me know if I can help you too. All the best, N.
My son turned 3 last October. I bought him a bike last summer (before he was 3) and he wasn't ready. It was pretty hard for him and he would get frustrated, but about two months ago he just got the hang of it and he rides it practically everywhere we go, so in my case he was able to ride at 3 1/2. I think it is a very appropriate three year old gift. Good luck!
Our girls started riding a bike with training wheels at about 2.5 to 3 years. They had fun. Our first had training wheels until the age of 5. The other 2 rode without training wheels at 4. I think it depends on your child. If you are willing to buy the 12" bike for a first bike, I found my girls had more fun with it than a tricycle.
It's really dependent upon what you think your child is capable of physically. At her age she would ride a 12 inch unless she's really tall for her age. If she can pedal a tricycle then she can handle a bike with training wheels. Get a good helmet and go for it! We got our son his first bike at 3 and we took his training wheels off at 4 because he was ready. When you're ready to teach her to ride without training wheels you can just take the training wheels and pedals off the bike so she can glide it, that way you don't have to buy an expensive glider bike that basically is a bike without pedals. When she gets it you just put the pedals back on! Also, get a properly fitting helmet. I'd suggest going to a bike store and getting one fitted. Good luck!
I bougth my daughter a big girl bike for her 3rd birthday and she loved riding it the first couple of days, then she reverted back to her tricycle. She has the ability to be super speedy on her tricycle and it is more fun for her so the Big girl bike sits and waits until she is ready to give it another go... if you do buy a big girl bike, I would go for the smallest one you can find.. I bought a little bit bigger so it would last a couple of years and I think that is why she is so intimidated plus she cant figure out the brakes so well and took a few tumbles...
