We got my DD one of those little bikes with training wheels for her 2nd birthday a few months ago. So far, she has been more interested in sitting on it and twisting the handlebars than actually riding it! lol.
We have taken her to a nearby empty parking lot a few times, and taught her to peddle... so she knows HOW (kinda... she knows to peddle, but she won't keep going and gets jammed up if she doesn't stop with the peddles in the right position) to ride it, but she still isn't that into it.
Today I finally got a bike for myself, along with my SIL. So we took her to the parking lot and rode around, hoping that she would want to join us. It worked, for about 5 minutes... then she was done and decided she would rather play in the gravel. lol.
I don't really mind her not riding the bike... It's not a big deal at all, and it's a 'real' bike, so it will last her quite a while and by the time she outgrows it we will have gotten our money's worth, even if she never gets that into it... BUT I was just wondering when other kids started enjoying riding bikes. :)
P.S. We really aren't pushing it much at all either... For the most part, it sits in it's 'spot' near her stroller... If she starts acting interested in it, we strap on her helmet and let her play in our driveway. (where most of the handlebar spinning takes place. lol.) Every couple of weeks we walk over to to the parking lot to see if she wants to ride it... then head home after trying to help her grasp the concept to KEEP peddling! lol.
My oldest: 4, and my youngest, 2 (because he wants to copy big brother). My sister is 9 and still hasn't shown much interest in it. I think she doesn't like not being good at it though...
My daughter was three before she really started loving her bike. When she was two, she would pedal awhile and then CARRY her bike. Good grief! It looked so funny to see such a little peanut, all decked out in a helmet, hefting her bike to her shoulder and carrying it down the path. :)
Kids are funny, aren't they?
In my experience, the girls are often not as interested in bikes & riding.
I've seen this in my household & that of my friends.
Boys dug it. Girls didn't even really want to do it.
My son showed interest at age 3, SD didnt ride until about 9 and she
does not like it all today.
They outgrow the bikes fast at this age so don't spend a lot of $.
It sounds like it's not her thing.
Maybe wait & reintroduce a cheap one later on.
Definitely helmet & you can get elbow guards.
My son was ALWAYS into riding either his little trike, balance bike, or his real bike, but that's just him. However, *I* rode a bike a LOT with him in the trailer to get groceries, to work, to daycare, to the park etc.
If you WANT her to be interested, she's going to need more interesting places to ride than an empty parking lot and your driveway.
Take the bike to the park and let her ride around on the path or sidewalk... take a walk in the neighborhood or around the block and let her ride along with you. She'll be interested when she can use her bike to GO, not just pedal around on concrete.
Hope this helps,
T.
i would say i'd be more suprised if you said your 2 year old LOVES riding her bike lol. 2 year olds can barely master HOW to pedal a bike - much less have the attention span. life is too interesting to sit up on a bike and look at it from far away :)
my son was more like 3-4 before he really "got" into it.
Sounds about right mine loved to sit wiggle bounce anything but ride their bike until they were about 4 lol
I learned how to ride my bike without training wheels around 6/7.
At 3/4 I was tearing around the block on my tricycle.
This was all between 1971 and 75.
Before kids were expected to perform and excel at these things I guess (?) I mean, I was very normal, not delayed at ALL.
My son went without training wheels at almost 6, his little sister was very close behind at 4 and my youngest was around 5.
I say WITHOUT training wheels because I grew up with the expectation that training wheels were temporary, most kids only had them for a few months at most.
I think a 2 year old would have a lot more fun on a tricycle or big wheel or some other 3 wheeled toy. Balancing a bike is not really developmentally appropriate for most kids that age.
My daughter just turned 2 a few months ago, and she got a balance bike for her birthday. She is not into it at all. I think it's still too big for her. She just figured out how to pedal on her brother's old tricycle, and so now she is really excited about that.
My son went back and forth with the bike. He loved his bike with training wheels when he got it for his 3rd birthday two years ago. He stopped being as into it last year and became more interested in his Razor scooter. This summer, he learned how to ride without training wheels and we got him a bigger bike. Now, we can't keep him off it. I'm sure that's helped motivate his sister.
with out training wheels 8 a little radio flyer tryke he was 3-5 and loved it.
hmmm was your kid an early walker??
I want to say that my daughter was 3-closer-to-4 before she really got the peddling thing down and was into riding her bike with training wheels. Sometimes it takes them a while to grasp the concept of peddling and how to move themselves forward. At 2 years old your daughter might be better off with a small tricycle or a Big Wheel-type toy.
My kids started on big wheels and a red tricycle when they were around 2. By 4 my son was riding without training wheels and tearing down the hills at the park as fast as he could go. Now at 7 he's wanting to race.
I think it depends on the kid. My daughter has never been into riding as much as my son. And they seem to go in phases of LOVING it and needing to ride every day and doing other things.
Most kids in my daycare start really liking to ride around age 3.
I would think most just-turned two-year olds would not be ready for a bike with training wheels.
My older daughter simply didn't like bikes. The younger one LOVED bikes, but did not start on a tiny tricycle until she was just-turned 3, and she started on it - peddling around - in our kitchen. She also had a pedal plane she loved at that age. The very small bike with training wheels did not come into her life until she was 4 and some time when she was 5 she was began zooming around without the training wheels.
DD didn't really get into hers until we took the training wheels off, which was about a year ago, when she was newly 5). We didn't bother with a toddler bike with training wheels, because it seemed like a waste of money. 2 and 3 year olds just don't have the coordination & patience to ride a bike, IMO.
That being said, there is not guarantee your child will ever be "into" a bike. Just like everything else, different kids like different things.
I got bikes for my kids early on. My 1st son just learned how to ride. He freaked out with training wheels so he never would try. Now at 8 he finally taught himself how, without the training wheels, and he rides all the time.
My 5yo DD can ride with training wheels but is not super into it.
My 3 year old son can ride with training wheels and will be riding without them soon. Pretty sure if I took them off now, he would just get up a go. LOL He just turned 3 and can ride his bike fast and loves it.
Older than 2 and my kids have been in bike trailers since they were 1 - close to 4 for my earliest bike rider, 5-6 for the other two, and for my SD? We're still waiting. DH got her first bike when she was 3 and she didn't learn how to ride without training wheels until she was 10 and at 14 still doesn't enjoy it.
Mine is 6 and she still doesn't really like riding her bike.
My daughter was riding a bike with training wheels at 3. At 4, we bought her a really great big wheel. She hasn't been on the bike since! Big wheels are just way more fun.
My 2 year old doesn't have anything to do with his balance bike either. He loves his big wheel. Go buy her a big wheel. They make one for the 2-4 age, and it glides just as well as the big ones.
When my son was 3.5, he got a Tricycle for Christmas. Loves it.
At age 4 now, my parents just got him a balance bike. Hates it. I think he feels it is too much work and/or too unsafe. He worries about falling and gets frustrated with it.
I'd guess your daughter is pretty young. Give her time.
This was the first summer that all 3 of my kids truly enjoyed riding bikes. My boys are 8 & 6 and can ride without training wheels and my daughter is 4 and still needs the training wheels but can go fast enough to keep up with her brothers.
~I stalled on pushing the bikes b/c we live 3 houses from the corner and some people just come whipping around the corner so fast! I was scared of them getting hit...but they are old enough know and I have taught them to only ride in the opposite direction, never towards the corner.
