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  1. #1
    PMJ is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default Balance bike not really working?

    We have a BB - DD has not been using it a whole lot, but say for 6 weeks on/off. I guess we are at fault here b/c we are not regular about it. BUT, when she does use it, she just keeps her feet on the ground and shuffles -- so she's not really practicing balance IMO, but maybe I'm wrong.

    Is there anything we could do to help her w/this?

    FWIW - DD can't pedal on a regular sized bike... I don't know why, it's peculiar. She'll do the same thing and just keep her legs on the ground and use her feet to keep the bike moving.

    Have I doomed my child?!
    -------------------------
    Thanks for your time!


  2. #2
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    I think they all start out that way. I hear showing them YouTube videos can be helpful in getting the idea. I'm panning to try that with my three year old who is just started getting interested in her balance bike.

    Catherine
    Last edited by crl; 05-27-2013 at 07:06 PM.

  3. #3
    twowhat? is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    How old is she? It took our girls a LONG time to get to where they were comfortable with lifting up their feet. It wasn't a matter of not knowing what to do...it was a confidence and comfort level thing. And if she is shuffling at a decent pace with her weight on the seat, she is likely learning balance - it takes practice to keep the bike vertical. When my girls first started, they were falling over all the time because they didn't know how to keep the bike upright while moving on it.

    Have you tried showing youtube videos of kids on balance bikes?

  4. #4
    PMJ is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by twowhat? View Post
    Have you tried showing youtube videos of kids on balance bikes?
    yup, did this! I was hoping that would be the trigger.

    She's 3.5 now.
    -------------------------
    Thanks for your time!


  5. #5
    twowhat? is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by PMJ View Post
    yup, did this! I was hoping that would be the trigger.

    She's 3.5 now.
    She may just need more time. We got our balance bikes at 3yo. Our girls didn't start lifting up their feet until well after their 4th birthday - they are extremely cautious children though, so if your DD is anything like that, I wouldn't be surprised if it took her much longer to gain the confidence to lift up her feet.

  6. #6
    MSWR0319 is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    DS is 4.5 and has had his BB for a little over a year. He was doing just as you described and nothing more. I finally gave up this week and bought him a regular bike with training wheels and he took right off. The balance bike just wasn't for him unfortunately. I'm hoping maybe once he gets used to a peddle bike he'll want to try the BB again. Now DS2 is only 1, but judging by his personali I think he's going to be a terror on the Bb as soon as he's old enough.

  7. #7
    PMJ is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by twowhat? View Post
    She may just need more time. We got our balance bikes at 3yo. Our girls didn't start lifting up their feet until well after their 4th birthday - they are extremely cautious children though, so if your DD is anything like that, I wouldn't be surprised if it took her much longer to gain the confidence to lift up her feet.
    Must be a GIRL thing! thanks!
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    Thanks for your time!


  8. #8
    ♥ms.pacman♥ is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by twowhat? View Post
    It wasn't a matter of not knowing what to do...it was a confidence and comfort level thing. And if she is shuffling at a decent pace with her weight on the seat, she is likely learning balance - it takes practice to keep the bike vertical.


    Yes, exactly. We actually got DS his balance bike (the cheap $30 Chicco one from Costco) a while back, for his 2nd birthday. He was mostly too young for it then (even though he's fairly tall he wasn't tall enough to really ride it even at the lowest setting. He didn't start riding it around the house until he was about 2.5-3. Even then, he did just as you describe..just shuffling his feet around, never lifting both feet..i think it takes some level of balance just to walk around on it and not fall over.

    Well, it's funny you posted this thread today, as today was literally the first day DS dared to lift both feet while riding his bike! He did it inside the house first, then begged to go outside to ride it. So we went outside, but at first he was still pretty cautious and would not do it the whole 10 minute walk/ride to the park. But then as we were leaving to go home he got some confidence and tried it..and he lifted his feet HIGH, it was nuts! So the balance must have been building there somehow all this time!! Definitely do not lose hope at all.

    Don't know if this will work but i've put a URL link here of DS riding his bike and lifting his feet today. DS will be 3.5 in July.

    http://flic.kr/p/ev6Bco

  9. #9
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    How old is she? It took DS a few months to figure it out at age 2.5. I'd say before 3.5, many kids can't figure it out immediately. But once she figured it out, you better watch out!
    DD (3/06)
    DS1 (7/09)
    DS2 (8/13)

  10. #10
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    I'd give it a bit longer. DS (who has always been very adventurous, coordinates, and advanced in terms of gross motor skills) figured it out at 2.5. But he broke his arm right before he turned 3 (on his balance bike...he wasn't really even moving, just fell strange) and he wasn't able to ride the balance bike much. And he was apprehensive about it the rest of the summer. It took him a good month to re-figure it out this spring (at 3.5). I think it can take a while if the child is cautious.
    DD (3/06)
    DS1 (7/09)
    DS2 (8/13)

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