Balance Bike--Where am I going Wrong?

[Bens Momma]

I get the concept of balance bikes and think they're a great idea. I was so psyched to find one in great shape at our local Goodwill :boogie:. I read about it and got good reviews on the internet so I got it for DS #2 (3 years old). He seemed to think it was cool, but got on it a couple times and "didn't get it." Silly question but...Do I push him around on it? Do I just let him sit on it? How do I encourage him to use it and learn to ride from it? My friend has a balance bike and her DD rides all over the place on it. I think I'm the problem and I'd really like him to learn to ride from it, suggestions??

TIA-
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:

[mamicka]

I get the concept of balance bikes and think they're a great idea. I was so psyched to find one in great shape at our local Goodwill :boogie:. I read about it and got good reviews on the internet so I got it for DS #2 (3 years old). He seemed to think it was cool, but got on it a couple times and "didn't get it." Silly question but...Do I push him around on it? Do I just let him sit on it? How do I encourage him to use it and learn to ride from it? My friend has a balance bike and her DD rides all over the place on it. I think I'm the problem and I'd really like him to learn to ride from it, suggestions??

TIA-
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:

I had to actually get on it & show DS1 how to do it. I really had to explain the gliding part - it wasn't intuitive to him at all. DS2 got it immediately, so either he learned it while I taught DS1 last year or its a case of different kids, different strengths.

[WatchingThemGrow]

show him some youtube videos

[happymomma]

DS was pretty good about learning how. You could show him how to glide it. No need to push him. After awhile they will learn to go faster by pushing their feet. He'll get the hang of it soon. Good luck!

[brittone2]

We got DS a Puky from Gliderrider.com when he turned 3 (fwiw, we had a bad experience with customer service as did others, and I think they now sell their own version vs. the Puky). In any case, at that time gliderrider had little videos on their site of kids gliding. If they don't still have it up, you could find something similar on youtube as the PP said.

THey also show how kids sort of move around on it, just walking at first, and then progress through to moving faster, eventually running, and then eventually running and picking their feet up to glide. DS is pretty cautious/conservative with physical stuff, and he was gliding 20 seconds or so within about 2 months of getting his bike. He liked watching the videos.

[carolinamama]

I would just give him time. DS got one when he was 2.5 and didn't really get it for at least a few months. But when he got the hang of it, he took off and hasn't looked back. We've never pushed ds. When he started out, he would just walk slowly on it. Now he glides everywhere easily but it did take him some time to get used to it.

Have fun with it. I love watching ds on it.

[writermama]

We got DS a Puky from Gliderrider.com when he turned 3 (fwiw, we had a bad experience with customer service as did others.

Was the bad CS from Gliderrider.com or Puky, or both?

[khm]

I wish I knew. My son got one for his third birthday last year. It was a bit too large for him. So, we let our older daughter play with it that first summer. She never got into it until AFTER she figured out how to ride her regular bike.

This summer, my son was 4 and he still just plain doesn't like it. I'm bummed. By next summer, he'll probably be too big for it.

[brittone2]

Was the bad CS from Gliderrider.com or Puky, or both?
Gliderrider. Around the same time we ordered ours (almost 2 years ago now), several of us here had similar problems. H and I eventually got an apologetic phone call with various explanations of why they were having problems, and I posted a little explanation here (the situation seemed understandable...death/illness in family, etc.) However, if I recall correctly, quite a few more people here had similar issues down the road with them.

I actually contacted Puky directly via email about the problems I was having with the lack of customer service from the folks at gliderrider, since at that time I believe Gliderrider was the only US retailer of Puky bikes. Miraculously the phone call/apology from gliderrider happened only once I got in touch with Puky.

The Puky bike itself is great :)

[BeachBum]

My DS got his at about 2.5. He spent the first week or two "walking" while sitting on it. I talked to him about lifting up his feet, but then he finally "got it" while going down a slight incline in our alley way.

I would just let him experiment, but if he doesn't get it after some self exploration consider another route.

[o_mom]

Show him some videos or get together with that friend and the bikes. Also helps if you can go somewhere that is open, but with a slight grade so they can coast for a bit. It took DS1 forever to figure it out, but once he did he was zooming around. When we moved him up he was able to transition to a regular bike with no training wheels with only an hour practice.

[hellokitty]

I think it also depends on the child. My 4 yr old STILL is not interested in it. However, my 3 yr old seems to like it (although not making much progress). We have the target one and IMO it is really tall, which is one reason why my 4 yr old did not like it when I got it for him when he was 3, b/c he could not even sit on the seat w/o his feet dangling. Plus, some kids just aren't into bikes of any kind until they are much older.

[DrSally]

He'll get it. I would just let him sit on it and he'll start walking when he feels comfortable. It can take a few times.

[doberbrat]

my 3yo keeps complaining that daddy forgot to put the pedals on hers so some kids just might not like them...

[kcimato]

I bought the Strider balance bike for my grandson for his 3rd birthday at the end of June. He just walked around with it for a few days, then it clicked. My DD took him out everyday doing this. Then by the 3rd day he was a pro. To help him glide she took him where there was a slight incline and kept encouraging him to pull up his feet. When they are ready and comfortable they'll ride.

My DD just sent a video today of my grandson, who is now 3.5 riding a regular bike with no training wheels. He won it at a Xmas party and she immediately took of the training wheels.

So, just hang in there. This is a child who is very cautious and doesn't take to new challenges very well.