Helping a 7 1/2 year old with low tone and poor balance ride a bike?

[MorgnsGrl]

DH is gone a great deal of the time, so if there's any chance of DS learning to ride his bike, it'll have to be with me, but I feel like there are so many challenges that so far I haven't tried.

Our street is narrow and hilly, so not a great environment for learning. I don't have the physical strength to lift the bike into the car to take it elsewhere (there must be SOMEWHERE around here kids can bike). The bike has training wheels, but they aren't enough to keep DS upright if he makes a quick turn (which happens often because his balance is poor), so on the rare occasion when DH helps him ride, DH holds the seat of the bike with one hand to help steady it, but I don't have the strength to do that, either. (DS is 4 ft tall and weighs almost 70 lbs.)

Given these stipulations, does anyone have any suggestions? Should we get a different bike, smaller, with really sturdy training wheels? DH is INSISTENT that DS "has to" learn or he'll be the only kid not riding a bike, but DS is 1) not all that interested and 2) not very physically able, so it's extra hard.

[gfrach]

My husband took C and really forced the issue with him until he was competent enough that *he* felt better about it and then he completely dropped it and gave C no practice at all. :-( I was *not* happy about that.

Now, my own issues aside, the best suggestions I've ever seen for learning how to ride a bike are to get a bike with hand brakes, remove the pedals, and lower the seat until the kid's feet can be flat on the ground. Then they can propel themselves with their feet, use the handbrakes *and* the feet if they need to stop, and start slowly. Oh, and it said to do this on a gently sloped area, too, so they can use the downhill part to help them get going.

Good luck!!

[hamamelis]

Do you have a bike Amy? I wonder if a trail-a bike setup would be something that would work well for him.

As a reassuring note- DD's friend (turning 9 in Sept) just figured out how to do it a couple of months ago. Her parents didn't pressure her and she got it when she was developmentally ready. I'm giving your DH a bop because D will get it when he's ready.

[MorgnsGrl]

Do you have a bike Amy? I wonder if a trail-a bike setup would be something that would work well for him.

As a reassuring note- DD's friend (turning 9 in Sept) just figured out how to do it a couple of months ago. Her parents didn't pressure her and she got it when she was developmentally ready. I'm giving your DH a bop because D will get it when he's ready.

I don't have one, but have been looking around for a fairly cheap one second hand. My own balance is pretty shaky these days and I'm not sure if I'll hop right on like it hasn't been years since I rode one or if it'll be a disaster waiting to happen, so I don't want to spend a lot of money! But that's a great idea, thanks.

My brother did not learn to ride a bike until he was in his 20s -- his wife taught him! He was a very athletic kid, too, so it's not like he had the same challenges DS has. I suspect he didn't like doing things he wasn't good at, and he didn't master it IMMEDIATELY on trying, so gave up and didn't want to try again for years. As an adult he picked it up right away, though.

[Jill]

DH is gone a great deal of the time, so if there's any chance of DS learning to ride his bike, it'll have to be with me, but I feel like there are so many challenges that so far I haven't tried.

Our street is narrow and hilly, so not a great environment for learning. I don't have the physical strength to lift the bike into the car to take it elsewhere (there must be SOMEWHERE around here kids can bike). The bike has training wheels, but they aren't enough to keep DS upright if he makes a quick turn (which happens often because his balance is poor), so on the rare occasion when DH helps him ride, DH holds the seat of the bike with one hand to help steady it, but I don't have the strength to do that, either. (DS is 4 ft tall and weighs almost 70 lbs.)

Given these stipulations, does anyone have any suggestions? Should we get a different bike, smaller, with really sturdy training wheels? DH is INSISTENT that DS "has to" learn or he'll be the only kid not riding a bike, but DS is 1) not all that interested and 2) not very physically able, so it's extra hard.

Drew and Em still don't ride reliably without training wheels yet but both of them HAVE done it and CAN do it....
our PT told us to get the smallest two wheeler we could find that would hold their weight and put the seat low enough that their legs were right at the ground and give them a push in the grass.
We did it, after much protest I admit - but there was no trauma, as all they had to do was put their legs down, which both of them figured out right away. They both ended up loving that but when we switched to their proper sized bikes, Drew was fine until the next day when he wanted the training wheels back on, and Em refused to even try.
We're going to send them to that bike camp they do here for special needs kids next year if they haven't mastered it by then.
It's tough - good luck!

[jerzymama]

Drew and Em still don't ride reliably without training wheels yet but both of them HAVE done it and CAN do it....
our PT told us to get the smallest two wheeler we could find that would hold their weight and put the seat low enough that their legs were right at the ground and give them a push in the grass.
We did it, after much protest I admit - but there was no trauma, as all they had to do was put their legs down, which both of them figured out right away. They both ended up loving that but when we switched to their proper sized bikes, Drew was fine until the next day when he wanted the training wheels back on, and Em refused to even try.
We're going to send them to that bike camp they do here for special needs kids next year if they haven't mastered it by then.
It's tough - good luck!

I have to be honest, I don't actually remember how DD learned to ride -

But IIRC, you actually take the pedals off the bike and lower the seat so that their feet are comfortably flat on the ground when they sit. Then they push off with their feet so that instead of pedalling, they're coasting along - but can easily regain control if they start to tip over. Then once they have the balance/coasting thing - you add in pedalling.

[riversprite]

Do you have a bike Amy? I wonder if a trail-a bike setup would be something that would work well for him.

As a reassuring note- DD's friend (turning 9 in Sept) just figured out how to do it a couple of months ago. Her parents didn't pressure her and she got it when she was developmentally ready. I'm giving your DH a bop because D will get it when he's ready.

On that note, Maia just learned to ride a bike without training wheels this April when she was (is!) 9.5yrs old.

She has never had good balance and found riding with training wheels terrifying because of that.
We took them off and I took her to a big field that is beside my house. I held onto the handle bars and told her to just pedal as if she were doing it alone. I steered her all the way around the field and she just got the feel of it. I promised her that I would NOT let go. :-)
A few days after this she just got on it and rode.
This is from the girl who said that she could NEVER do it.
I think that the wobbling back and forth on the training wheels was *worse* for her than getting the feel of it without them.

[Sherri]

I'm unclear whether you are trying to get him to ride with or without training wheels. It sounds like he has trouble with the training wheels on, and I'm wondering if he has had any physical therapy?

I probably can't help with the two wheeling lessons, even though I've been very successful with it, because my method is very hard on the adult. I actually support them the whole time, by the seat with DS and the upper body for DD and gradually move my hands further out, but it's a lot of near running while hunched over and straddling the back wheel of the bike! Both my kids also really did want to learn.

Sherri

[lunita]

Yeah, Amanda learned last summer at 8.5, but she hasn't really ridden since so I'm not sure if she'd remember?

We took her to the local Jr. high and I ran along with her on the blacktop around the basketball hoops. It was safe from scrutiny of neighbors who might think it was funny that my "big" girl hadn't learned yet, and it really clicked quickly once she put her mind to it.

I haven't even tried to teach my Maia (she'll be six in August.) The last time she tried to ride with training wheels she struggled with coordinating the pedaling.

[Purple]

Most kids in our neighborhood ride scooters or rollerblades so we got Jake a scooter. After several months of riding that he decided to pull out his old bike he was never interested in (understatement!) and try it out. He literally started riding in 30 minutes. I couldn't figure it out until John pointed out that he got tons of balancing practice on the scooter so the bike wasn't scary anymore.

[Hawthorne]

Most kids in our neighborhood ride scooters or rollerblades so we got Jake a scooter. After several months of riding that he decided to pull out his old bike he was never interested in (understatement!) and try it out. He literally started riding in 30 minutes. I couldn't figure it out until John pointed out that he got tons of balancing practice on the scooter so the bike wasn't scary anymore.

THAT is an excellent idea. I'd been considering a scooter for the kids, but now I'm going to prioritize it. Lily isn't able to ride her bike without training wheels yet and we were going to start working on it this summer. (she has a new to her bike, new helmet, new basket, and when we went to fill the tires with the air compressor, the inner tubes blew! lol oops)

[lunita]

My parents bought my little brother a scooter when he was about 8 because he had trouble with balance/coordination. It's a very fun way to develop that skill. :)

[hamamelis]

Oh the scooter is a great idea! DH has this book called aptly, the encyclopedia (it's about bikes) and there's this cute little German one called "like a bike". It's wood and has no pedals. I believe the premise of the design is to help young kids get used to balancing and the feel for riding, before introducing pedals.

[Sue]

Elizabeth is 9 and *just* learning this year. LOL! It never even dawned on me she might be late until a mom told me "I know it's on the latesid but A----- just learned to ride his bike) and he is a year younger than Elizabeth LOL! But we do not live in a neighborhood where it is safe for kids to be riding bikes (actually I think on this part of the hill even experienced racers have difficulties) so I have no idea what other kids are doing.

[Sue]

the best suggestions I've ever seen for learning how to ride a bike are to get a bike with hand brakes, remove the pedals, and lower the seat until the kid's feet can be flat on the ground. Then they can propel themselves with their feet, use the handbrakes *and* the feet if they need to stop, and start slowly. Oh, and it said to do this on a gently sloped area, too, so they can use the downhill part to help them get going.

Good luck!!

We don't have a handbrake on Elizabeth's bike, but I think this is a FANTASTIC idea. I hope her pedals come off easily.

[anastasia]

Most kids in our neighborhood ride scooters or rollerblades so we got Jake a scooter. After several months of riding that he decided to pull out his old bike he was never interested in (understatement!) and try it out. He literally started riding in 30 minutes. I couldn't figure it out until John pointed out that he got tons of balancing practice on the scooter so the bike wasn't scary anymore.

Similar process with Michael. He hadn't wanted to keep trying w/o training wheels, but he got a scooter and learned very quickly to balance on that. Then a few weeks later he got on his bike and rode. Actually, Natalie talked him into trying it and helped him, and I found out when she ran into the house calling me to come watch Michael ride his bike! :thumbsup:

[Kathy]

Similar process with Michael. He hadn't wanted to keep trying w/o training wheels, but he got a scooter and learned very quickly to balance on that. Then a few weeks later he got on his bike and rode. Actually, Natalie talked him into trying it and helped him, and I found out when she ran into the house calling me to come watch Michael ride his bike! :thumbsup:

This is what happened with Arden, too. He was scared to try his bike without training wheels (even though honestly, he probably could have done it), but loved using the scooter. Soon his balance was great and he figured out his bike without training wheels in literally minutes. He was so much more confident once he saw that he could balance well with the scooter.

[BlueMama]

My ds has the same issues (hypotonia) and I was able to teach him with a 12" bike (he looked funny, but it's SOOOO much easier to balance a tiny bike) and *take off the trainers!* My ds easily relied on the trainers and couldn't figure out how to balance the bike as long as the trainer was available. Keep the seat as low as possible so that he can touch the ground easily, then just encourage him to "walk the bike". Don't worry about pedaling it. Just walk the bike and walk it, walk it, walk it... then push off and catch yourself, then once he can balance the bike and hold his feet up - then work on the pedal motion. Mostly it's a matter of playing and getting comfortable with the balance.