Kids nowadays are far more interested in watching TV than riding their bikes. Most kids will choose to watch TV over riding a bike. It is sad because you remember how freeing and adventurous riding a bike was. You want the same for your kids. To pick up their bike and roam around the neighborhood. It was an experience in itself. It provided kids a chance to meet new people, make friends, and have freedom.
Parents want nothing more than to engage their kids in physical activity. It can be through playing and riding their bike outside. If you want help encouraging your child to ride a bike, try the following tips.
Get them a bike that fits.
Finding a bike that is a good fit for your kid is essential. Some parents will ride a bike worth $5k but will not spend even half of the money on their kid’s bike. That’s not great. Saving money is one thing, but you cannot save money by buying them a bike from Walmart or another box store. Go to stores that sell bikes with your kid. Look for a bike of high quality that isn’t extremely heavy or has the wrong geometry. If it’s too heavy, the kid will be unable to even pick it up from the ground. How can you imagine them riding it? So, don’t save money on a bike. Otherwise, it will be sitting in your backyard, and the kid will not ride it.
Teach the kids how to.
Sometimes a kid may have an interest in sports, going out, or riding a bike. But they are not doing it simply because they don’t know how. No kid knows how to ride a bicycle, but some have a better handle on it. Some kids don’t. If your kid is admitting trouble, teach him how to ride and control his bike slowly. Some kids give up riding a bike because of a bad first experience. If this is the case, try to encourage your child to ride again. Promise them you will teach them slowly, so they have a good learning experience. Have patience, and your kid will learn to ride a bike gradually.
Get them cool accessories and clothes.
Make cycling fun for them by bringing them cool accessories. For instance, if a kid loves Marvel, get a helmet with the Marvel theme. When it comes to cycling clothing and apparel, get the best one that fits and has quality. Get them cool gloves and even customize their cycles as per taste. All this will encourage your child to ride a bike. Also, let them pick out these things. Involving them in such things makes them more excited about them.
Share your experiences
Motivating your child to ride a bike with your experiences may be effective. For example, share stories about how you and your friends used to ride together to a nearby garden. Also, talk to them about the benefits of cycling. These things may seem frivolous, but they can motivate them to ride a bike.
Select a destination
Don’t ask them to ride the bike with you. Give them a destination. For instance, ask them to cycle towards the ice cream shop or the garden. It will keep motivating them to ride even when they feel bored doing it.
Also, when choosing a path, choose a less crowded one. Thus, choosing one that is less busy helps you safely teach your kids to ride. If they see that the road is safe with fewer hurdles, it will instill confidence in them too.
Make cycling fun for them.
Kids get bored with things easily. Therefore, making things fun for them is necessary. The same is true for cycling. For example, you and your children could compete to see who can ride the longest distance. Or you can take them to a bike shop. With so much going on there, it is bound to interest them.
Slow and steady wins the race. Be patient while trying to encourage your kids to ride. It will take time, but you can do it. Once you do, you can hike together. Or go on thrilling rides around the park to have fun.
