The Essential Skill Parents Want Their Child To Learn This Summer

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Learn To Cycle Without Sidewheels

Cycling down the slopes with the wind in your hair while you laugh aloud with their friends is something we all want to see our kids doing. So this summer if you are planning to finally ditch those side wheels because your child is ready for the big boy/girl cycle then here is all you need to know. 

Time For Wheels Off

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• Once she got the hang of manoeuvring, gliding, balancing and learning how to use the brake while on the 'scooter', it was time for the support wheels to come off.
• The first thing my husband did was to lower the seat so that her feet touched the ground.
• We let her cycle with the training wheels for a few days to get used to the handles, the seat, the feel of the pedals and the brakes. She wanted the trainer wheels off.
• Once she was comfortable with the speed and brakes, we raised the seat to a comfortable level. She couldn't cycle if her feet were sweeping the ground.
• Then a few days later, we took off both the side wheels. I won't say it was instant and that she immediately took off into the sunset on two wheels. She faltered a bit and I held the back of the cycle to support him. But her time on the balance bike had improved her concentration and balancing skills. After a few false starts, she finally figured out how to keep her balance. The joy on her face was awesome.
• You could also try removing the pedals of the cycle and let the child move using his/feet. That would also give them a feel of the cycle and get them into the habit of moving their feet fast. Once they get used to that, then put the pedals back on. If you don't want to go through a pedal off on situation, you could alternatively invest in a balance bike. There are quite a few available in the market nowadays.

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Things You Should Remember

• Carry out this exercise on a flat stretch of road. Make sure they're comfortable being on the road with the little speed bumps.
• Make sure you go over all the safety instructions with them before they head out.
• The key is repetition. Practice for at least 10-15 minutes every day initially.

Now every day, the moment the sun goes down in the evening, the brother and sister pick up their bottles of water, strap it to the back of their cycles and take off around the colony. There's a mini cycling club with all the kids whizzing around and it's a pleasure to watch them have so much fun.

Image source: cbc.ca