When they decide that they're ready...they do it

[Zak33]

Kids.....kids....the old adage that "when they're ready....they'll do it" seems to be more and more true as mine gets older.

At 5 I bought him a new bike and for approaching 3 years....he's used a succession of scooters and hated his bike.

Stabilisers came off last year as they made things worse and a balance bar added to the rear axle....I could run with him riding and keep him upright.

Still...no.interest.

Then...at easter...the last two days of his holiday before going back yo school he told my wife while I was at work "Daddy always says you can do anything if you want too. I want to learn to ride my bike today!"

And he did! In less than an hour!!!

I got home...wife smiling like the lottery lorry had just filled the garden with rolls of 50's and off he went up the street!!

By now of course the bikes saddle and handlebars were at maximum extension and it was still too small....

And so now he has a shiny new 6 speed crossover.

Gets used every day that he gets a sniff of a chance to ride.

His decision....over three,years of trying to get him even near a bike.....

When they're ready....they're ready!!!

[Ferral]

Oh yeah, and then some

With my youngest (son 13 going 14 in a few weeks) he is now going through a disruptive type phase, this age they tend to be discovering themselves and kind of want independence but at the same time need you there as backup if things go awry.

[DanceswithUnix]

I had much the same. I wish I had known about balance bikes, that would have been far more useful than the bike with stabilizers that both kids started out with and I think they would have both make far more use of one at an early age.

My son still doesn't see the point in gears, despite living on a hill, he just leaves the bike in second. But when he is ready...

[scaryjim]

It's true up to a point, although sometimes you have to give them a push

Got my stepson a lovely bike a couple of summers ago, and he used it maybe once or twice in a year. Then last summer we got sick of him lazing around the house so we took his keys off him and told him he had to be out of the house while we were at work, so he took to getting his bike out and pootling around. Barely been able to get him off his bike since

[Ttaskmaster]

The Ttaskmother will happily tell you about how long she spent hassling me to get a car... Her ultimate play was to explain how girls love a grown-up guy with his own car and it's going to be a serious embarrassment if I can't even pick her up for a date.

As it happened, I was far more interested in the working of the new Glock pistols and my career in maintaining them, than the unstable emotions of womenfolk. However, in due time I did indeed get a driving licence and am now happily married to a woman I regularly pick up to take out on dates and the like... but much to the sheer horror and disgust of the Ttaskmother, I ride a motorcycle instead, ha ha!!!

[vicar]

And a big well done to the wife who did all the hard work and taught him to ride in an afternoon .

That's the joy of being a daddy Zak33 and to many more happy memories to come.

[Zak33]

And a big well done to the wife who did all the hard work and taught him to ride in an afternoon .

.

I told her that... it's a line on a CV that.... taught an 8 year old how to ride in 2 hours!