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My three year old son can ride his bike with no training wheels


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Is that normal?

 

I mean, I know it's not *normal*, but what does it mean?

 

My DS6 learned without training wheels a few weeks ago. DS6 is doing great. He wanted little brother to be able to take his training wheels off, too.

 

Well, I know my boys, and I just *knew* DS3 would be able to do it. I mean, two months ago, the boy hopped on a scooter for the first time, and it was like he always knew how to ride. That's just his 'thing', I guess. DS3 is good at physical stuff. His nickname is Moose. :001_smile:

 

Any suggestions as to how to foster this strange love/abilitly of scootering/biking in DS3? I mean, what do I do with this, um, talent? :D

 

 

ETA: If it makes any difference, DS3 is three and a half years old. Not 'just three' or 'almost four', he's smack in the middle.

Edited by bethanyniez
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I suspect that is a great accomplishment for a 3 yo. My oldest started at 5.5 and my middle guy started on his 4th birthday. It will be fascinating to see when 2.5 yo (who just figured out the bike with training wheels) gives it a go. I totally get the 'doing what big brother is doing' thing. :)

 

An idea for adding physical challenges: do you have room to set up an obstacle course for him? A teeter totter board (we just put a long board over a stump laid on its side) to walk along (or a 'balance beam'), something to tunnel through, tree stumps at various heights to step on, tires or hula hoops to place feet in, something to jump over, etc. I think this is a great idea for boys to get some energy out and develop coordination. They have fun coming up with ideas for the obstacle course, too!

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Well, the next step is a dirt bike. When my son raced, they had classes for 4-6 year olds---out riding tiny little dirt bikes with no training wheels.

 

Then you can graduate to the big boy bikes like my son rides. Scares me to death. He is 21 but has a cognitive impairment and mild CP with fetal alcohol but boy can that boy ride......and jump on a dirt bike.

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Is that normal?

 

I mean, I know it's not *normal*, but what does it mean?

 

My DS6 learned without training wheels a few weeks ago. DS6 is doing great. He wanted little brother to be able to take his training wheels off, too.

 

Well, I know my boys, and I just *knew* DS3 would be able to do it. I mean, two months ago, the boy hopped on a scooter for the first time, and it was like he always knew how to ride. That's just his 'thing', I guess. DS3 is good a physical stuff. His nickname is Moose. :001_smile:

 

I think most 3-yo could learn to ride a 2-wheeler, if they would just take off the dang training wheels and practice scootering along first.

 

However, if your 3-yo picked it up so quickly, yes he is talented! Obviously athletic, good balance and kinesthetic awareness. Keep him challenged in sports, and talk to him about what sounds like fun! Dirtbiking, skiing, gymnastics would all be good for him (off the top of my head.)

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Wow! Great job! He has great, natural balance. He should be good at lots of sports. My son taught himself in 10 minutes at age 4 and by the end of the day was standing on his seat riding down hill! ( with mom screaming at him to stop!, Yup, he got stitches when he crashed into his friend.)

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Terrific!

 

We had a friend whose son also rode a two-wheeler at age 3, but he did not figure out how to use the brakes (or was scared to do so). It was so funny to see his acrobatics - when he was done riding, he'd just swing one leg over and hop off the still-moving bike, letting it "park" itself!

 

Good job by your little one, I think he's gifted!

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Yeah, dh says he's gonna build a ramp for the boys to bike off of. I dunno. Sounds a bit risky to me. :001_smile: But I'm sure they'll love it. With their helmets on, of course. It's just really neat. I was just outside, watching him pedal around. He can even start by himself. It's like he has no idea that he 'shouldn't' be able to, ya know?

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I doubt it means much but it's always neat when they learn :) Average age is 7, so 3 is pretty early. Though my kids learned early (took training wheels off of dd's bike on 3rd bday; ds had training wheels bent all the way up by 4 but took another year to just remove them), I'm not so sure that most 3-5yos could learn to ride without training wheels. Maybe with other support skills also (thinking about Doman's physical superb program though I am kinda limited in my knowledge of it).

 

Regardless, it's neat at 3 or 7 or 10 :)

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I've never heard of one so young being able to do that!! He does have a special talent and I would run with it in life and just see where it leads him. Expose him to a variety of sports, see where he might have a special interest, and then perhaps pursue it a bit more than you would for an average dc. We often here stories like this from our great sports figures. Didn't Tiger Woods show special talent like this by just the age of 2?

 

Anyway, that's very very cool! :cool:

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I think they sometimes learn eaiser at the age of 3-4 because they don't have as much fear. I have lived in level cul-de-sac neighborhoods for 15 years and see alot of 3-4 yo's riding bikes and scooters that no one would have dreamed they could ride. They are still used to falling at that age and don't have as much fear as a 6yo (or as much distance to fall :0) )Sometimes, I think it is just a matter of getting one that would fit their size for them to take off on it...and for the parent to be willing to take off the training wheels.

 

Ds took off on his bike at 4yo and never stopped for a second. He just got it and never had any fears riding his bike. This was his one early achievment, he wasn't physically gifted in any other sport until he was 10 and started swimming. Dd10 learned around age 5yo. Dd2.5 has been riding a scooter since she was 2.0. She begggggggs to ride a bike, but our little 2 wheeled bike is about 2inches too big for her, so she has to keep the training wheels on for now to keep her upright.

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That's very unusual, but not off the charts. Usually there are one or two kids (usually boys) in the 3 yr old room at the preschool I work at who can do that. But it definitely signifies some athletic talent!

 

Could he do gymnastics? A trampoline with netting? Build him a balance beam and a teeter totter with a 2x4 and some sort of fulcrum! Take him to the playground a lot and get him to climb climb climb. Have fun!

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Mine was riding without training wheels at 2 years and 9 months and he has always been quick to accomplish things involving movement. He loves to play sports and plays hard with his friends. He is the one who does "tricks" on his bike, rode a skateboard and did tricks at five, etc...

 

My only advice is... Get him a good helmet. This kid is the only one I ever had who actually wrecked his bike and CRACKED his helmet. Walked away from the wreck, though!

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Okay, not to be a killjoy, but.....

 

My daughter, who took the training wheels off at exactly 3, is NOT physically super-capable. She walked early, biked early, but wasn't extra capable on the playground, much less with sports or what have you. In fact, I would guess she's generally been LESS capable than most children.

 

So you might not push him to be an Olympian based on this.

 

Just whatever happens will. And it'll be fine :)

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My older dd is the same way. She got a bike when she turned 4. We skipped the training wheels, and she learned in a couple of days. She LOVES gymnastics. It's a great foundation sport for everything else. She's learning so quickly, and it gives her new challenges all the time (which she craves).

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My daughter was the same--she swam quite young; she could skip and pump her legs on the swings way earlier than developmentally average; she rode a 2-wheeler at 3 . . .. She's just really coordinated and "gets" very quickly how to move her body the way she's instructed. It's no big deal.

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My son rode without training wheels at 2!! He turned 3 in May and he started in March. I have it on videotape bc NOONE believes me now :). He is now 8 and is super athletic! :D

 

 

 

Same with mine...... well, he was 3 when he could ride without training wheels.......... but he is incredibly athletic and has a great sense of where he is in space (if that makes sense). He never ceases to amaze me!! (and scare the crap out of me every now and then!):lol:

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Okay, not to be a killjoy, but.....

 

My daughter, who took the training wheels off at exactly 3, is NOT physically super-capable. She walked early, biked early, but wasn't extra capable on the playground, much less with sports or what have you. In fact, I would guess she's generally been LESS capable than most children.

 

So you might not push him to be an Olympian based on this.

 

Just whatever happens will. And it'll be fine :)

 

Ditto. My older two rode without training wheels between 3.75 and 4.0 years of age. The younger of the two IS pretty fearless when it comes to physical skills, but she's not physically advanced. She's just about average when it comes to sports. (She'll climb 30 ft into a tree, though, and give mother heart attacks! Not really my favorite personality trait!) The older one is actually physically awkward, doesn't like to take physical risks at all, and has always had an awkward running gait/gross motor skills issues.

 

It's been my experience that most 3-4 olds can easily learn to ride without training wheels. As soon as my kids showed that it could be done, suddenly every 3-4 year old child in my suburban neighborhood was doing it (and I did not teach them). Before we moved in, our child-filled community had never experienced that. I think kids (and parents) just need to see that it really can be done. In many cases I think older kids and parents have a mental block against the idea... fear of falling, etc.

 

IMHO the big deal is that your young one sees that whatever big brother does, he can do, too. And that is awesome! Sounds like he will have a lot of confidence and be the type of person who is willing to try new things easily. Go him!

 

It certainly IS something to see such little ones whipping around on a two-wheeler, isn't it?! They're just too amazing!

Edited by zaichiki
eek - spelling!
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My ds learned to ride his bike at 3yo also. At 4yo he was jumping the curbs in the neighborhood. One day (at about 4 1/2) he was showing off for his uncle, not watching where he was going, jumped and landed wrong. Major wipe-out! He was wearing a helmet, but got major road burns on his arms, chest and stomach. Poor baby. He had a lot more respect for his bike after that, and wasn't as interested in jumping. He's still a good rider.

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I am not sure early physical development ultimately "means" anything, at least it hasn't here. My oldest walked at 7 months, and by 10 months was running through the mall and jumping off things and whatnot. Yet, her sister, who walked at the much more normal age of 10 months, is far more physically talented now. My oldest has more physical ability than say, ME, but it never translated into being coordinated or strong or fast in anything but a pretty average way.

 

I too think training wheels mess them up, balance wise.

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Both my girl and boy plus my nephew and the boy across the street could all ride at 3 years old! I didn't realize that that was not normal and I never thought to look it up. :lol:

 

I thought my niece who is 6 1/2 was waaaay behind because she doesn't get the opportunity to ride bikes. My kids ride every single day, weather permitting.

 

BTW, my children are not very athletic at all. My son has been hating almost every sport I try him in (flag football, t-ball, soccer). My daughter loves dance and likes T-ball but doesn't show any huge talent. hmmm, well they both pumped the swings pretty early too. Maybe these things are just from being outside so much, IDK.

Edited by Jumping In Puddles
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