********* Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 (edited) 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 July 14, 2009 by bethanyniez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Great Job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUV2EDU Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 :party::willy_nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 That's not "normal" -- it's very advanced. Good for your DS. He must be gifted with incredible balance :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vkay Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Very impressive! Mine didn't ride without training wheels until 7 and 6. We've been impressed that our 2 year old can actually peddle a trike...since the older two couldn't do that at 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirtymomma Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwimmyKids Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wilhelm Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) 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 July 15, 2009 by zaichiki eek - spelling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Is that normal? I mean, I know it's not *normal*, but what does it mean? . It means having a wheeled item of some sort and a helmet in every car and on every porch :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camibami Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) 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 July 15, 2009 by Jumping In Puddles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetpeach Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I have a professional opinion about the meaning behind your 3 year old riding his bike independantly, no training wheels and no Mom & Dad! He's a . . . ***SUPERSTAR*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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