Jonah and Isaac were both very early bikers- taking their training wheels off when they were barely 4 years old. I wondered how it would go for Daniel. He was much more timid and did NOT like the wobbling of the little bike with training wheels.
I started to notice that Daniel was running behind all the neighborhood boys as they rode their bikes. It seemed so sad. I really put a lot of effort into teaching Daniel to ride. But he hated it and my back hated it. I wasn searching around online one day and came across a product called a Balance Bike. Long story short- it's the greatest invention ever! I wish I had discovered these when he was 3! They are quite small and have no pedals. The point is that kids can push with their feet and place their feet on pegs as they get better at balancing! A bonus for someone Daniel's age (he'll be 6 in a few months) is that he doesn't have the stigma of training wheels. We have just started riding bikes again (in Texas we don't ride in the summer or fall- too HOT) and he is doing great! Miles ahead of where we were last year when he completely refused to get on a bike. I'm hoping he'll transition to a bike with pedals in the next few months and then I will have the balance bike for Lucy!
FYI I chose the PV Mini glider, found here. A little pricey but I think they resell well and if you have more kids on the way they can be passed down!
PS: My good buddy Heidi reminded me that you can make your own balance bike too. There are instructions online for building a wooden bike if you're inclined or, you could just remove the pedals and chain from a small child's bike.
