{"id":1620,"date":"2020-06-08T09:15:26","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T09:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?p=1620"},"modified":"2020-06-08T09:15:26","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T09:15:26","slug":"how-to-get-your-child-interested-in-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2020\/06\/08\/how-to-get-your-child-interested-in-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Your Child Interested in Cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no doubt that cycling is a great activity for people of all ages and at We Love Cycling,<\/strong>
\nwe firmly believe that teaching someone to ride a bike is among the most virtuous pursuits a<\/strong>
\nperson can engage in. Many parents, guardians, and older siblings relish the idea of going for a<\/strong>
\nbike ride with the child in their life and wait eagerly for the youngster to achieve two-wheeled<\/strong>
\nindependence. This also means they can feel frustrated, confused, or even hurt if the kid<\/strong>
\nexpresses resistance or disinterest in the activity. Generally remembered as a joyful rite of<\/strong>
\npassage, it can be hard for seasoned cyclists to forget the stress and anxiety that were part of<\/strong>
\nlearning to ride a bike and heading out for those first few rides.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a normal part of trying something new though, and any adult who came to cycling later in
\nlife will be all too familiar with the feeling. Luckily, this apprehension can usually be overcome
\nusing a few best practices and with a little bit of patience. If you\u2019re struggling to get your child
\ninterested in riding a bike, here are a few tips and strategies to help.<\/p>\n

Set up for success<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re teaching a child to ride a bike or heading out on one of their first longer
\njourneys, it is important to do everything in your power to make them feel safe and comfortable.
\nThis means avoiding streets in favour of trails or parks and making sure you\u2019ve established some
\nclear ground rules about what they can expect. If your child isn\u2019t comfortable on streets or wants
\nto avoid even small hills, be patient at first. It doesn\u2019t mean they won\u2019t overcome their fears and
\nyou\u2019re not enabling bad habits by accommodating them.
\nMake sure they have a bike that fits or is even a little bit on the small side. Ideally, the child\u2019s
\nfeet should be able to plant firmly on the ground when they\u2019re sitting on the seat at its lowest
\nsetting. Make sure to have snacks, water, or anything else they might ask for on hand. Be
\nprepared for things to take a bit longer than expected and make sure you\u2019re not in any kind of
\nrush.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Pick the right time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Speaking of having snacks on hand, make sure everyone is fed and well-rested when you head
\nout to ride. Pick strategic times not immediately following a meal, but when you know your child
\nhas had a chance to rest and refuel from their last activity. If they seem to be tired or just having
\nan off day, don\u2019t force it. Having a bad experience off the bat will make it much harder to
\nencourage them later. Kids have a tendency to believe that if they\u2019re \u201cnaturally\u201d good at
\nsomething, it should be a breeze from the start. You have to show them that just because they
\nfind cycling daunting, it doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t cut out for it. That being said, they\u2019re only
\ngoing to tolerate so much discomfort at a time, so choose your timely wisely.<\/p>\n

Stay positive and set realistic expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When riding a bike feels just as natural to you as walking, it can be hard to remember what it felt
\nlike during those first few shaky rides. Take a moment to remind yourself to be patient and<\/p>\n

gentle and that the whole purpose of this activity is to cultivate confidence and independence in
\nyour child. It\u2019s important to provide direction and encouragement, but make sure you keep your
\nvoice assured and positive. Tell them in advance that if you do raise your voice, it is only so that
\nthey can hear you, and it is not the same as yelling.<\/p>\n

Let them know you are proud of them for trying something new and that you understand it can
\nbe a challenge. Don\u2019t discount their apprehension by simply repeating that riding a bike is \u201cfun\u201d
\nand \u201ceasy.\u201d Learning to ride a bike can be hard. Acknowledge that their fears are real but assure
\nthem you\u2019re there to help and support, and that the struggle will be worth it once they get the
\nhang of things.<\/p>\n

Focus on what really matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In order to successfully persuade your child to give cycling a chance, and ultimately facilitate the
\ndevelopment of a healthy approach to the activity, it is important to focus on the right aspects of
\nwhat riding a bike has to offer. If you regularly compete, or are a goal-oriented cyclist, it might
\nbe natural for you to focus on the challenging and competitive side of the sport. Although this
\ncould be something your child also learns to enjoy later, it is important that in the beginning you
\nfocus on things like discovery, friendship, and fun. Tell them about all the cool things you\u2019ve
\nseen while riding your bike, or the friends you\u2019ve made on group rides or at events.
\nDon\u2019t make a chore out of it<\/p>\n

Finally, it is important to remember that you want cycling to be something your child truly
\nenjoys and will end up pursuing on their own accord. If they feel like it\u2019s something they\u2019re
\nrequired to do, they\u2019ll have less of a chance of developing a real passion for it. Above all else, do
\nwhat you can to make sure they\u2019re having fun. Keep in mind that every child learns at different
\nrates and your job is to make them feel good about trying \u2013 celebrate effort over success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no doubt that cycling is a great activity for people of all ages and at We Love Cycling, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":1635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-1620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mostly-for-fun"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Get Your Child Interested in Cycling - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2020\/06\/08\/how-to-get-your-child-interested-in-cycling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Get Your Child Interested in Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There\u2019s no doubt that cycling is a great activity for people of all ages and at We Love Cycling, we […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2020\/06\/08\/how-to-get-your-child-interested-in-cycling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - 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