Using a balance bike

[milomama]

My son turned two a week ago and we got him a balance bike (Wishbone).  He was so excited, but everytime we take it out, he seems overwhelmed by it.  He straddles it and takes little walking steps, and doesn't know how to push with both feet.  He goes for a minute or two, gets frustrated, and wants to leave it and walk.

Is this a natural step in learning to use the bike?  Just hoping to hear a few other experiences on how kids pick up the balance bike...

[cyanviolet]

If you look in the balance bike vs. trike thread you'll see one mama basically describe the progression of learning to use the balance bikes after I commented that my little guy at 18 mo just got PO'd when he couldn't push his Wishbone (in trike configuration) from behind and now at 21 mo enjoys walking around with it between his legs and steering for 5 min or so at a time but doesn't actually ride it. It sounds like the little walking steps are pretty common and they slowly figure out how to actually "ride" in the seat. My neighbor says his son didn't get into really riding his until around 30 months.

We stopped taking it out on the sidewalk after a screaming fit about pushing it and not wanting us to steer that ended up in dog poop. Now we just let him toddle around in the fenced backyard on it for 5 min or so at a time and then he gets distracted and goes on to something else.

[JudiAU]

Yes, that is pretty common. Some kids have the coordination and others don't. (We have a wishbone too)