[LuxPerpetua]

This is kind of grating on me right now . . . we live in a nice apartment complex but it doesn't have very many sidewalks and there are lots of large parking lots and a street that runs through it. My mother keeps hinting that dd (age 3) should have a bike. I don't really see the point, I guess. There just are not a lot of places for her to ride one, and she has shown no interest. I don't want to spend a lot of $ for something that's big and takes up a lot of storage space, not to mention I don't want to haul dd AND her bike up 3 flights of stairs. My mother seems shocked because at her age I was riding a bike with training wheels, but life is just different for us. We plan on buying a house when she's older and I figure that if she wants a bike she can learn then. But a lot of moms I know of 3 year olds are all buying bikes for their kids this year, and a part of me is just wondering if my child is going to miss out on some important gross motor development or something. What is this obsession with getting a toddler on wheels??? Am I making a mistake by not getting dd a bike now? Is riding a bike really an essential life skill? Everyone seems to thinks so, and I'm baffled. Thoughts?

 

[GuildJenn]

We have a trike for my son not a bike, so we're sort of resisting the two-wheel trend. I think if this is not your year for it, then it's not.

That said, I do think riding a bike is a big life skill and it does get embarassing for the kids later on. My nephew had trouble at 7 learning to ride a bike (and 6, and starting at 5) and it turned out to be partly a serious vision problem. He was so ashamed and embarassed about it and it was very hard on him. There are bike parties, etc.

 

[Boot]

I do think every child should learn to ride a bike eventually but 3 is very young. Have you considered a balance bike? Of course you would still need somewhere to ride it so if that's really a deal breaker I would leave it for now and plan on getting her one when you move.

 

[UUMom]

All of us have our own bikes. If you live in a city, I think it's a very efficient & cheap way to get around. If you live in a more suburban area, bikes are fun on the more quiet streets, or to get to the library etc., depending on where you live. Some places have bike baths on the road and some don't.

I would say your kid doesn't need a bike if he doesn't want one.

We have a bike rack on our car, which helps if you live in a area that is bad for kids and bikes.

Bikes can be pretty cool (for those who want one, of course).

 

[*Erin*]

my dd had a trike at 3, and rode that until she was almost 5, and we got her a bike. i think a trike is super fun for a little one, dd adored hers. we lived in an apt and she mustve ridden a million miles on the paths and sidewalks there. i do think knowing how to ride a bike is a neat thing to know. my brother never learned until he was a teenager, like, late teens, and he busted himself up pretty good a bunch before he got it. i think it's easier to learn when your littler.
your LO will survive without one at this point, though

 

[karne]

If I think about this through the eyes of my kids, bike riding is pretty important. The first time riding withouit training wheels was a really big deal for them. it's not only a skill, but a certain level of independence.

However, age three...you could wait a bit if your dd isn't expressing interest. The thing is, many kids at that age have a big interest in ride on toys and bikes. If you want to go that route, perhaps check out Craig's List or Freecycle.

 

[NishaG]

I agree, at 3 is not necessary. A trike, maybe. However, I just got a great nearly-new 20" bike for my 5 y.o. at a garage sale this AM for $5!!! You could try that route, or craigslist when the time is right.

 

[bremen]

does your mom live in a house in an area with sidewalks?
suggest that she get DD a bike to keep at grandma's, and they can ride together.

 

[Sharlla]

Ds2 has a trike, he just rides it in his dad's house.

 

[LuxPerpetua]

My parents actually live in the same apts. we do (we each have 1 car, so we needed to be able to walk to their house). DD just is very much uninterested in riding anything at the moment. I've actually tried her out a few times, and no luck, so maybe we'll wait and see for next year. Does she have to start on a trike or can she just start with a bike at age 5-ish?

 

[shayinme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuxPerpetua Am I making a mistake by not getting dd a bike now? Is riding a bike really an essential life skill? Everyone seems to thinks so, and I'm baffled. Thoughts?

Well I am 36 years old and can't ride a bike. My folks never got me one so I never learned as a child and its a tad hard to do as an adult. I really wish I could ride because there are so many places in my area that while not quite walkable would be totally doable on a bike. In fact I have been trying to locate a class for adults who can't ride but at least in my area there aren't any...so yeah I think riding a bike is a pretty useful life skill to have. Maybe not at 3 but definitely early on.

Shay

 

[lilyka]

most kids start riding a bike without training wheels around the age of five. I wouldn't worry about it though. I do think kids need bikes. maybe if your mom thinks it is so important she can buy one and store it at her house for dd to play with there.

 

[LilMama23]

My DD rides a bike with training wheels, and she's the same age as Cecily. However, we lived in a neighborhood with sidewalks where all of the kids ride bikes together frequently. We just moved cross-country to an apartment complex that is similar to yours, and we don't think it will be possible or safe for her to ride a bike here.

 

[Storm Bride]

I think bikes are really cool, and it's great to learn to ride one.

That said, I didn't learn until I was 11 or 12. I then used my bike riding skills a lot, for the next couple of years, as I had a large paper route. DS1 learned at...6 or 7. DD partly got the hang of it last year, but still uses training wheels (we can't convince her to take them off). She's almost 6.

I didn't mind not being able to ride until I was about 10 or 11, then it started to bother me a little. Before that, it was no big deal. I like to walk.

I don't think there's any need to get a bike for a kid who isn't interested, though...especially at the age of 3.

 

[LynnS6]

Yes, every child should have a bike -- sometime.

But a 3 year old does not need a bike. A trike would be nice, so she can learn to pedal, but I'm a firm believer in going straight to a bike rather than doing training wheels. So, why buy a child something that's heavy, tippy and not very safe to use where you live?

Wait til she's 5 or 6 or 7, then get her a bike.

 

[oceanbaby]

There is no toy that any child "has" to have, IMO.

When we lived in a big city ds1 had one of those trikes with the handle on the back for when we would walk to the playground, and then he would peddle around there. He enjoyed it, and rode it a lot. Ds2 couldn't really care less about bikes. He'll be 5 soon, and has barely even ridden a tricycle. I don't think I'd be in the mood for hauling it up and down stairs either. Maybe your mom can keep one at her house for your dd?

 

[boatbaby]

I am right there with you. I don't think riding a bike is a life skill. I didn't learn until way later in childhood (also lived in the city) and frankly never thought it was all that fun and never used it in my life. It's a hobby, not a life skill.

Our ds is almost 5 can't ride a bike. Living on a boat, it's a tad impractical. We freecycled for a little bike with training wheels, but there is no place around us to ride -- it's all grass, sand, or busy road. DH and I both have cars that are too small to haul the thing around (Honda Civic) We just got a big wheel as a gift and I can squish that into my back seat and DS just started to ride that once or twice.

The long and short of it -- tell your mom to simmer down.

We joke when people ask us about DS and bike riding - "No, but he can drive the dinghy all by himself and even park it at the dock. Can your kid do that?"

It's just a lifestyle choice.

 

[Three~Little~Birds]

Your child will survive without a bike, obviously, but I certainly think that bikes are a lot of fun and that they enrich a child's life.
One other idea is to keep it in the trunk of your car and drive to open paved areas for her to ride occasionally.
That's what we did when we lived in a condo.
We would dive to the school yard and she would love to ride her trke (and then play on the playstructure while we were there). It worked for us and was worth it.
Does your apt. have a storage area in the garage, or is there an indoor post in your parking spot that you can lock it to??

 

[lolar2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatbaby I am right there with you. I don't think riding a bike is a life skill. I didn't learn until way later in childhood (also lived in the city) and frankly never thought it was all that fun and never used it in my life. It's a hobby, not a life skill.

Depending on where you live, of course. In Beijing or Amsterdam (and who knows what sort of job your children will have or where it will take them, or whether they might marry someone from those places), it is difficult to get around without a bike. Not impossible-- I've done it-- but definitely difficult, like being in Los Angeles without a car.

 

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

DS got a bike for Christmas last year. He had turned three in December. But he LOVES bikes. Always has. Always talked about bikes and wanting one. That is why we bought one for him. If he had showed no interest then we would have waited to buy one when he showed interest.

I would wait until you DD starts to show interest in having a bike/riding one. I wouldn't wait until I bought a house to buy her a bike though if SHE wanted one. Little bikes are pretty light.

You could always tell your mother that she can buy your DD a bike to keep at HER house if she feels so strongly about your DD having one.