keepin’ stride

For those of you who have children, grandchildren, and neighborhood kiddos, I’d like to pass along some parenting advice. Often, it’s the small, in-passing tidbits that are the biggest help. Here’s one I can’t wait to share …

It’s a Strider … a no-pedal balance bike.

As soon as a child is old enough to walk, they can sport a good helmet and enjoy the independence of these cool little contraptions. They don’t have to learn to pedal, but instead just push themselves along with their legs—hence the name Strider. They can slowly learn to balance as they feel comfortable, and the bike is extremely light for easy maneuvering.

We got one for Mia at age 2 and Stella at age 4. They loved their Striders, and it was great fun for us as a family to ride together.

But the most amazing aspect of a Strider bike? A year later (Stella is now 5 and Mia is 3), we purchased both girls their first pedal bikes but left the training wheels at the bike shop (we have a awesome store in Moscow called Paradise Creek Bikes).

My hubby, Lucas, was totally skeptical. He was preparing for the worst as we got them into their long sleeves to limit road rash, snapped their helmets on, and explained the concept of a pedal bike. They had ridden a trike before, so they were a little familiar with pedals, but never pedals on two wheels. I gave our little Mia a push and she PEDALED OFF! First time. Our 3-year-old is riding a bike!!! Stella is our more cautious child, so it took her about 20 minutes. But since then, she’s been riding from our house down to Saturday Farmers’ Market, probably 4 miles round trip, and both girls are loving our almost daily bike rides. And their parents? Well, we’re still in shock at how easy it was. I remember being somewhat traumatized as a kid learning to ride a bike and only now can I appreciate how much time my parents spent running with me while they held on to the back of my seat. It took a while before I flew off on my own.