Bike Vs. Trike

I would definitely go with a tricycle at age 3 and 4. They love it, it feels comfortable to them, and it is a developmental tool for them.

Hi C.,
I don't know what's "norm" and don't really care but our daughter, who's almost 6 still enjoys her trike although she's had her bike with the training wheels and currently without the training wheels. It's pretty hilarious to see her still riding the trike because she has very long legs so it is getting more difficult for her to pedal. But we figured as long as she still gets a kick out of riding it around it's better then letting the little thing sit and rust. Just go with the flow. Your daughter will eventually enjoy the "freedom" that comes with the bike and she'll give up the little guy soon enough. Blessings, L.

My 6 yo son still enjoys a trike ride every so often even though it's adjusted to fit his very small 3 yo brother. The 3 yo, almost 4, has no desire whatsoever to ride a bike and totally loves his trike. Kids don't learn to ride a bike until about 5 or 6. Some people even think giving them training wheels before that point makes it harder. I wouldn't push her to grow up. Trikes just give a type of fun that she can't get otherwise. GL convincing your husband!

I agree with everyone- Why the fuss? If she wants to ride both, let her ride both. SHE IS ONLY THREE! My kids, 6 and 8 still ride bikes with training wheels and haven't yet learned to ride withut the training wheels which is our goal for the summer. Let her have fun and enjoy riding whatever she wants.

yes!
My 6 year old, still loves to ride his big wheel every now and again.
Its not going to hinder her from learning to ride her big girl bike.

I say let her go with what makes her comfortable. She is only 3 for cryin' out loud. A lot of kids need time to warm up to new things and as far as a bike is concerned, she probably won't use it much until she is closer to 5. I wouldn't worry about choosing for her which bike to use, she will eventually graduate to the next level.

Good luck!

For my daughter (3) she initially liked to go back and forth as it took some time get the new way of peddeling. Now 3 months later she usually only wants to ride her bike. This also because all the other little girls in the neighborhood all have bikes and they hang together.

I wouldn't worry it is just an adjustment period having both isn't going to confuse her or prevent her from eventually using the bike full time.
Best of luck.

I just wanted to add that there is something about a tricycle that is very important to the development of a childs brain, the left-right motion of moving the wheel that they don't get from a regular bike because it moves the chain and not the actual wheel. Professionals in institutions in years past have actually suggested that grown people with mental and physical disabilities learn to ride a tricycle because of the synapsis that it creates in their brain, developing left-right balance and co-ordianation. Very interesting. I realize that she has a tricycle but the longer she has it and masters it, the more synapsis she is creating in her brain. The more things she tries, the more intelligent she is getting. Food for thought. I say both for sure, which ever she wants to use.

I don't think it's a big deal to ride both till she builds better confidence on the bike with training wheels. She's only 3, so she has a long time to get used to a 2 wheel bike

I would take her to the park that has a paved trail that should could practice on so she can build her confidence up.

Also ask her why she likes her tricycle more, maybe it's more comfy for her.

Yes! They like both and that's okay! My little guy still rides his 3-wheeled Spidy bike and if his trike tire wasn't blown out he'd still ride that too! Those other things haven't stopped his determination to learn the big boy bike. He is three and just learned to ride without training wheels. Let your pumpkin experiment with it all! Encourage and have fun!

Let her use both if that makes her happy. There is no need to make something stressful for her that should be fun. When she's 8 years old and riding around the neighborhood on a huge bike, it will make absoluetly no difference that she wanted to ride her trike every once in a while at age 3.

They use different muscles and there is no harm in using both. My 6 yr old who races BMX still rides the all terrain trike my FIL bought her. It doesn't hurt her racing ability at all.

Uh...yes! I have two daughters, the oldest is almost 5. So obviously I hung onto one of those cars you move with your feet, a tricycle and we have 2 bikes with training wheels. My oldest goes back and forth all the time. Plus my almost 3 year old is not comfortable with her bike, so she favors the other ones too. This is very normal.

She's 3.

Most children don't even learn how to ride a two-wheeled bike until age 5 or so. It's hardly fair to ask her to speed up her motor skills development 2 years and make her comfortable with riding a bike which to her, even with training wheels, probably feels pretty wobbly and scary compared to her sturdy trike!

Talk to your husband. Stand your ground and tell him to slow down a little bit. She'll grow up fast enough without the pressure...in a few short years, you'll be perusing prom pictures and wondering what the heck happened to your sweet baby girl!