Confidence Is One Of The Greatest Gifts A Parent Can Give Their Child.

Can bike riding really build confidence in children?  Of course, it does.  To be certain of the answer, just look at times you worked hard to tackle something new or achieve a goal.  Your confidence went way up, didn’t it?  When we try something new and enjoy it, we are more than likely to keep up with it and continuously push ourselves to reach new milestones on our journey, building confidence all along.

Kids will naturally grow more independent and confident as they grow older but it’s important for parents to teach their children the skills they need to get there! Confidence will help prepare them for the responsibilities that come with school, sports, and extracurricular activities, not to mention work, and life in general.  When a child builds their confidence and self-esteem, they build their independence.  Learning how to ride a bike is a great step to building that inner confidence in children.

Children gain confidence when they succeed in new experiences.  It’s helpful to introduce children to many activities when they are young, so they can find things they are passionate about. This gives children the chance to be courageous and set positive standards for themselves.

A sport like bike riding exposes children to learn many skills, including stamina, problem-solving and of course balance and coordination. Along with the physical benefits of exercise, bike riding has many psychological benefits, says Alison Stout, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at the Evergreen Health Sport & Spine Center.

 Riding bikes is a great confidence booster so if you find that you are looking for an activity to build your child’s confidence, bike riding could be a perfect choice.

Encourage your child to make friends through riding bikes. Welcome your child to invite their new biking friends to hang out at home. By widening their social circle’s and connecting with kids they have something in common with, your child will grow leaps and bounds in confidence.

There’s a special bond between kids and bikes that can never be broken. Riding a bike is a rite of passage in childhood years, a passport to explore their environment and worlds beyond the front lawn. Bikes represent fun, freedom, and fresh air – everything that’s good about being a kid.  Biking is a healthy pastime that kids will never outgrow. The earlier children are riding bicycles, the earlier they can find a world of independence, freedom, and mobility. The sense of achievement and increased confidence kids have the first time they pedal on their own is hard to find elsewhere. 

Carl Pickhardt, a psychologist, and author of 15 parenting books, says a kid who lacks confidence will be reluctant to try new or challenging things because they’re scared of failing or disappointing others.

This can end up holding them back later in life and prevent them from having a successful career.

 “The enemies of confidence are discouragement and fear,” he says. So, as a parent, it’s your job to encourage and support your child as they attempt to tackle difficult tasks.  We all understand teaching a child to ride a bike takes a lot of time and patience, and that is why we believe so strongly in the All Kids Bike Program.  The All Kids Bike program is an 8-week curriculum taught in a controlled environment (your child’s school gymnasium) by a trained PE teacher.  The step by step lesson will take children from balance bike mode to pedal mode in eight weeks. It also teaches the importance of safety and of course safety gear, bike helmets!  The best part, this program is FREE to schools with the help and support from donors.

Pickhardt says you, as a parent, have a responsibility to “increase life exposures and experiences so the child can develop confidence in coping with a larger world.”

Exposing children to new things teaches them that no matter how scary and different something seems; they can conquer it.  If your school currently does not offer the Learn-To-Ride Program, please reach out to one of our All Kids Bike specialists here and find out how you can get your school on the waiting list. 

One way to take immediate action is to sign your name in support of getting All Kids on Bikes, there is power in numbers and the more signatures we have the more donors will take notice!