Bicycle riding tips to give your toddlers more fun

The milestone of riding a bike is a big one for kids and their parents. With new equipment, toddlers can reach that two-wheeled milestone earlier than ever and enjoy many sidewalks and bike paths together.

According to experts, children 12-to-18 months are not bicycle-ready, as they lack pedaling skills and their neck muscle strength is insufficient to allow them to support the weight of a helmet and to endure riding on rougher terrain. Instead, children in this age group can build their strength and balance by using items such as rocking horses.

Trailers are a sound alternative for bringing the baby along. They are lightweight, sturdy and roomy enough for additional items. Parents are advised to make sure the trailer is equipped with a tall flag alerting traffic to its presence. If the trailer's bulky size is daunting, you can opt for a mounted seat instead.

Once a child reaches 18 months, mounted bike seats are sleek, easy to install, and give parents another way to ride a bike with a baby. However, when dismounting, keeping the bike upright can be difficult, experts say. Though front-mounted seats offer better balance, they can interfere with the rider's ability to pedal and steer, so it is recommended to test out both seats before choosing.

Once a toddler wants his own set of wheels, ride-ons and tricycles will help him or her get used to bike riding and will help improve coordination and learn balance. If your child exhibits signs of pedaling and steering abilities, it may be time to graduate to a two-wheeled bike -- and without the need for training wheels.

Nowadays, kids transition straight to balance bikes, two-wheeled bikes without pedals. This concept has parents very pleased by how quickly their little kids learn to ride a real bike. Erin Ruddy, the editor-in-chief of What's UP! magazine, put her three-year-old son on a balance bike and said she was amazed to see him riding with the rest of the family almost immediately.

"It is incredible," says Ruddy. "We now go on bike rides as a family. He picked it up right away."

One example is the PlasmaBike. Free from cables, chains and pedals, it has a sleek design and helps build bike riding confidence at an early stage. PlaSmart tells us no matter which model parents choose, they will be able to enjoy watching their child master the art of gliding, while gaining confidence every 'stride' of the way. 

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Car Safety With Kids in Tow

Ensuring the safety of their children is of the utmost priority for parents. One of the leading causes of injuries to children involve motor vehicle crashes.

The National Center for Statistics and Analysis says nearly 250,000 children are injured every year in car accidents. Many of these injuries can be attributed to improper restraint systems used on children. In order to safeguard passengers, drivers must be aware of how to properly secure young children in the car.

The type of vehicle restraint depends on several factors, including the child's age, weight and height. Although vehicles have safety features unique to each individual vehicle, the safest place a child can ride is in the center of the backseat of the car. Children should not ride in the front seat because an air bag is not designed for the height and weight of a child and can cause serious injury if deployed.

In terms of car seats, here is a general guideline to use. Again, consult the owners' manual of the vehicle and the car seat instruction booklet to ensure proper placement of the car seat.

Infants

Infants should ride in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible. Car seat manufacturers are making seats that accommodate heavier weights, meaning an infant may be able to ride rear-facing comfortably and safely well past his or her first birthday.

At a minimum, an infant should remain rear-facing until the age of one AND if the child is under 20 pounds. If the car seat can accommodate the weight and the child is comfortable, leave him or her rear-facing. Otherwise, the seat can be switched to forward-facing if the baby is a year old and 20 pounds or more.

Infant car seats (the snap-and-go type that are part of travel systems) may be outgrown faster than a convertible car seat. Parents may want to consider using a convertible seat instead. Convertible seats transition from infant to toddler.

Toddlers/Pre-Schoolers

If a toddler is still comfortable rear-facing, continue to leave the child in that position. Otherwise, a forward-facing car seat with full 5-point harness system should be used.

School-Age

Booster seats are used for children who have outgrown a forward-facing car seat with harness system. They may have backs or be backless, depending on design. In general, children should use a booster seat until they reach a height where an adult seatbelt will work correctly without the need for the child to be raised up. This may mean a child should use a booster until he or she is between 8 and 12 years old and about 4-foot-9 inches tall.

Proper Installation

Car seats are secured in the car by a LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, system for most newer vehicles made after 2002. Car seats may feature flexible latches on a seatbelt type device or a rigid metal device that snaps onto the LATCH hook. They also may be used with locking seatbelts in older cars.

Because car seat manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers have a myriad of designs for seats, finding a correct fit for a car isn't always easy. Many parents stress out about the installation of car seats. Even with the obsession about proper installation, research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that as many as 80 percent of all car seats are improperly installed and used.

Parents who have difficulty with a car seat should return it and try another. Many police stations will help with installation of car seats and can check fit.

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