3 Lessons from Teaching my Daughter How to Ride a Bike

Evie Rides Her Bike without Training Wheels

A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of teaching my daughter (child #2 of 3) how to ride her bike without training wheels. I used the same formula for her big sister and it worked like a charm for both. I learned a few things having gone through the process a couple of times now and I thought I would share them.

3 P's to Learning to Ride a Bike: Pick-up, Point, Prepare to Pedal

Environment. OK, yes, I need an 'E' also: Environment. My daughter's school yard is perfect for learning how to ride a bike: huge open flat pavement with few obstacles. A sandbox if you will. A place to experiment, and fail, without serious repercussions. Creating a safe zone is an important part of the learning process. On the way to the school grounds, I talked with my daughter and explained the 3 P's: Pick-up, point, prepare to pedal. By the time we arrived at the grounds she had memorized the sequence.

Pick-up - Learn how to pick up the bike from the ground because that is where it will be most of the time. Get comfortable starting from this position. Lesson: This step is about understanding the mission and objectives and expected results from the new challenge, getting situational awareness & understanding where you are in relation to the goals of the project.

Point - Learn how to point the bike in the proper direction so you don't have to change course immediately before you get your balance and momentum. Lesson: This step is about focusing on early and easy wins & milestone accomplishments and avoiding quick pitfalls that may stall the project or cause a re-start.

Prepare to Pedal - Learn how to position the pedals and your body over the bike in order to start pedaling. Lesson: This step is about making sure you have the right resources, support and people to remove obstacles.

I'm looking forward to teaching my son, my third and final child, how to ride a bike!

Let me know your thoughts.

- PG