So much easier!

The towel method makes learning to ride a bike so much easier!
Not only do parents avoid the back-breaking struggle of holding on to a low saddle whilst running, but kids feel so much more supported.

The magic here is that with a towel (or scarf) around their waist, if they wobble or fall you've already got a hold of them, a little like puppets on a string. The bike can fall and you can keep them upright - often preventing the fall altogether. With this safety net - kids are often more keen to practice this big new skill.

And we all know that once it 'clicks' and they master the skill of balancing and pedalling, it sticks with them for life. You'll be able to hold the towel from further and further away until they're really not needing you at all.

Winner winner.

Most kids start with balance bikes these days so they have the BALANCE part down but not the pedalling part. MANY parents have told me that this strategy has eliminated the need for a bike with stabilisers for learning the pedalling, as the towel is essentially the stabiliser.

For reference - August is 3years 8months in this video and only started showing interest in sitting on a 3 wheeler trike a year before this.

Share your success stories in the comments for other parents!

Watch the full reel here