Scooter For Children Warning: Don’t Buy It Until You Read This

We’ve Got Scooter For Children

It was a no brainer for us to get a scooter. My little girl started to ask for one. She saw other children drive it. Although she has two bicycles, she wanted to ride a scooter too. Pretty predictable for three-year-old.

I was not so keen to get one, though. She was doing so well on the bicycles. Besides, my intuition was telling me it’s not such a good idea. But I was not strictly in opposition, so we all stayed open to it.

Finally, we’ve got it. The scooter aimed for small children at the age of two to four. It is equipped with three wheels for improved stability. The one that we picked has two wheels in front and one rear wheel. She was so happy to finally get it. I was pleased, too, seeing her blooming.

When she started to ride it, I immediately noticed how this thing stumbles over the bumps. The wheels are tiny compared to a bicycle. There is no air in those wheels. They are made of solid rubber, which makes them less flexible. Therefore there is hardly any capacity for this tire to adjust when crossing over the bump. It either passes with a lot of shakes causing instability or it gets stuck.

Scooter For Children Accident

It was the fifth day after getting it. The scooter wheels stumbled over a barely visible bump. The bump itself was a slight difference in height between two concrete blocks on the square (see the photo above). It was not the obstacle that should prevent the wheels from running over it.

But it did. My little one fell right in front of the scooter. Directly with her teeth on the concrete. She didn’t even manage to use her hands to protect herself. You can only imagine all that pain, blood, and screaming. She cut her lips on several spots, and one of her upper front teeth was shifted.

In the next two days, she couldn’t even close her mouth as her lips were swollen badly. She couldn’t eat, and she barely drank. Her saliva was leaking all over her clothes and linen.

The third day after the accident was a lot better, with swelling gone almost completely. She was eating only porridge, though. That shifted tooth prevented her from biting the food, and it had to be removed. Luckily it was a baby tooth, and we hope that permanent tooth germ stays undamaged.

I’ve immediately put away this thing out of our sight. We’ve talked to our daughter, and she agreed not to ride it anymore.

For the age of five or more, I would say it is ok to go for a scooter. But again, definitely not for one with two wheels in front. It supposes to provide more stability, but in fact, it doesn’t. It is less capable of running over the obstacles. Even if one of the wheels pass, the other one can be stuck.

If you give in and get a scooter for your small child, after all, be very careful when you do so. Walk beside when your child rides it and be prepared to grab her or him if about to fall.

Balance Bike

Get a balance bike instead of a scooter. It is a bike with no pedals aimed for small children who can’t ride a pedal bike yet.

It is excellent for a child to learn how to balance. Balance is a crucial skill in learning to ride the pedal bike. And it’s a lot of fun for kids to ride, pushing it with their legs power.

My daughter really enjoys it. Don’t know why she needed the scooter in the first place.

The advantage for the kid previously been riding a balance bike is obvious. Especially when jumping to a pedal bike for the first time. This kid will learn to ride the pedal bike in a couple of short rides with you helping aside. The next day the kid will ride it by herself or himself.

Better experience for the child, less hassle for you. Win-win situation.

I was witnessing my boy learned to ride the pedal bike just like that. On one rainy afternoon in our underground garage. He was riding the balance bike previously. It helped him to acquire balance skills.

Training (Auxiliary) Wheels Bike

There is another option too. Getting a small pedal bike with training wheels. The training wheels are there until, at some point, you decide to take it off and teach your kid to pedal without it. It will require some severe training both for your child and for you, though. The reason is not previously practiced balance skill compared to balance bike usage.

My daughter rides a bike with training wheels too. We happen to have one previously owned by our son, so she wanted to try that one also.

Since I’m witnessing my kid using it, I have a warning for you about the bike with training wheels. It should provide a stable ride with no hassle for you. And it does that. Until the kid catches some overconfidence not supported by experience.

A child can ride it pretty fast and make a sharp turn. At that moment, a bike can lean on one side with one of the training wheels in the air. The other training wheel still holds the bike in an upright position.

But as the child lean aside too, it can not hold it anymore. The child is used to false security provided by training wheels. Therefore he or she is not skilled in putting the leg down on the surface to stop and prevent the fall. Besides, it can all happen pretty fast.

The fall like that one didn’t happen to my little one. There were a couple of situations close to it, though.

If I recall correctly, my son did fall like that. He was riding it faster than our daughter riding it now. And he was making some sharp turns while speeding. So be very careful about bikes with training wheels.

Summary: a Smart Choice

Ask yourself if pleasing your child’s wish for a scooter is the right thing to do? Is it a must-have only because everyone else has got it?
Can you relax when walking with your child outside watching her bouncing over bumps? Is there a better choice than getting a scooter for children?

My daughter did ride the balance bike, and the one with auxiliary wheels. I feel most comfortable with the balance bike choice, though. When I look at her riding it, I’m peaceful, and I know it is the right choice. She is secure, advancing her balance skills and engaged. When she was leaning more to the auxiliary wheels bike, I strived for her to ride it without the extra wheels as soon as possible.

Let me know your experience by leaving a comment below!