Teaching My Younger Sister How to Ride a Bicycle

Learning how to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage for many children lives and being the elder sibling, I got the esteemed opportunity of imparting the skill to my younger sister. Riding a bicycle was a fun event to watch her and I had the opportunity of watching her grow from when she was struggling to balance on training wheels to when she was cycling alone. In what will follow in this article I would like to narrate my experience as a teacher and my sister as the learner when she was learning how to ride a bicycle.

The first measure that I took when doing a demonstration on how to ride a bicycle to my sister was to make sure that she was dressed properly. I then ensured that she adjusted the helmet well, had knee and elbow pads, and was wearing shoes that had closed toes. The sequence of words used in the above example imitates the thinking of a little child who is more safety-conscious than rational and who insists on her sister wearing a helmet before she gets on their bicycle.

After that, I showed her the bicycle and pointed at the handle bars, the pedals, and the brakes as the basic of the bike. This was my only interaction with her directing the animal, I ensured she was comfortable when seated on the saddle and got to correct the height of the seat to her preferred height herself. I also explained to her on how to operate the brakes and how to maintain balance of the bike using the body mass.

Soon she began to get familiar with the bike; so initially, I introduced her on how to balance the bike and push off while keeping the feet off the ground. This let her feel how the bike is operating and the need of balancing the bike. I advised her to undertake this skill on a flat and an open surface so that in case she begins to lose balance, it would not be very difficult to recuperate.

Once she was very comfortable with gliding I teach her how to pedal. I explained to her how to begin to pedal in a casual manner and how to change gears to increase or decrease her speed. I also explained to her that to go right or left, you have to tilt the bicycle in that respective direction. It concerned her with the functioning of the bike and the ways that it is possible to manage it properly.

For the next couple of days, I proceeded to instituted the steps gradually In stead of pushing the training wheels, I allowed her to ride on her own as she became more confident. I accompanied her through doing various exercises and she insisted on cycling without the training wheels. I was also thrilled the day when she finally balanced on her own to ride a bicycle for the first time.

From teaching my sister how to ride a bicycle, I discovered that everyone needs someone’s word and someone must be there to encourage such a person. Letting someone learn something new can be a very tiresome process since people have different learning abilities. This was a long process and I had to stand by my sister, encourage her and come through for her especially when she encountered hitches.

I also understood the essence of patience and hard work when practicing on any new skill that one is practicing. It was good to ensure that my sister did not quit at all if she fell or faced some cumbersome times when cycling. Again, I said to her go on and remain confident because with constant attempts and the right kind of mindset, she is going to succeed.

Last but not the least, I was able to understand the importance of motivation and the art of motivating a person to get used to a new skill. When encouraging my sister for trying her best and the things she has accomplished, she got more encouraged to try harder next time. A moment to draw a smile on her face and feel the pride when she actually bikes without training wheels is an encouraging moment.

All in all, attempting to teach my younger sister how to ride a bicycle was indeed a fruitful attempt as I understood some key milestones that teaching a skill can bring. Looking back, I appreciated the moment when she developed and was growing more self-confident in her skills; it is pleasant to feel that one has contributed to this process in some way. It’s never quite easy to teach someone something new but people should embrace the fact that if you teach, you learn in the process something new as well.