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Toddler wheels

Always be within arm's reach of beginning riders

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Originally published in Today's Parent May 2010

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At two, my grandson Xavier loves his PlasmaCar — and knows exactly what to do with it.

He rides on down the sidewalk, stops at the mailbox, and calls out his order for Timbits and a coffee. Then he scoots on down to the next lamppost, picks up his imaginary treats, and swings back to his own driveway.

Of course, wheels represent more than just a way to get treats — toddlers are also impressed by the ability to move faster than their sometimes unsteady legs can carry them.

Pam Mitchel says she had a tricycle for oldest daughter Emma before she hit her first birthday. “My mother bought it for her, and it had a handle on the back, for me to push, and a little seat belt. She didn’t have to pedal and I could push her around the block.”

“There’s a big difference between a one-year-old and a two-year-old,” points out Valerie Lee, executive director of the Infant and Toddler Safety Asso-ciation. “One-year-olds can’t really pedal, so they’re usually on ride-on toys that they straddle and push along with their feet. At two, though, some can really get moving on a tricycle.”

At that time, Mitchel didn’t put a helmet on Emma because Mitchel felt in control of the trike’s speed and balance. Even so, a helmet can provide some protection if the child falls. Mitchel changed her approach when Emma was two. “When she started to do some pedalling on her own, I put a helmet on her. The girls next door that she played with wore helmets on their trikes, so she was happy to do it.” When her second daughter, Cori, hit the tricycle stage, it was easy to convince her to follow Emma’s example.

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