Scooters Part Two

I took Daisy to the local playgroup last week and it was interesting to see how her play had changed since the last time.  First of all she went to play with the large wheeled toys; she likes to sit in the cars or on the tractor and (after a fashion) pedal herself around the room.  She doesn’t have these toys at home and so the playgroup gives her the space to move around freely, in a safe environment.  While playing with  the four wheeled vehicles, Daisy spotted the scooter, pulled one over to play with and this time I did see Daisy briefly scoot!

After experimenting with sitting on the scooter and walking along beside it, Daisy is now ready to try scooting herself about.  With guidance, she’s learning how and where to position one foot on the deck, find her balance, feel stable, before starting to push off with the other foot.

Scooting requires of children balance, coordination, plenty of concentration and lots of patience for repeated attempts until that special moment when they realise that they can do it.  So the next day, Grandpa and I took Daisy out on the local pavements with her scooter to continue to practise her skills.  It was essential to find a smooth surface without hazards that might distract Daisy or stop her from being successful.

We supported Daisy on her scooter in much the same way as helping a child who is learning to ride a bike: one hand on the handlebar to help with the steering and the other hand poised at her back, a ready prop for her if she loses balance.

Learning to use a scooter is more demanding than learning how to use pedals on a toy car or tractor.  But once mastered, compared with the pedal cars and tractors, using a scooter gives a child so much more independence.  And watching Daisy, I’m reminded of that pure pleasure that comes with the new experience of being able to propel yourself about without an adult’s assistance.

Granny Smith says –

it’s important to pick the right scooter for your grandchild – there are lots of different types of scooter available for different ages.  Daisy has a scooter which has three wheels which gives her greater stability and it’s not too heavy for her to manipulate.

Ensure that your grandchild wears a helmet whenever they use their scooter.  It’s a good habit to encourage and they’ll become familiar with the sensation of wearing a helmet.