What age is best to teach your kid to skate?
- Thread starter rhydogg
- Start date
As long as their head is protected by a helmet, I don't think it can hurt them to start at 2. I'm not much of a skater so only started with my kids at 4 but I did start them skiing earlier. The problem is that when they're really young they don't have the muscle control or strength for a lot of what they need to do. Strength is probably more important for skiing, whereas control is more crucial for skating. If they have fun doing it though and can't be hurt then it's all good! They'll love it for the rest of of their lives!
what badge said, but add a mouthguard of some kind. i know three people that put their front teeth through their lower lip when they were kids, learning to skate at a very young age
Take it easy and make it fun. I grew up in Sask and had a skating rink (outdoors) across the street from my house. Once they get the balance right there will be no stopping them. I started my son and dughter at a very young age. I'm old school and do not particularly like the chair routine as I don't think it helps in the overall balance. Better you get out on the ice and take their hand and ket them find their balance. To make them stronger skaters (that means strong ankles) loosen up the skate laces when they are more proficient skaters. Both myself and my son can skate without laces (one lace at the top so the boot will not fall off). And I agree with everyone, protection is important,, especially the mouthguard.
With my kids my rule of thumb was basically that each child is different and will let you know what they can handle. One of my twin girls was doing the monkey bars alone when she was 2 1/2 and the other didn't master them until she was 5.I have worked with family doctors for the last 12 years and the best advice I got on this subject was to let them explore without your help. Be there to make it as safe as possible but don't assist them and risk giving them a false sense of security.
Love the rink across the street, I was lucky enough to grow up in southern ont and on a large lot one section of our yard flooded every year.. Long cold winters meant
A lot of skating but been years for me..
I was thinking he'd only hold the chair till he had the balance and didn't want it anymore, but I'll def hold his hand too. 1st kid so learning for me too.
Thanks
Good luck. Hope he likes skating. I miss it myself. Tore my left ACL 3 years ago and had to give up playing senior hockey.
Ya both my knees have had major surgery, and told to expect arthritis to 20 years.. I tend to play sports with less impact on the body like armchair coaching or golf!
He'll like it if I do it, coppied me do push-ups tonight, and tees the ball for me at the range.. Lol
He'll like it if I do it, coppied me do push-ups tonight, and tees the ball for me at the range.. Lol
My approach with my kids and these kinds of activities is to go the extra mile to make it fun. I've done several backpacking trips with them (starting at 3) and to start with we'd only go a kilometer or maybe two, we'd stop at every mushroom and study it, splash through creeks, roast marshmallows, etc. If it's fun, they'll ask to do it more and more and it will be a life-long activity for them!
My son started at about 21/2 years old. He started using one of those contraptions that are like a chair but slid very easily and provided him assistance early on. Don't let them get too used to the chair/contraption as it becomes a bit of a crutch. He has been playing hockey for 4 years now and the early skating is paying mass dividends in his develpment as his skating is far superior to all of his teammates and even a few older kids.
As some have pointed out here, choose a good helmet and remember safety first. One thing i found was that when he first started his feet would get sore after about 20 minutes but as he got older this was not an issue and he always wanted to stay for the full hour. Enjoy this time as it was a great family experience watching him skate, fall down, get up and skate again. Wish i could turn back the clocka few years to this time.
As some have pointed out here, choose a good helmet and remember safety first. One thing i found was that when he first started his feet would get sore after about 20 minutes but as he got older this was not an issue and he always wanted to stay for the full hour. Enjoy this time as it was a great family experience watching him skate, fall down, get up and skate again. Wish i could turn back the clocka few years to this time.
good for you , just make sure he or she enjoys the experience and has fun.... if not .....end of story
