Author Topic: Teaching a little kid to skate  (Read 569 times)

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aleksander

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Teaching a little kid to skate
« on: November 15, 2020, 04:18:44 AM »
Any of your virile lads out there ever reproduced and then gotten your kid into skating?

I've got a four year old and two year old who both like to play with my board, sitting down to ride, standing when I hold their hands, etc., but I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to do this the right way and make it something they like and want to continue.

Not looking to go Nyjah's dad and take all the fun out of it, just want it to be something enjoyable we can share and do together.

Gonna get the 4 year old a complete for Xmas, we already go to the park every other morning and he rides down the ramps while I hold his hands. Gonna teach him to push next, then Idk. Any suggestions? Cheers!
"Let's just do something stupid and ridiculous and just be as fucking regular as we possibly can."

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2020, 04:55:42 AM »
Sounds like you've got it. Just don't force it.

Mbrimson88

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2020, 06:09:28 AM »

Not looking to go Nyjah's dad and take all the fun out of it, just want it to be something enjoyable we can share and do together.

Gonna teach him to push next, then Idk. Any suggestions? Cheers!

Exactly that as you said, just enjoy it while they are young and just having an interest = making things fun for as long as they want to do it is so much better than having them progress at lightning speed but losing the passion.

Gently but firmly getting the correct positioning of their feet, body and head (looking which way they are going, not looking at their feet) and then almost everything else will fall into place.

Tic tac games are good to get them to lift and turn, if they are up to that skill level and having a park with gentle ramps or things that are easier for them to skate definitely helps.

Christmas is going to be fun this year!!!

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listentoaheartbeat

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2020, 06:35:23 AM »
Couldn’t help myself and got our kid a board for her second birthday. We went out to try it only occasionally for at least two years, but both really enjoyed it especially when she proactively asked about it. She has just turned five and is getting into it more now. Learning how to push and roll without support and carefully going up and down transition a bit.

I think it’s all about creating potential for activities without forcing your kid to follow through. The way I see it, kids are intrinsically motived to learn as long as you let them do their thing. Sometimes she really wants to try stuff, like roll around the bowl with hand support, other times kneel on the board and push, or ride the bike and play on the side. We just go with the flow, it’s more like spending time outside and doing whatever with the option to skate.

She has been around spots since she was born and has seen myself and others being hyped about skating, I think for her it’s just an extremely normal thing to do. Kind of spoils the fun of discovering skating, so I am not sure if it will ever become her thing in the same obsessive way it was for me. But that’s cool, and of course you never know. Either way, a good time to have together and that’s extremely valuable.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2020, 06:47:36 AM by listentoaheartbeat »

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2020, 08:00:32 AM »
What a lot of people seem to be doing around here is getting their three year olds comfortable with the skatepark by letting them first roll around on their three wheeler or scoot bike at peak hours....

Just keep the kids safe it's best for both parents to follow them around the park....one taking video...the other staring at his or her phone...

Probably the key thing you have to remember is to always act stunned and perturbed by skaters whizzing around......

aleksander

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2020, 09:53:37 AM »
Cheers, you guys, I really like the idea of helping with foot and head positioning but then letting them just play around and discover it for themselves. My dad wanted me to compete in rodeos and do cowboy shit as a kid and I def wasn't into that.

Sometimes she really wants to try stuff, like roll around the bowl with hand support, other times kneel on the board and push, or ride the bike and play on the side. We just go with the flow, it’s more like spending time outside and doing whatever with the option to skate.

This is really good to hear ^ because my kids are the same way and I gotta check myself not to be like, "Come on, isn't it more fun standing up?"

One little thing I figured out that's helped is I've been pumping around the park switch (literally never learned one switch trick in my life) just to get back into learning mode and realizing like, Fuck just going down this little baby ramp can be scary.

Probably the key thing you have to remember is to always act stunned and perturbed by skaters whizzing around......

Haha "How dare you speed by my uncoordinated and oblivious son as he tick tacks at the bottom of the cradle!"
"Let's just do something stupid and ridiculous and just be as fucking regular as we possibly can."

listentoaheartbeat

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2020, 12:10:07 PM »

Expand Quote

Sometimes she really wants to try stuff, like roll around the bowl with hand support, other times kneel on the board and push, or ride the bike and play on the side. We just go with the flow, it’s more like spending time outside and doing whatever with the option to skate.
[close]
This is really good to hear ^ because my kids are the same way and I gotta check myself not to be like, "Come on, isn't it more fun standing up?"
No harm in nudging, in my opinion. I do ask her if she wants to stand up, or if she wants to skate some more after taking a break or doing something else. She'll often be disappointed when we leave and she hasn't logged some proper skating. So I am just presenting that option again from time to time when she is doing other things.

One little thing I figured out that's helped is I've been pumping around the park switch (literally never learned one switch trick in my life) just to get back into learning mode and realizing like, Fuck just going down this little baby ramp can be scary.
Funny coincidence, for me it was pushing regular. I did it the wrong way for decades, essentially skating switch when going from A to B and jumping around when setting up for regular tricks. Since I had been doing it for such a long time it didn’t really affect me except for spots with minimal run up. I’ve always wanted to learn it the right way though, sort of like a bucket list thing. Finally did it two years ago and just like you describe it gave me a much better sense for what it’s like to learn skateboarding (again).

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2020, 02:08:55 PM »
I've got a little dude who just turned 7 that I work/hang with/mentor that is wanting to play with the skateboard every time we get together these days. I'm not pushing anything on him, just letting him have fun while getting comfortable on the board. He's not afraid to stand on it but is kind of small to push, so I'll pull him around with a rope while I'm pushing. He gets pretty stoked and isn't fearful of the speed. He's also taken to taking the board up on these bumpy ass dirt mounds on the side of the trail and butt boarding down them. That's some shit I'm not even wanting to try! My biggest thing with this dude is to always bring the skateboard inside when you're not using it, don't get it wet (and explaining water log/delamination), and have fun.

I've got another kiddo in my life, she's going to be 11 soon and I've been at times like a surrogate Dad since her parents haven't been around and she lives with her grandmother who is a friend of mine. Her grandmother is really well intentioned and has the kid playing sports, especially ice hockey, something hard. She's a good athlete and driven.

When I was visiting back east a month or so ago she asked to try my skateboard. No joke, this girl was pushing up and down the drive way on my loose ass no bushing cap set up, tick tack turning, and carving in under an hour of her first time standing on a skateboard. After encouraged her to try pushing switch, which while not as quickly, she got down pretty well too. Along with that she was able to stand on the board primo and flip it down to stand on it flat, flip it over from grip on her feet wheels up to standing, and pop it up to grab it from the ground. Seriously, it was the coolest shit I've seen in a minute. I told her the same as the little dude about keeping it dry and inside and to try everything the opposite way/switch, because how cool would it have been to learn everything both ways from the get? Since grandmother has such high expectations with hopes of preventing her from going the route of her bio parents, I said "You know what the best thing about skateboarding is? There's no rules other than not being a jerk. All you gotta do is have fun and no one is going to tell you what to do." That, Pals, brought a look of serious stoke to her face.
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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2020, 03:28:27 PM »
step 1 - put boi on top of the hill


step 2 - push boi down the hill

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2020, 09:08:21 PM »
listen to cosmic psychos

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2020, 07:26:58 PM »
I got my first son a penny board just before he turned two and always took him skating with me, although I would bring a ball and other toys for him to play with too. he butt-boarded around on that for a year or too, he'd actually ride it with one knee on the board and push with the other foot. I never once tried to "teach" him anything though, we would just play around on it and have fun having little races with me etc. He'd try to stand up but those things are tiny (and fast!) so he'd always need to hold my hand when doing so. He had good board control though and understood the concept of shifting weight etc. to turn.

For his 4th birthday I got him a real setup (street plant mini 7.75 with ace trucks and big soft wheels), we gripped it together and he soon figured out that he could stand up with all the extra board width and truck stability. Again though, I wouldn't "teach" him anything unless he specifically asked me.

He came to me saying he wanted to be able to turn/ cruise like me so I showed him how to tic tac and these days that's what he loves doing most; just cruising around the park doing tic tac. I saw him trying to mimic Ollies one day on the grass, so I gave him a few tips for those too and within a few days he could get some pop (I shed a tear at that moment). There's a few older guys and my local that are only just starting to learn to skate and one of them was trying to get slappy nose slides down so I told him to learn little nose tap/ bonks first before trying to slide. My son was watching this and has since picked up nose taps on curbs too. I never push him though and always bring his bike or whatever to the skatepark too so that he doesn't feel like he has to be on his board the whole time; sometimes he'll just play with the bike, other days he'll mix it up.

So yeah, best advice is to just let them discover it for themselves and give them tips along the way if they ask you. If you skate with them, they'll naturally ask you questions and become curious about certain tricks etc. Priority is on fun and never on being that dad that gets angry at his kid because he can't do something. If he's getting bored or whatever I'll initiate a tic tac race with him to get him hyped again or just let him do something else, either way he's outside and getting some exercise which means he'll sleep better when it comes to bedtime.

Impish sausage is definitely gonna blow up as a euphemism this year

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2020, 01:27:15 AM »
Good advice all around, my guess is that for kids younger than 4 it's tougher for them to pick it up and learn tricks. The are still getting a hang of their balance and struggle to run (they waddle more than run). I think 5 is the sweet spot when they are less squishy and have better coordination of their limbs.

One thing I would caution is to not spend too much on their first board. Kids are fickle with their interest and we as skateboarders want them to have the best gear. I've seen loads of almost new kids boards on sale on craigslist. Some kids will take to it like a duck to water, others will need nudging, other will hate it, really depends on their personality. My nephew who is very shy and risk adverse tried it twice and rarely mentions it, needs a lot of coaxing to get him to try it. My brother's nephew is all for it, badgering his mother to take him to the park and pay for classes.

As people who have been skating for a long time, we forget how unintuitive a lot of skateboarding can be especially for newbies. Even the simple ollie can be a mindfuck (jumping while controlling a moving platform), so we really have to take a step back and break down the movements into very small chunks.
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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2020, 08:19:09 AM »
My son has a smidge of interest in skating. Moreso from me watching skate vids and skating around him always, I think. He loves his BMX though, so we go out - him on his bike, me on my board and cruise the town like that. Even lets me stop and do tricks at spots before we move on. Its pretty awesome honestly. He can ride the board... but one fall and he stops skating for like 3 weeks. So... recently he hit a rock and learned that hitting a rock sucks. Full splat, thud on the concrete. He hasn't touched it since. (he wrecked a LOT on the bike and just gets back up).

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2020, 11:14:29 AM »
I got my first son a penny board just before he turned two and always took him skating with me, although I would bring a ball and other toys for him to play with too. he butt-boarded around on that for a year or too, he'd actually ride it with one knee on the board and push with the other foot. I never once tried to "teach" him anything though, we would just play around on it and have fun having little races with me etc. He'd try to stand up but those things are tiny (and fast!) so he'd always need to hold my hand when doing so. He had good board control though and understood the concept of shifting weight etc. to turn.

For his 4th birthday I got him a real setup (street plant mini 7.75 with ace trucks and big soft wheels), we gripped it together and he soon figured out that he could stand up with all the extra board width and truck stability. Again though, I wouldn't "teach" him anything unless he specifically asked me.

He came to me saying he wanted to be able to turn/ cruise like me so I showed him how to tic tac and these days that's what he loves doing most; just cruising around the park doing tic tac. I saw him trying to mimic Ollies one day on the grass, so I gave him a few tips for those too and within a few days he could get some pop (I shed a tear at that moment). There's a few older guys and my local that are only just starting to learn to skate and one of them was trying to get slappy nose slides down so I told him to learn little nose tap/ bonks first before trying to slide. My son was watching this and has since picked up nose taps on curbs too. I never push him though and always bring his bike or whatever to the skatepark too so that he doesn't feel like he has to be on his board the whole time; sometimes he'll just play with the bike, other days he'll mix it up.

So yeah, best advice is to just let them discover it for themselves and give them tips along the way if they ask you. If you skate with them, they'll naturally ask you questions and become curious about certain tricks etc. Priority is on fun and never on being that dad that gets angry at his kid because he can't do something. If he's getting bored or whatever I'll initiate a tic tac race with him to get him hyped again or just let him do something else, either way he's outside and getting some exercise which means he'll sleep better when it comes to bedtime.

This. There is a skatepark right next to a great playground. So. Bring my board, my three year olds bike and some other stuff. Sometimes we hang in the skatepark for 2 hours, sometomes he wants to head over to thr playground after 5 minutes.

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Re: Teaching a little kid to skate
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2020, 05:50:56 AM »
Everything I've seen here is great advice. Loved watching the vids of the kids bombing the hill.

I got a zip zinger cruiser a few years ago. My son would play with my popsicle boards a bit when he was little. But when I got the zip zinger with bigger wheels on it. I could see how much easier it was for him to push around on the rough streets confidently. So I got him his own right after.

We ride down hills mostly when we skate together. He just started trying to learn ollie's. I suggested trying on the grass. He uses my popsicle boards mostly for practicing ollies. I only teach him things if he asks me.

He digs watching skate videos when I have them on. Starts running around my place doing tricks on his imaginary board. It's pretty funny.