Advice:Micro mini scooter

[nicolemodesti]

Wanting to buy my son a 2nd birthday present and thinking about a micro mini scooter. Just wondering if this was suitable for 2 year olds? He uses a Thomas 3 wheeler scooter and the scooters at his nursery. Any advice appreciated!

[The Nappy Lady]

Go for it! Our 22 month old has just inherited her big sisters MMS and loves it. Most children master them very quickly and you'll get masses of us out of it. We just upgraded our eldest to a Maxi Micro for her 6th birthday.

Molly

[Goodliz]

I got my son one for his 2nd birthday. Took him a little while to get the hang of it - even though he had seen loads of other kids on them - but after a few weeks or so he was off. Go for it!

Just make sure you can keep up with him when he is on it!

You could also get him to wear a cycle helmet when he is on it for extra safety. we did that.

[snss75]

Nicole,

definitely! We got one for our son when he quite small and mastered it in no time. The mini micro is sooo much better for balancing than the others on the market as it has two wheels in the front as opposed to two in the back. We've now moved on to the Maxi, "big boy" version of the mini which is brilliant. We're going for a holiday and it's definitely coming with us :))

[nicolemodesti]

Thanks can you recommend anywhere to buy them from ASAP. In the middle of a move this Friday and off to Cyprus next Wednesday for one week. Which doesn't give me much of a window to buy for his birthday on 24th!! Have looked online at the micro mini website.

[jollybaby]

They stock them in Soup Dragon and Just William on Lordship Lane

[Moos]

We got one for Moosling when he was 2 1/2, it took him a couple of weeks to like it, as he initially found balancing difficult. A lot of encouragement and persistence later he got the hang and now he loves to scoot.

Thought it might be worth mentioning in case your present is not initially all that well received that it can still work out well! But my son is one of those kids who doesn't really like anything new.

[Pam50]

http://www.johnlewis.com/Sport+_26+Leisure+/Outdoor+Games/Outdoor+Games/Scooters+_26+Skateboards/Micro+Scooter/-/Brand/5814/ProductCategory.aspx

John Lewis do them...and in other colours. They are amazing!

[nicolemodesti]

Thanks Jollybaby for recommendations.

Moos will keep that in mind. Off to get a micro mini which is better than my husband being laughably funny and suggesting a bike with training wheels - ha ha!!

[Moos]

Enjoy! - I take huge delight in seeing the little one scooting off so joyfully and independently, and selfishly it's great to be able to get around a bit quicker too.

Another tip - not that he's ever had a bad fall, but having the tools to help 'cure' the odd scrape is the difference between happily resuming a trip out and having to go home. I've experimented with different brands and have discovered that Shrek plasters have the most medicinal efficacy. Plain ones without donkeys and ogres just don't take away the pain so well.

[nicolemodesti]

So as well as a scooter I need to be armed with band aids! Although my little one loves the Arnica cream in a stick which we call his magic cream.

Thanks for everyone's help - I really like the different colours at John Lewis!! Hmm makes you wonder if buying for child or buying for mummy....

[The Nappy Lady]

You do need to drill into them about not going too far/fast for stress free trips outside the park especially.

We did 'no further than the next tree or lamp post' etc and it worked quite well after a few conviscations for not doing as told.

Agree it's lovely to see them whizzing along tho and such a sense of freedom to go out without the buggy.

Molly

[citizenED]

Yep. these are a real godsend. Both ours were on them around 2 and have loved them. They are very high in the "best value for money" lists in our household.

[njc97]

nicole - no training wheels but a bike for a toddler . I've lost the link but there's a video of a 3 year old mountain biking on one on youtube, with daddy behind with a camera.

[nicolemodesti]

OMG that is so cool!! Something tells me that Daddy will say 'Told you so'. Maybe a Christmas present?

njc97 - have you tried/bought one of these?

[njc97]

nicole - no I haven't, my son is 21 months and will be getting one for his second birthday. There's a very wide range of similar bikes, from nice wooden ones, to "cool" looking metal ones. Decathlon do one for about 30 pounds, other ones go up to 180 pounds. I think BC bikes might stock some...

[The Nappy Lady]

Are you looking at 'leg bikes'?

If so BC bikes said they can take pedals and chain off a normal bike then put back on when you feel little one is ready, which seems a good way to do it. All the children who I've seen use leg bikes get cycling much faster I must say. Think 2 is the right age to start them.

Molly

[nicolemodesti]

No I am confused - scooter or bike!! Hubby did say 'told you so!'

[katgod]

scooter can be dismantled and thrown over buggy more easily than bike. don't think having both works. DS got wooden balance bike for second birthday and was too small and uncoordinated to use it much. he got mini micro scooter when his sister arrived (when 2 and 8 months)and never looked back. balance bike gathers dust. he has now learned to cycle aged 6. if cycling a biggie for husband get bike. if you on lship lane/in park/dragging it around and not bothered about early cycling, go scooter.

[The Nappy Lady]

I'd go scooter over bike, but do know of families with both.

But scooter will be the one you can easily take with buggy as back up etc for sure.

We had quite a hard time getting DD1 off stabilisers, though she managed it at about 4ish then relapsed over the winter when we didn't use the bike at all. With DD2 I have a 2nd hand leg bike at the ready as I want to avoid stabilisers if I can, but probably won't get it out til she is about 2.5.

Molly

[Fi from West Dulwich]

My 17 month old son is fascinated by the mini micro scooters and dragged one out of JoJo MB the other day in a bid to steal it. Is he a bit too young still though? He is enormous, v v strong and has excellent balance so would probably cope sooner than many children.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts.

[Belle]

i've been thinking the same thing Fi - trips to playgrounds/parks now fraught as son constantly stealing other kids' scooters - massive screaming fits when scooters are returned to rightful owners. He only started walking a couple of months ago if that so really just uses them as a walker rather than to scoot on. They're quite dear and am hoping to wait till his 2nd birthday but do waver...

[Pickle]

It really does depend on the child. My son walked late (21 months), got a scooter when he was 2.5 but it took him until well after his 3rd birthday to master it. Daughter was going to get one for her 2nd birthday but I gave in (too many tantrums at the park with only one scooter between them) and got one when she was 21 months - it took her all of a week to master it and she zooms around now (26 months) easily keeping up with older children.