Before you allow your kids to ride off into the sunrise (since school starts so terribly early in the morning), there are a few very important aspects to consider.  You not only have to consider your child’s safety along the way, but their maturity also plays a pivotal role in your child’s ability to get themselves to school every morning.  

If you’re considering allowing your kids to ride their bikes to school, take a moment to arm yourself with knowledge.  Here is a quick look into a few important details to cover with your children before allowing them to begin biking to school.  

Maturity is an intangible factor

One of the largest factors you should consider when deciding whether or not your child is ready to ride their bike to school is their individual maturity.  You know your kids better than anyone (hopefully), so you are the best judge of whether or not they can handle the responsibility of riding their bike to school.  

If you have more than one child, your younger kids may be a little more capable.  Children who grow up around older siblings tend to learn a little faster than kids without siblings.  

Safety is the main priority

The safety of your kids as they travel to and from school each day is the top priority to consider.  The last thing you want to encounter is your child getting hit by a car on their bike, so there are a few precautions that must be made.  

Teach your children the proper hand signals for turning and stopping.  Make sure to provide your kids with the proper safety equipment: a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads at minimum.  In some cases, your kids may need reflective gear to make sure they are easily visible to others.

Travel the route and explore

You can’t let your kids bike to school alone without first running the route yourself.  Well, you may want to bike or drive instead of running, but you get the point. Make sure you know the safety hurdles they will encounter on their way to school, so you can prepare them to handle it properly.  

Consider the safety of your neighborhood

Sometimes it simply isn’t a good idea to allow your kids to bike to school.  There are some neighborhoods where it just isn’t safe. You can use your own judgement to decide whether or not your kids will be safe (in general) riding their bikes to school.  

Provide your kids with adequate security

After you’ve had a conversation about safety with your kids, take the responsibility of dressing them accordingly.  Every kid falls off their bike in the span of their childhood, so do your best to keep them from being injured when they do.