My daughter (Talia) is two. She is a precocious little thing and is already very opinionated. I have to raise the seat on her Strider at least once a week. Last night she realized that she could outStride her Mother and I cruising on her Strider! Is any of this sounding familiar?

A couple things occurred to me as we were chasing her down the sidewalk, my wife with the dog and me pushing the stroller with our son. 1. I hope anybody backing out sees her (or us) coming. 2. Wow...she is really moving! 3. We're going to have to start riding our bikes just to keep up.

Upon further reflection I am reminded of how important it is to begin teaching basic bicycle safety to children. When they are old enough to ride on their own the lessons that were taught to them while riding their Striders will be invaluable.

With that in mind, here is a list of 5 important Strider safety habits that Strider Sports endorses that should be started now!

1. ALWAYS wear a properly fitted helmet.

2. Look in ALL directions before crossing a road. (Turn this into a fun rule making sure they look up and down before checking the street)

3. Be Seen. Wear bright clothing, especially when riding earlier or later in the day when the light is not as good.

4. Listen to your Parents! (this might be the toughest one!)

5. Ride under CONTROL. It's always fun to go fast, but when you aren't in control it is unsafe and usually scary for everyone involved.

What basic rules do you enforce?