If you enroll your child in ice skating lessons at an extremely young age, it's common for him or her to learn how to skate with a support device — typically, a frame-like structure that the child can hold and push around the ice. Using this device is integral to getting comfortable on skates, but you also want the instructor to set the device aside and focus on proper fundamentals once your child gets the basics down. Here are some pros and cons of using a support device.
Pro: Lack of Falling
The biggest advantage of your child using a support device while he or she learns to skate is that he or she won't fall as often. By hanging onto the device with his or her hands and arms, the child can remain upright even when his or her feet have trouble. Being able to skate without excessively falling not only prevents the child from sustaining bumps and bruises, but also makes the lessons more fun.
Con: Posture Issues
One challenge of using a support device is that is can discourage poor skating posture over time. While the use of the device is definitely an asset early on, you don't want the instructor relying on it for too long. Children have a habit of leaning too far forward and draping their upper bodies over the device, which puts their body in a position that won't work for skating without the device.
Pro: Helps Confidence
When a child wearing skates stands on the ice for the first time, he or she will almost certainly fall — and then fall again soon after getting back up. This can be discouraging for the child, especially if his or her falls are a little painful. In such a scenario, it's easy to understand why the child might not be eager to continue with his or her skating lessons, and this can be a difficult situation for the child and for you. When your child hangs onto a support device, he or she will be able to move around the ice more easily, building confidence.
Con: Creates a False Sense of Comfort
Over time, a child who skates with a support device will be able to breeze around the ice and feel as though he or she is really making progress. Like removing training wheels from a bicycle, however, it can eventually be scary to attempt to skate without the help of this device. You don't want the instructor to use this device to the point that your child is too comfortable with it and nervous about progressing beyond it.
If your child is considering ice skating classes, speak with an instructor to learn more about whether or not your child should learn to skate with a support device.
