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Fisher-Price Reveals Stationary Bike For Toddlers And Parents Freak Out — But They’re Overreacting [Opinion]

By Trisha Faulkner
Published on: 13:34 PST, Jan 5, 2017

With the new year in full swing, most have made some sort of health-related resolution. With health, fitness, and exercise in mind, Fisher-Price has just revealed a new toy for toddlers set to release in the fall. The only problem is parents are not too thrilled about this exercise-themed toy for toddlers, according to Distractify.

What Is The Toy That Has Parents So Upset?

Think & Learn Smart Cycle is the official name for the new Fisher-Price toy set to release in the Fall. Basically, it is a stationary bike for toddlers.

Chances are pretty good that you – at some point in time – have sat down on a stationary bike in your garage, exercise room, the fitness room at a hotel, or maybe even a local gym. Maybe your toddler has even seen you on the stationary bike and expressed an interest.

So, Fisher-Price has made the decision to provide parents with the opportunity to get a stationary bike for their toddlers as well. In a perfect world, the bike could sit next to your own exercising bike and make a great bonding opportunity for you and your child.

Fisher-Price creates stationary bike for toddlers. [Image by Nice to meet you/ShutterStock]

Ok, So What’s The Problem?

I know what you might be thinking – ok, so what’s the problem? After all, buying something that encourages your child to exercise really doesn’t seem like a bad thing. Why are parents freaking out about this new Fisher-Price stationary bike?

Well, part of the problem is the way Fisher-Price decided to reveal and market the toy. The Fisher-Price stationary bike is being advertisers as a way for you to encourage children to exercise while watching television or playing a video game.

The argument parents are having – which I guess does make some sense – is why don’t you just turn the television off, get your kid a real bike, and make them go outside and ride that.

In the warmer months that argument does kind of make sense. But in the winter? The argument kind of falls apart. Are the toddlers going to bundle up and go outside to ride the “real” bike when there is several inches of snow on the ground? Probably not. The freezer temperatures also might make it a little challenging for the toddlers to ride the “real” bike outside.

What some parents are arguing makes things worse is the fact that this Fisher-Price stationary bike comes equipped with a tablet dock and games. It even has Bluetooth so you can hook your Apple or Android TV to the bike. This makes it possible for the toddler to pedal on the bike while looking directly at the screen.

The Fisher-Price stationary bike was created for children between the ages of 3 and 6. Ideally, it is for a child who is learning how to ride a bike. The argument some parents are making is that children should be learning how to ride a “real” bike outside instead of pedaling on a stationary bike while watching television.

Some parents even took to Twitter to discuss how much they hated the new Fisher-Price stationary bike.

The new Fisher-Price stationary bike is going to cost roughly $150 when it first hits the shelves. Is this a genius way to get children who are obsessed with technology to exercise more or is this just another way to keep children from wanting to go outside and play?

These Parents Are Overreacting

Here’s the thing about all these parents who think the Fisher-Price stationary bike is the worst thing in the world – they are overreacting. Why? Well, as I’ve already mentioned, you can’t go outside and ride bikes with your toddler in the winter.

There’s also a lot of parents who don’t really have anywhere for their children to go outside and safely ride a bike to begin with. Is it wrong for those parents to be excited about getting a Fisher-Price stationary bike so their children can actually ride a bike?

Parents overreact to new Fisher-Price toy. [Image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images]

Personally, I also think the Fisher-Price stationary bike could be huge for parents who have autistic or ADHD children. Why? Well, again speaking from personal experience here, it is not uncommon for ASD and ADHD children to have an insane amount of energy. So much energy that you wish you could put it in a bottle and sell it.

An ASD or ADHD child could just move, go, jump, and play nonstop all day and still not be tired or worn out enough to sleep at night. This bike could provide these parents with another tool that can be used to wear these children out.

Just think about it – what if your child was extremely hyper one night and wouldn’t calm down to go to sleep. You hook the tablet onto the Fisher-Price stationary bike, you turn on a movie, and your child exercises while watching the movie. The movie ends and suddenly your child is a little less hyper and energetic than he or she was before.

Technology Isn’t A Bad Thing

The other thing parents really need to get over when it comes to this new stationary bike for toddlers is the fact that technology isn’t evil. You live in a world where technology thrives. Even in school your children are probably learning how to do things with technology.

If you have an ASD or ADHD child who is also non-verbal, that child might require a tablet (or some other form of technology) just to communicate.

Fisher-Price reveals new stationary bike for toddlers. [Image by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images]

Then, there is the fact that children really learn a lot from watching certain movies and television shows. Even games can make a great learning experience. Is it really so awful that Fisher-Price has made a move towards using technology to encourage children to exercise?

Fisher-Price is getting a lot of criticism for their new stationary bike because it promotes staying indoors and promotes the use of technology. But, you know what? It also promotes exercising. The Fisher-Price stationary bike is giving parents an opportunity to give their child a new toy – that the child can get excited about – that is disguised as a way for the child to get more exercise. Is that really such a bad thing?

Please, leave your thoughts on the new Fisher-Price stationary bike for toddlers in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by defotoberg/Shutterstock]

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