How young is too young to teach a baby to drive a motorized car?

[Baitball Blogger]

I have a good friend who just posted a video of her 15 monthish son being taught to press a button to get his plastic motorcar to go forward. Doesn't look like they had much success. The baby jerked each time the dad pushed the accelerator on the handle because he didn't know to expect the forward movement.

[Irish_Dem]

1. The jerking movement is not good for the baby's brain.

[Doodley]

2. All to try to create a cute video of a baby driver. Oh, wasn't that a movie?

[TomSlick]

3. Our three year-old grandson was given a ride-in electric car by over-indulgent great-grands.

He mastered it quickly and loves it. However, I don't think he could have handled it six months ago.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Two to three years I can understand.

Especially if the vehicle is low to the ground. But the RV looking ones require balancing skills that younger babies probably don't have.

[TomSlick]

7. The grandson's little car looks like a single seat sports car.

It's low to the ground and has little wheels on the back that ride just off the ground to prevent the car tipping over backward.

The best safety system is a remote control pad that overrides the controls in the car. That allows the adult walking along to take over the car if needed. It's like the instructor controls in a driver's ed vehicle. If the great-grands had to buy such an extravagant gift, at least it seems safe.

The only problem so far is that the assembly and operation instructions were clearly not written by an English speaker and the translation is simply awful. If I hadn't found a YouTube video for assembly, it would still be in the box.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. +1

[3catwoman3]

4. Motorized vehicles for children are ridiculous. Kids need to be...

…running around under their own power.

[Effete Snob]

6. Babies shouldn't be taught to drive by anyone under 16

I think 16 years old is the right age for someone to teach babies to drive.

[Akoto]

9. Could be worse. My aunt gave me a chemistry set sometime before I was ten.

Complete with chemicals I wouldn't handle again until high school chemistry! Oh, the havoc I might have wrought, had my parents not taken that and hidden it...

As an aside, I had a motorized car when I was a little kid. Probably 2-3. I'm amused by how many are scoffing at the kid being spoiled or that they should be running around exercising. Considering I grew up disabled and unable to drive, I cherish those memories, so make 'em while you can (I also ran into the house several times and learned early I had no talent for driving). As for being lazy and unathletic, yes, I was both. Thank you for noticing. That said, I rode the car for fun and then left it somewhere to be recovered later, as toddlers do.

I wouldn't have forced the kid to use the toy if they seemed uncomfortable with it, of course. Not cool. Sounds like the parent maybe didn't want the grandparent to feel like they'd shelled out for a present the kid wasn't ready for yet.

[Baitball Blogger]

10. I got the hunch this was a thrill for the new daddy.

Seems like a good man, otherwise. Just an overenthusiastic young daddy.