located in Norcal, South Bay.
son, 8yo
daughter, 6yo
wife, don't ask
kids started biking first (around 1yo), i followed after when my son got too fast for me to jog next to, and then the wife followed suit after. Basically, I started 2 years ago, almost exactly now. The kids took a small break from about 2-4/5.
Daughter likes to cruise, and not as agressive on the trails as my son. Family rides are basically me riding with her, and my son going ahead with the wife. The hardest thing is to find a set up that works well for her. What worked for my son, doesn't really work for her. She's not as strong, physically, even at the same age. Shifting is hard, I've tried triggers and twisters. I need to spend some time with her, riding, to work things out and to stoke the fire some more. She does enjoy it, but not to the degree my son did.
Son is really good, and can handle hill climbs like St. Joe's and up to Coyote Peak at STCP from Bernal, but i have a hard time finding the time to take him out. He's OK on technical stuff, but needs more time on it, such as Stiles Ranch. He rides Long Ridge well (his favorite trail system so far), and have been meaning to step it up to Saratoga Gap, but haven't had the time to take him. He also wants to learn to jump, but I can't really jump, so that's about the limit there. I have a skateboard ramp that he goes off of. I need to work on some techniques there, as I can see he's coming down on his front wheel. Manuals and wheelies are where I need to start, I think. He also wants to race all the time, he has the cardio for it, and keeps up the cardio with socceer.
His first hobby is soccer, and he's really into it. His 2nd is biking, but I need to find a way to make both work. I haven't been able to yet. With soccer practice 2x a week, and games on Sat, and Sunday are for my rides, it doesn't leave much.
I also need to find a bike club/team for kids in the South Bay of California. I haven't come across any yet. It would be nice to get out, and have the kids make friends and have regular rides.
The wife, well, she's kind of a lost cause. She'll do family rides, but that's about it. I've offered her different groups and friends that ride, but she's not bitten onto anything. It always must be family rides, or she won't go. At the same time, she's afraid to try any thing and doesn't want to take advice and if she does she doesn't go out to practice or is too afraid to practice when someone is watching...but she doesn't want to ride alone. So, I don't know, I just let her do her own thing....which is pretty much no rides.
Edit: motivation for riding, just ask them if they want to go. The wife, well, she'll go when it's a family ride, or me and her. But, there's usually tons of excuses to go with it. The kids, no excuses, just go.