AIBU to insist my kids wear helmets?

[Beastlyboysblog]

It has been recently suggested that I am perhaps a little anal with the safety of my children's heads by insisting that they wear a crash helmet when they are on their scooters. I see other kids day in day out on the school run without them & I guess that's up to their parents but in my mind the scooters are no different to bikes and they can just as easily fall off them and crack their heads. I personally don't want to see my kids' brains all over the road if there's an accident. Is that really anal and AIBU?

[Dontrocktheboat]

I make mine wear helmets. If they do it all the time it becomes routine. I don't care what other people think about it.

[maybeshesawomble]

I make mine wear them too (aged 2 & 5). DD1 is beginning to protest as aware she is in a minority amongst her friends but tough!!

[00100001]

I don't think they need them for scooters, because the speed is much slower then a bike, possibly.

Also, you don't scoot on roads, but you might cycle, so very unlikely to get knocked off the scooter by a car.

[paxillin]

Scooting speed is more like jogging though and only done on the pavement. Mine don't wear helmets and none of their friends do, either. They do when cycling.

[Floggingmolly]

No, of course you're not.

[00100001]

Well, when does helmet wearing stop? Should we make kids wear helmets for running? In

[Spiderpigspiderpig]

Mine don't wear helmets on scooters but they do on bikes. They go much much faster on their bikes.
They scooter similar to running pace and I wouldn't put a helmet on them when running

[bumsexatthebingo]

I'm sure I read that more kids are hit wearing helmets. The suggested reason being than drivers are subconsciously less careful. YANBU though if you wan't them to wear them but other parents who don't aren't unreasonable either.

[WhateverWillBe]

YANBU to make them wear helmets if you feel it's important. Your kids, your decision.

the scooters are no different to bikes and they can just as easily fall off them and crack their heads

YABU with this ^ though IMO. I think there's a huge difference between riding a bike and a scooter, with a bike being much more risky. I've seen plenty of kids (my two included) have nasty falls off bikes, heads bouncing off the floor when the wheel turns the wrong way and they end up in a heap. I've never seen a nasty fall off a scooter...ds2 came off his once and it was just a skinned knee, the same as if he'd fallen when running. They tend to have more control IMO and more chance they'd jump free iyswim. Mine don't wear helmets on scooters except for the electric one...but that thing goes at 10mph and it's bloody scary when you're going full!

[Muddlingthroughtoo]

You obviously haven't seen my kids on a scooter if you think they are slow
It only takes a little knock on the noggin to do some damage, alas I can't make my son wear one all the time, it would have saved him two trips to A&E, general anasthetic and stitches!

[FullTimeYummy]

I have no desire to see my child's brains so I make them wear a helmet for activities where they might bang their heads. Simple.

They wear them for cycling, scooting, running, walking down the stairs, playing on the swings, showering and for crossing the road.

It only takes a few seconds to put a helmet on for God's sake, why risk it?

[AuldYow]

YANBU I've always made mine wear them and now at 10 & 11 it's an automatic thing for them.

One of my DCs ended up wearing one round the supermarket as he 'forgot' he had it on and I hadn't noticed I was clearly very sleep deprived

[Rhythmsticks]

I don't make mine wear them on scooters, I do make them on bikes if they are going on the road.

[BarbarianMum]

I don't agree with your reasoning (scooters vs bikes) but it's your choice. Mine have to wear helmets for biking, or when scootering at the skate park but not for scooting to school.

[UterusUterusGhali]

No helmet, no ride.

Sure they can fall running etc, but they can get to some speed on a scooter going downhill, or wobble off the pavement into the path of a car.

It's best practice IMO. They need a helmet for bikes & roller skates etc, so I like to set a president.

My DD still has the scars on her face from an over-the-bars accident on her scooter. :(

[bumsexatthebingo]

"They wear them for cycling, scooting, running, walking down the stairs, playing on the swings, showering and for crossing the road."

I this a joke? How do they wash their hair

[maisiejones]

FullTimeYummy. You make your child wear a helmet for walking down the stairs and showering? 🤔

[Paddingtonthebear]

My 3yr old wears a helmet when on her scooter and her pedal bike.

Falling off a scooter isn't the issue. It's when the front wheel jams on something and kids go over the handlebars.

[UterusUterusGhali]

*precedent.

FUAC.

[Enidblyton1]

Mine wear scooters for biking, but not scooting. I think it's a bit overkill for scooting, though I'd never make anyone feel silly for insisting on using them. You should do what you want and try to ignore other people.

[ReallyReallyReally]

Helmet for biking and scootering at the skate park. DS had a trip to A&E when he fell after trying a trick on his scooter at the park. Would've been a lot, lot worse had he not been wearing a helmet.

[paxillin]

I think it might be an age thing. Many 3 year olds wear them on scooters and this is the age for tumbling off randomly or running into a lamppost. I don't see any 8 year olds with helmets on scooters.

They still wear them at the skate park in the half pipe of course, but not cruising to school.

[ceeveebee]

Mine wear helmets for scooting - and thank god they do because DD come off a few weeks again and went right over the top - her helmet got a right whack which would have been her head.

[NurseyBernard]

I always make my children wear helmets on their scooters. This is due to having seen a number of serious head injuries caused by children falling off scooters.