ExH wants to buy DS a quad bike for Christmas and I am objecting

[ToddlersRFab]

on grounds of safety. This is my gut feeling, and he knows that I was not keen on him getting one. DS has just turned 4.

I feel that ExH is doing this to upset me, and he also says that I am wrapping him up in cotton wool.

AIBU ???

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I will establish what kind it is and try and sway him away from one... however not sure it will be successful.

Lets hope it is a slow one and he wastes his money and DS isn't interested for too long.

We have ground and us grown ups have use of a quad bike, but that doesn't mean I would get the kids one, my 11 year old son, still hasn't gone solo!

I would say small motorbikes are actually safer than quads. I dont know the statistics, so I could be wrong, but quads weigh a lot more than a bike, and it is the injuries sustained from being crushed under them, or hit by them, rather than the falling off that does more damage. A bike would slide away from you and be less likely to land on you.

In all honesty, he'd probably be better off with a 'proper' 2-wheeled motorbike. They're probably safer and they can do more with them.

You can also get small electric motorbikes for them, too. Not the 'toy' electric ones, proper ones but battery powered. We were going to get DD one when she was younger, but she went off the idea, although 2 of her younger cousins have them (4 y/o boy, 6 y/o girl!).

Companies like OSET make them for ages 2yo upwards; it's amazing to see really young ones able to ride them properly.

If you have a look on youtube, you can find clips of 2yo's riding little OSET bikes without too much trouble.

I'd buy my 2 year old a bike over a quad any day. My friend and I used to live in a very rural location and we have both had quads and scrambler type bikes to use around the fields. Both of us have got more hurt with the quads than we have with the bikes.

IME the slow battery powered quads that places like toys'r'us sell are a waste of money. My son used his (also bought by his father - my exh) for about a week and then it dust gathered.

Never heard of OSET before, and have no idea how much they are, but they look quite good and are very tempting. Although maybe after my 2 year old has learnt pedal power.

Dp's friend bought ds one when he was 4 he's been on it once and it's been in the garden since (he's nearly 7 now)!

He would probably be ok on it now but still think its too dangerous plus he has nowhere to ride it.

The only fat kid in our village had a quad (battery powered). It wasn't dangerous, didn't go that fast (walking pace), but all the other kids at that age were out on their bikes or playing at the playground. It is not something which can be shared well, isn't conducive to making friends, and encourages sedentary play.