To not make the kids wear helmets while scooting?

[DingbatsFur]

My kids have mini micro scooters and scoot to and in some cases from school. All on pavements, one road to cross. At home the scoot in the driveway and up and down the pavement outside the house. They have fallen off a handful of times. The speed they reach is about what I can do at a jog.
Now I'm all for safety gear and should they ride bikes they will wear helmets & should the roller skate they will wear elbow, wrist & knee pads and when they ice skate they wear helmets.
Scooting no helmet however.
Little boy up the street one year older than my youngest appeared by our house yesterday wearing a helmet with his scooter and wanting to know why my two were helmetless as 'helmets make you safe'.
I hadn't considered we were being reckless?

[Rhubarbgarden]

When we got dd aged 2 a scooter, I was adamant she'd wear a helmet. But she had (still has, actually) such a teeny pin-sized head that I simply couldn't find one small enough. I bought the smallest one I could find but it wobbled around and fell forward, and was more likely to cause an accident than prevent damage during one. I decided we'd use it when she grew into it.

This was in London where every child wore a helmet on scooters. Now we have moved out to the country, and it's rare to see a child in a helmet, so we just haven't bothered. Also dh is from Holland, and as others have pointed out there is no helmet culture there, so he thinks they are rather OTT.

I do think that when the dcs get old enough to cycle on roads I shall insist on it though.