To make DD wear a helmet?

[LittlePickleHead]

I would have immediately thought IANBU, but I feel a bit bad now!

We started the morning off with a bit of a tantrum from DD (4) as I said she could ride her scooter to school, but then I insisted she wear her cycle helmet to do so. It's about 20 mins to school, across some roads etc and I would just rather be safe than sorry.

She was not happy (it looks silly, it hurts etc...) so I left her scooter at home and we walked, which involved a journey of tears, "you're not my friend now mummy" etc etc.

Every child we passed on the way on a scooter was without a helmet. I don't really want to back down as I made such a big point of saying that she HAS to wear it for safety, but now I wonder if I was being OTT? She can get up quite a speed on the thing and I figure it just takes a bad crash (into a tree, bin etc) for her to really hurt herself.

WIBU?

YANBU. To be honest I find that many children on scooters are not supervised properly and could cause accidents, hurting themselves or other people. You are right to have very strict rules regarding the use of the scooter.

Not unreasonable. I have never asked mine to wear helmets on their scooters, but I do on their bikes, it always strikes me that I should for both but would find it hard to introduce it at this later stage.

YANBU it's no helmet, no scooting here.

Glad there are other 'mean' mothers here, just wish there were more on the school run so DD wouldn't think I am quite so horrible for insisting when none of her schoolmates do!

Stick to your guns please! My 7 year old was knocked off his bike 21 years ago and killed instantly. In a quiet road outside our house. The police coroner said that a helmet could have lessened the injuries, because his head hit thw road first

Since then any children in our family wear a helmet if they are on a scooter, bike, tricycle etc etc. I know my case is extreme - but sadly this is my experience of not insisting on a helmet being worn.

YANBU. I'm not a safety freak and I think this is a rule that you should enforce without even a hint of ambivalence. I'm sure we've avoided some pretty horrendous knocks to the head over the years by always using helmets.

Yanbu, you are the parent and do know better than her. It doesn't matter if other people want to be stupid, stick to your guns when it comes to things like these.

shabba.

OP, yanbu. My dcs are made to wear helmets on bikes or scooters. Why wouldn't they? Basic safety requirement imo.

oh shabba I'm sorry.

we have always insisted right from ours being tiny that they wore helmets, same as insisting on car seat, seat belt etc etc Even when very young they were perfectly capable of understanding the safety issue. They still wear helmets now in their teens. Most kids in our cul de sac never wear helmets when they are out on bikes all summer long. It makes me feel ill TBH. I saw one 4 yo smash their face on the kerb last year, thank god it was not more serious!

Dh, an experienced cyclist of over 30 years, was knocked off his bike by a car driver (their fault) and along with grazes and bruises, his helmet was cracked from front to back where his head hit the windscreen. The hospital told him that it probably saved his life. Prior to meeting me he did not have a helmet - I insisted.

I do not like that in this country it seems to be mocked, that parents are molly coddling their kids etc. I think those cycling on the road should be compelled to wear them, along with hi viz clothing. The other day there was a young boy of about 14 cycling home at 5pm dressed all in black, in the dark, no lights. I was almost on top of him before I saw him. what the hell are his parents playing at.

another thing that strikes me as odd - when school holds its "cycling proficiency" course and states that children taking part must wear a correctly fitted helmet. Then at the end of school the parents allow them to ride home with it dangling off the handlebars!!

Shabba

I am against helmet compulsion, for adults, but think you were quite right to insist on it for your daughter on her scooter.

If you are interested in why:

1. She isn't old enough to weigh up the risks and downsides adequately yet- lack of experience and perspective, basically

1. Scooters are quite unstable things and falling off them is fairly easy

1. She may not have enough skill and experience to avoid a crash

1. The sort of crash she might have is likely to be the type where a cycle helmet would work to protect her

Yanbu- why are scooters any different to cycling? The children go so fast, my children will certainly be wearing them!

No helmet, no scooter here. I spent too long working a head injury ward to compromise on that.

Hate to link to the DM but I was reading this before I saw your post... Clearly, this kid was one of the lucky ones!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513730/Miraculous-moment-16-year-old-cyclist-wakes-month-coma-hugs-father.html

I'd explain to your DD that when she sees other kids without helmets it's because maybe their mummies/ daddies/ whoever... haven't yet realised how badly they could hurt themselves if they fell off!

Please don't do a U turn on this...

My (then) 6 year old ds fell off his bike. Nothing in particular to hit his head on. Cycling on a "safe" forestry commission track. He spent days in a coma having been air-lifted to hospital because the ambulance said he was too badly hurt to take him. Seeing him unconcious and intubated in an intensive care ward was the worst moment of my life.

He is fine but the side of his helmet was completely crushed and the neuro-surgeon was quite clear that had his head sustained the injuries his helmet did he would be dead.

There is no choice in my house and never has been. The reward is that I still get to see my son every day of my life.

So sorry for your loss shabba.

OP YANBU. Ds1 always wears one in his scooter. He won't get on it without, I've been so firm with him. He also has a hi vis top. I ride horses (and occasionally bikes) and have never (30 years of riding) got on one without a helmet. I've suspect I have avoided life changing injuries on at least 3 occasions.

YANBU and well done for sticking to your guns about it and walking instead :)

I insist for bikes but not the scooters. I think it's because my two don't play on scooters in the same way as they do bikes. They don't go on the road, not the same speed and if they fall, their scooter is easily dropped and they use their hands to save themselves. It's not so easy to do that when riding a bike.

shabba I am so so sorry about your son

I will definitely continue to enforce this rule, my resolve has just been strengthened by all your stories. it does seem madness not to have protection when a split second can change everything.

The problem is that no-one thinks it'll happen to them. Until it does. And by 'it,' I mean death, coma, serious injury, etc. It's just not worth the risk. YANBU.

Thank you for all your kind comments - Matt should be 29 now - vital, precious, funny, 'girl loving', enthusiastic 'nutcase!!! Not a day goes by without me thinking I didn't protect him. It was a dreadful accident.....the lorry was reversing but very, very slowly - Matt couldn't get out of the way though and he died under the lorry with me lying by his side. Awful waste of a precious life.

Just make helmet wearing as normal as putting on a coat and stick to the 'no helmet, no bikes, scooters rule. xx

Thank you again xx