To take make my kids wear skate helmets when they go ice skating?

[Somethingsosimple]

Open air skating today with 2 dcs age 11 and 9. The first time but wondering if to bring helmets?

Do you mean a normal ice rink? I’ve never seen anyone in helmets and I do go quite a lot. Is it the kids’ first time ever of skating?

Yes as no one else will be wearing them.

Following as I have wondered the same myself but have much younger children. I would say yes until about age ten myself. Then no if just gently pootling unless they were really zooming and spinning.

I would always say though that if they have to wear a helmet then so should you.

Are skate helmets not just for people playing ice hockey? I fear people will mock if they are just going for a normal fun skate session.

If you do they will be the only ones and unlikely to agree to wear them!

Hmmm, it's a good point really. I mean people make their kids wear helmets for scootering/a few seconds on a bike/being Mary on a donkey in the village but not for ice skating which is actually pretty risky when you think about it. I have never seen anyone wearing a helmet at an ice rink.

I wish I had a helmet when I went to IceTrax in 1992. I have memories (somehow) of continually falling over and hitting my head on the yellow bars around the edge. Unsure whether any long term impact 🤪

It’s quite common in the US to take kids skating for the first time wearing helmets. I’m a skater and wouldn’t judge you! I’ve never seen it in the UK though.

You’d be better teaching your children some tips off ice about how to prevent a bad fall. Aim to fall forward rather than back. Keep knees bent when skating. Start with marching on the ice to begin with then start pushing/stroking, always with bent knees. There are loads of YouTube videos about beginners skating and how to get up safely from a fall etc.

I think the difference between scooters and skating is that you’d get your hands down to break your fall when skating. Do they roller skate? Do they wear helmets for that?
If you want to have them wear helmets then there’s no harm, but they would be the only ones.

I take my 4 year old to a weekly lesson/play session and most of the little ones wear a helmet. There's not a lot of discussion around sport-related concussions, especially in childhood. But, having worked in this area and understanding the long-term ramifications of traumatic brain injuries,I would always advise wearing one.

I have never seen anyone in helmets in the uk. Surely if needed they would give you helmets along with boots? Imagine your 11 year old would be mortified. Actually think my two who are only slightly older would flatly refuse if no one else was.

No but good gloves. Make sure they don’t put diners flat on ice when they fall.

If it is their first time skating, they will likely be moving at less than walking pace. Are you concerned about head injuries when walking or running?

They may fall over but the bigger risks are broken limbs and wrist guards are probably going to be the most effective safety device.

Set of complete pads including wrist guards are only about fifteen quid in decathlon, I would recommend.

It's quite normal in the US for children to wear helmets when ice skating. At our ice rink it's actually a requirement for younger children to wear them in lessons.

Are you concerned about head injuries when walking or running?

This is a really daft statement. Winter sports - including ice skating - account for over 20,000 TBIs in the UK every year. They are dangerous sports. I really think that helmet wearing will be enforced in the not too distant future. The majority of sports TBI research is focused on football and rugby at the moment, but it is widening.

It's highly unlikely they will hit their heads any harder than if they tripped up walking or running! They're more likely to have sore bums / hurt their wrists. If they manage to get away from the side, make sure they keep their knees bent, so that if they fall, they'll go back onto their bum.

YABU

My friends still take the mickey about our friend who was forced to wear goggles at a public fireworks display when she was 12. She's now 40

Wrist guards are more important than helmets for skating imo.

Bear these are little kids ice skating for the first time. I can totally understand TBI's occurring when I've skating, but not until you're proficient enough to be going at a decent speed. I'm not great at it, but once I get going, I'm pretty fast and yes, if I fell a head injury is a possibility. But not at this stage.

You can hire them at the ice rink. I saw a few children wearing them the other day whilst skating.

Please don’t do that to your DCs.

When ice skating aged 18, I went over backwards and ended up with convulsions, a night in hospital, stitches, and long-term follow-up. I’d go for the helmets.

Well can they skate? If not they should have one, especially if they are clumsy. But if they are experienced skaters it’s not really necessary.

Oh! We see loads of chikdren in helmets and the rink hires them out here. Apparently a lot of people fall back and hit the back of thier head.