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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To cancel the new trampoline?

368 replies

ChampagneWorries · 01/03/2021 09:49

Dd 8 has been asking for a trampoline for around 2 years. I’ve always said no due to the injury aspect of them but then i came across springfree trampolines. They claim to have eliminated 90% of the injuries children have on trampolines so i decided that maybe i was being over cautious and i should let her have one.

I also have a ds who is nearly 4 but his head is larger than the proportion of his body and he is 30cm smaller than dd.

I know they will be arguing about the one person at a time thing and i am worried about one of them landing funny and causing a significant injury to themselves (more so ds due to the proportion of his head and body)

I know plenty of children have them with no injuries etc.

I ordered a springfree trampoline last night and then after a few hours i decided it wasn't a good idea and have rang to cancel it this morning.

The lady on the phone wanted to know why i wanted to cancel so i explained about ds and the worry about one of them landing funny and causing a significant injury to themselves.

She said there was alot of misinformation online about trampolines and really did the hard sell!

Am i a kill joy?
Am i being over cautious?

OP posts:
Babyboomtastic · 01/03/2021 10:11

I know more people that have had accidents doing mundane everyday things like getting stuff off shelves, or falling whilst jogging, or slipping off a parent, than I have doing 'dangerous' sports and activities. Your rules for it sound sensible, but everything has risks, so I'd say go for it.

Snowymcsnowsony · 01/03/2021 10:13

Make him wear his helmet then!!
I ordered a trampoline yesterday.. We had one at previous home and dc loved it..
My dd's bff(15) just recently broke her arm. Needed surgery and a frame.
Tripped on a rug in her front room.
Get the trampoline op!!

AtSwimTwoBerts · 01/03/2021 10:13

I dont want to be a kill joy but I’am worrying about the landing funny on them and causing a life changing injury

They could do that on a bike, a pogo stick, a climbing frame, a slide, the stairs. One of mine needed surgery after falling from a bed!

purplebiscuits · 01/03/2021 10:16

I agree with you @ChampagneWorries

My friends got their dc a huge one on her first birthday! I let mine on when visiting to play but wouldn't buy one.

We have a bouncy castle instead which comes out about once a month- explain my crazy mind there lol 🤷🏻‍♀️

I also worry about every injury ever and have to really make myself step back and be quiet- dh doesn't help as he would have them sit on the sofa 'safely' all day!

InvisibleDragon · 01/03/2021 10:17

If your daughter is the one who wants the trampoline, who not sign her up for trampolining lessons (after Covid)? Then she can have fun and learn how to use one safely and you aren't worrying about the two kids being on it together and getting injured etc?

Ikora · 01/03/2021 10:19

DS fell off a swing and was injured, the child next to us in A&E had broken their arm by being on a trampoline. Unfortunately we can all have accidents but I overheard the medical staff saying just how many accidents are caused by trampolines. Not a fan really.

Original poster
ChampagneWorries · 01/03/2021 10:20

Dd does do trampoline lessons but as there is numerous children in one lesson they only get a very small amount of time each on the trampoline in an hours lesson. She hasnt been though since covid

OP posts:
BoJoHoNo · 01/03/2021 10:20

Would a separate small junior trampoline with handrail be an option for your younger child, then they can both bounce at the same time whilst supervised? I had a ridiculously over cautious parent growing up (was never allowed to ride my bike outside our garden for example). As a result it's made me unecessarily anxious around certain things the majority of people take for granted, like driving for instance.

Blueuggboots · 01/03/2021 10:21

We're both paramedics and my son regularly asks for one. No, no and no.
Of course children have accidents on various things BUT I did trampolining at school (and loved it) and the stress shown by the teachers when we were doing it, and the long list of safety concerns always stuck with me.
My son doesn't have, and won't have a trampoline. Far too dangerous.

FictionalCharacter · 01/03/2021 10:21

We had a trampoline for my two, they absolutely loved it and we got a lot of use out of it. It had a pad over the springs, a high net and it was stood on grass. We had rules about safe use. I don’t believe the risks are that high if you take those precautions.

ncailleach · 01/03/2021 10:25

We have had a trampoline for years and the only time we have had an injury is when someone visited my lodger and their kids decided to push the trampoline under a high wall and launch themselves from the top of the wall 🙄.. Not a good idea and I was really annoyed that no adults were supervising at all .. Otherwise it has been a really good form of exercise for the kids for years.

OrraBoralis · 01/03/2021 10:28

Most pead doctors will not have a trampoline in their garden.

tolerable · 01/03/2021 10:31

gorrilagym

MuddleMoo · 01/03/2021 10:33

I think I'm missing why the size of your son's head is important. Could you expand?

It's an individual choice. Trampoline lessons where they are carefully supervised is safer than one in the garden but it's completely up to you.

Coughsyrupsucks · 01/03/2021 10:34

When my daughter was 7 she was in hospital with Sepsis, she was the only child on the ward who wasn’t there from a trampoline injury. The worst being a 12 yo who landed awkwardly broke her leg in 2 places and was in traction for a number of weeks.

DD’s never had a trampoline, and I’m not sorry in the slightest for being a fun sponge.

DaiquirisinDorset · 01/03/2021 10:34

We dont have trampoline as work in hospital and majority of childrens injuries are trampoline related

This. A friend is a paediatric ortho - she gets kids to put a sticker on a pie chart to show what they were doing when they broke a bone (I've seen it). The "On the trampoline" section is completely full. She's refused to get one for her kids.

We've actually got one, but the kids know that they have to be very careful, they're mindful of collisions, etc. I swing between thinking it's good exercise on days that we don't get a walk, and getting rid of it.

Not having a net around it is extremely dangerous, imo. Broken bones is one thing: a head or neck/spine injury from a bad fall off the thing is quite another.

MuddleMoo · 01/03/2021 10:34

My personal choice is no to trampolines but I'm quite risk adverse

Graciebobcat · 01/03/2021 10:36

DD2 broke her arm when she was 4 and a larger child was bouncing on the trampoline with her- apparently a "classic" injury!

No other injuries though and we've had one since DD1 was 5 - she's 15 now, DD2 is 12. It has been the best toy/piece of equipment and vastly more used than anything else, the fun and exercise for me far outweighs any injury, and if you are more sensible than I was . That said I'm quite looking forward to getting rid of it at some point so I can have a pond! But they still use it and I think it has played a large part in raising two fit, healthy girls.

Elphame · 01/03/2021 10:37

My cousin broke her neck on one - luckily for her it was a supervised session at a sports centre and the staff acted appropriately.

My children didn't have one and I don't remember any of their friends having one either.

Graciebobcat · 01/03/2021 10:37

I meant to say if you are more sensible than I was they can probably escape any broken bones.

1forAll74 · 01/03/2021 10:38

You just have to hope, that a child can use them properly, and not to go doing crazy things on them, I know of a child aged 9, who sustained a serious spinal injury,trying out different jumps on one.

LindaEllen · 01/03/2021 10:38

We had one before they were 'cool', so much so that we had to order it online from abroad.

We had it for 8 years, loads of kids used to come over to play on it as nobody else had one at the time.

It was a 14ft one with no net. Nobody ever got injured.

I'm not saying there's no risk, and obviously they will need to be sensible while playing on it, but it's not a definite death sentence like you seem to be thinking.

BugsAndBeesAndBirdsAndButterfl · 01/03/2021 10:40

I shouldn't read these. My child does competitive trampolining ....

UhtredRagnarson · 01/03/2021 10:40

I think I'm missing why the size of your son's head is important. Could you expand?

It makes him more top heavy and likely to fall over head first rather than landing on his feet when jumping.

JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows · 01/03/2021 10:41

The only reason I don't have a trampoline is because they rust and stay unused in the garden and it pisses the neighbours off