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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed that CM doesn’t use helmets..

153 replies

SarahJeffers341 · 26/11/2021 06:56

My daughter goes to a childminder and goes out on a bike. She is 3.5. She told me she doesn’t wear a helmet! This is a balance bike riding around the street. I always make her wear one with us and as a CM shouldn’t she be even more aware?! I took ours and told her I want her to wear is every time she’s on the bike.. she agreed but didn’t apologise and when they went out the other day (my daughter told me) the other two boys she looks after weren’t wearing them!

I just don’t get why you’d not think it was imperative! If one fell off surely she would be liable! I know she will now make my daughter wear hers but I’m annoyed she didn’t think it was an issue. Am IBU?!

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 26/11/2021 06:59

I would expect parents to provide helmets, they have to fit a child's head exactly so I wouldn't expect a cm to fund this.

Original poster
SarahJeffers341 · 26/11/2021 07:01

I don’t expect her to fund it but maybe to ask for them if she’s going to take the children out on them as I would never have known! The other two boys aren’t wearing them!

OP posts:
PinkWaferBiscuit · 26/11/2021 07:03

I don't understand why you would be cross at her not providing helmets? The logical thing would be for the parent to provide the helmets which you have now done. It's not up the the childminder to provide every child with a helmet.

ChrissyPlummer · 26/11/2021 07:03

Maybe the other parents are OK with it? I mean, the CM should’ve asked but like a pp I would expect parents to provide as they have to be an exact fit.

Ponoka7 · 26/11/2021 07:04

It's a matter of opinion. It would be rare for a child to get a head injury on a balance bike. You've stated your wishes and she's gone with them.
I didn't put helmets on my children and my GC don't wear them either, very few children that I've seen do.

SheWoreYellow · 26/11/2021 07:05

She would be liable but does that really help?! You want to avoid an injury, not be able to sue her.

It’s really crap of her.

Ponoka7 · 26/11/2021 07:05

Also if a child fell off a bike she wouldn't be liable unless they were completely unsupervised. Children have accidents. It's part of them developing and growing. Are you too risk adverse, do you think?

Oftenithinkaboutit · 26/11/2021 07:05

Excuse me??

You asked for your daughter to wear a helmet
And your CM has ignored you?

icedcoffees · 26/11/2021 07:07

But she does use helmets when provided by the parents.

Were you not aware they used bikes before now or something? And if you were aware, surely that was the time to say you wanted DD to use a helmet?

Bingbong21 · 26/11/2021 07:07

They aren't allowed on bikes/trikes at school without a helmet. They manage to provide helmets.

I'd be pretty concerned!

PinkWaferBiscuit · 26/11/2021 07:07

@Oftenithinkaboutit

Excuse me??

You asked for your daughter to wear a helmet
And your CM has ignored you?

No she hasn't ignored the OP. Confused The op is is now cross because she's not also demanding the other children are to wear helmets.
PinkWaferBiscuit · 26/11/2021 07:09

@Bingbong21

They aren't allowed on bikes/trikes at school without a helmet. They manage to provide helmets.

I'd be pretty concerned!

That might be true at your child's school but I've worked in hundreds of early years classes and not one them has ever required helmets. Its offering nothing more than a false sense of protection for a child to be wearing an incorrectly fitted helmet.
Original poster
SarahJeffers341 · 26/11/2021 07:14

Wow some of you are really not bothered!
A 3.5 year old going down a fast hill on a balance bike needs a helmet. She’s fallen off before at home with a helmet on thankfully. I didn’t know they had be using bikes and when she told me, I took a helmet but wanted to know if she was being unreasonable initially letting all the kids not wear them. I don’t expect her to buy them but to ask us for them.

I wasn’t suggesting I wanted to sue her! I was concerned for my daughters safety and if she fell off without a helmet I would be very angry with CM!

OP posts:
BeardieWeirdie · 26/11/2021 07:19

I think it’s terrible. One of the first sentences my two-year-old could say was “no helmet, no bike”. It isn’t so much that riding a balance bike is terribly dangerous, but that children need to learn that wearing their helmet is absolutely non-negotiable before they start riding a proper bicycle on the road. I would be wondering what other slack attitudes the CM has.

PinkWaferBiscuit · 26/11/2021 07:20

I don’t expect her to buy them but to ask us for them.

Which is fine if the parents wish to buy them but now you're still cross with her that the other 2 children's parents have chosen to not provid them.

Wow some of you are really not bothered! A 3.5 year old going down a fast hill on a balance bike needs a helmet.

Honestly no I wouldn't be fussed at this. I highly doubt she is taking them to fast hills and letting them loose at top speed. If you don't trust her to adequately care for your daughter you need to move her but she's done nothing wrong in my opinion.

purplesequins · 26/11/2021 07:25

what are they doing apart from going on the balance bike?

bike helmets are a strangulation risk when climbing for example. so if the activity is 'playground with added ride on' then no helmet would be safer.

girlmom21 · 26/11/2021 07:26

Our nursery don't use helmets, but the children are also in a small enclosed flat garden.

I don't think the other children are your issue.

AlohaMolly · 26/11/2021 07:26

Same as a PP, my son knew that he didn’t ride his bike without his helmet. I disagree with people saying DC are unlikely to get head injuries - balance bikes are amazing for building confidence and skill and my son could absolutely motor on his Grin we live rurally in the mountains so up/down hills all the time, really fast as no cars and really confident.

Staryflight445 · 26/11/2021 07:36

I don’t understand the people who are commenting negatively about a helmet. Do you guys not wear seatbelts in the car?

Helmets save lives, this is a fact. You cannot catch your fall very well when you’re at speed which increases the risk of hitting your head.
It doesn’t take much of a head bump to cause long lasting damage.

RedWingBoots · 26/11/2021 07:37

My DD doesn't wear a helmet on a balance bike, scooter or tricycle and if my CM or her nursery forced her to wear one I would be very cross with them.

My DD doesn't go down hill fast on any of them as I deliberately take her to hills to see if she will do that. (She has to go down hill on one in the way to the CMs then we go to steeper ones on the weekend.)

Your child wears a helmet to comply with your wishes mine doesn't.

You need to stop telling other parents how to parent as it is none of your business.

EatYourVegetables · 26/11/2021 07:40

If she provides the bicycles, she should provide the helmets.

icedcoffees · 26/11/2021 07:40

@purplesequins

what are they doing apart from going on the balance bike?

bike helmets are a strangulation risk when climbing for example. so if the activity is 'playground with added ride on' then no helmet would be safer.

Or they could just take the helmets off?
icedcoffees · 26/11/2021 07:41

@EatYourVegetables

If she provides the bicycles, she should provide the helmets.
I disagree with this - helmets should be properly fitted at a bike shop, and it's not the CM's responsibility to do that or bear the costs involved.

Whereas a bike can be used by any child as long as they're the right size.

Adelino · 26/11/2021 07:44

@EatYourVegetables

If she provides the bicycles, she should provide the helmets.
Agree with this. YANBU
JKDinomum · 26/11/2021 07:49

Totally agree that children should be taught no helmet no bike from the start and this should be non-negotiable. Our junior school specifies that if children ride bikes to school they MUST wear a helmet. It is for parents to provide these of course but I believe the childminder should say the same, if children are to be riding their bikes they must have a helmet.

If the childminder is providing the bikes she should also be providing helmets.