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Original poster

Cycle helmets - do you use them everywhere?

17 replies

BadHair · 27/08/2005 23:55

I only ask as ds1 took his bike to the park today. As it's mostly grass and flat paths I didn't bother taking his helmet. Neither did any of the other parents whose children had bikes in there. In fact, I've not seen a child with a helmet all summer.
But ds1 decided to be adventurous today. He hurtled down the only hill in the park and forgot to use his brakes at the bottom. I managed to get in front of him to stop the bike, but he flew off anyway and went head first into the bandstand.
Result - an inch long gash in the side of his head that A&E had to glue back together.
The nurse in A&E made me feel like the most useless mother in the world when I said that he wasn't wearing his helmet. I felt like I was the one who was four years old, not ds1. The nurse said that he sees head and brain injuries all the time from children who've come off their bikes in supposedly safe areas, and that ds could easily have been killed.
So, am I the only mother who's crap enough to let her children ride bikes in park and garden without hats?

OP posts:
pixel · 28/08/2005 00:17

You're not a crap mother, we all do these things. For example I'll sometimes let my son sit in the buggy without the harness on, even though I know it's dangerous, it's just luck that we mostly get away with it. Saying that though, I do insist on a cycle helmet for my dd but I think that is because I would never dream of getting on a horse without a hardhat and it's just carried over from that. Trouble is, it means I have to wear mine even when dd isn't there (even though I look ridiculous!)because I can't face having to explain to her why I wasn't wearing it if I have an accident!

I hope your little boy is feeling better now. He'll probably enjoy showing off his 'war-wound'!

hercules · 28/08/2005 08:46

Oh god, I've never made ds wear his helmet on soft grass. I will now though. So no you're not the only crap mother.

NannyL · 28/08/2005 10:09

well i hae to say i make my charges (as do their parents) where their helmet EVERYWHERE...

the are simply not even allowed to sit to their bike without it on.

In the same way that they ALWAYS are strapped in, in the car (even if we are only moving the car around the drive) (they can either sit in and be strapped in or watch us manouver!)

We do it simply to enforce the habit that they must ALWAYS do it.

but dont think you are bad mother because you didnt!!! as you say you arnt the only one...and ive bet u learnt and that from now on the will always have their hat on?

yawningmonster · 28/08/2005 10:13

in some countries it is law no matter where or who is riding the bike

ghosty · 28/08/2005 10:18

Yes I make my DS wear his helmet everywhere.
I am a little surprised that people don't actually. They are as likely to fall off and hurt their heads in a traffic free area as they are on the road, especially at 4 years old.
Would you let your child take off his seat belt if you were slowly down a quiet road?
You aren't a bad mum but I don't get it ... sorry.

Kidstrack2 · 28/08/2005 10:23

My ds is 6 and has always had to wear a helmet wherever we cycle. I don't know if you read recently in the papers about a 12yr old girl from Scotland who nearly died of a blood clot after falling from her bike, well this young girl is a neighbour of mine, who was cycling down the street and who has never owned a helmet and just bumped the kerb and went flying over the handle bars. Her mum thought she was ok but by the next day her head had swollen and was taken to our local hospital after that she went into a coma for 3days had a bleed on the brain and had to have major surgery to remove the clot. She has since recovered in the last few weeks and is now part of a local campaign to launch the wearing of helmets. I'm glad to hear Bad Hair that your ds is ok!

Hulababy · 28/08/2005 10:42

DD is only 3yo and only recently had a proper bike and started riding it. She has had a helmet from day one with it though, and before that when on her roller skates. That's in gardens and outside.

Had a talk at school by one of the teachers who came off his bike - with a helmet on, and sw damage to the helmet. Also a young lad at my last school died one evening whilst out cycling - no helmet Made me very wary.

daisy1999 · 28/08/2005 10:45

You're not a crap mother, we all make mistakes. I make my dds wear the helmet all the time but there are plenty of others who don't. On saying that I never wear one

fqueenzebra · 28/08/2005 16:25

We are a cycling family & the kids must wear helmets.. because if we started making exceptions it'd be a slippery slope to many arguments; better just to have a blanket rule. And of course I feel I must wear mine to set the right example.

INCIDENTALLY, inspite of intense lobbying by the CTC to change their minds, the British Medical Association is now pushing for helmet wearing to be compulsory. They want this for all ages; and even if it gets watered down it will still mean children under 16 having to wear helmets. Now that BMA is supporting the idea, it will probably get thru Parliament as a Private Member's Bill or even Govt. Legislation in next 5 years... so probably best for all of us to get into the habit.

fqueenzebra · 28/08/2005 16:27

And, ps, one of the fuzzy areas, if legislation does come in, is whether kids on bikes/trikes on the pavement or riding little cars (you know, the sorts with push-along poles?), or riding on bike seats or even in trailers behind their parents, might have to wear helmets, too.

triceratops · 28/08/2005 17:16

ds can't cope with rules that have exceptions. He knows that he has to wear his helmet if he gets on his bike every time.

Sorry to hear about your ds accident Badhair. I hope he is feeling better now. I had to take ds in to a&e after he put his hand in a cup of tea. I felt dreadful for weeks. Being a parent is a state of perpetual guilt.

yawningmonster · 28/08/2005 23:53

fqueenzebra, in NZ, one country where helmet use is compulsory for all ages, there are no exceptions for pavement, child seat etc, all who are on a bike must wear a helmet at all times, I think there is a fine for breaking this law. It may turn out to be the same blanket rule there.

mumbee · 29/08/2005 05:44

yes.
my two always wear theirs. Me and Dh also wear ours have done since we got married so children know no exceptions. It just is. Also very lucky that 2 out of 3 Dd best friends also do all the time. Ds friends do not at all. We also live in a quiet no through road.

Hulababy · 29/08/2005 08:46

DH and I are getting bikes when we move. Have already made sure that H knows that we will both have helmets and are to wear them every time we go out, whether with or without DD.

Hausfrau · 29/08/2005 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Prettybird · 29/08/2005 10:24

Ds (nearly 5) always wears his helmet. So much so that on one occasion when we tried to persuade him not to, when I'd taken his bike over to his grandparents for my dad to fit an attachment to it, and I wanted to get ds to show his grandad how good he had got at riding without stablisers, he got really distressed and refused.

Monstersmum · 29/08/2005 10:47

No! DS (4) just rides around garden really but I must admit I have felt guilty. One of his pals always wears a helmet though.

May go buy one today - especially after I fell off 2nd last setp of stairs and ended up with 5 stitches in forehead a few months ago - I was carrying DS who thankfully was fine.

Thanks for making me think about it again!

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