When to start wearing bike helmets?

[wishIwasonholiday10]

At what stage would you get a toddler a bike helmet? For some people here the answer seems to be never but I am from a country where it’s illegal to ride a bike without a helmet so I’ll definitely be encouraging/mandating helmet use. At the moment she only rides a shuttle bug and does have a helmet yet although I noticed a sticker on the shuttle bug saying a helmet should be worn. Did anyone get a helmet at the shuttle bug (or other tricycle) stage or wait until they have balance bikes or scooters or even a proper bike?

A little one I nannied for fell off his tricycle and knocked his front teeth out - not on my watch thank goodness! I don't know that a helmet would have helped but it wouldn't have hurt!

Tricycle only used indoors no helmet
As soon as she was on anything outdoors she has had a helmet and used every time even if just playing on the patio

The father of the little girl I babysat for as a teenager fell off his bike and fractured his skull spending a week in ICU and only survived because a district nurse drove past and helped with cpr before the paramedics got there. Every time I am on my bike I wear a helmet and will be instilling the importance to my daughter too.

Thanks all for the responses. I’ll look at getting one soon. At the moment she rides her shuttle bug at the playground and on hard paths around the local park (no hills) but she’s still going at a snails pace. Neither of us ride a bike at the moment so she hasn’t seen us modelling one but we would if we were . I’m shocked at how many people here don’t including all the ones that use bike seats for their kids.

From day 1 of having any sort of bike or scooter or skates. It has to become routine to put it one before you can go on the bike. Just last week, a friend of mine came off a bike on a social little ride with friends - pedal hit a rock on the edge of the path and he went over the handlebars, smashed up his helmet and the helmet peak/visor bit, but his head and face were ok. It's a good reminder about why it's important to wear them, not just on the roads.

Ds had a helmet as a baby as he went in a seat on my bike. He didn’t wear it on his scuttlebug but I’m not sure he ever used it outside. He definitely wore a helmet on his first balance bike and every bike ride since. Even in the Netherlands where the locals don’t wear them on bike paths. Dh and I always wear ours.

Our LB wears one on his balance bike. Had a melt down tantrum about it once and after that we’ve had no issues.

from day one, on everything
better to be safe than sorry

Immediately.

From the very beginning. Don’t want to wear you helmet? Okay, that’s fine. Don’t get to ride though 🤷‍♀️