Do you think it is safe for your dc to ride on your dp's shoulders?

[Elf]

The accidents thread has reminded me about this.

Whenever DH does this, I hate it because I think if he tripped on something, then the dc would surely die. It would be a heavy smack on the ground from high up wouldn't it? Also, if you are carrying someone on your shoulders, your vision isn't so good because you are not moving your head so freely are you? This is apart from dangers from up high.

It is such a common thing to do but I feel the danger isn't recognised.

What do you think?

no but i think it's safe for him to ride on mine!

on the other hand, he is much less likely to run off into the street, fall into a pond or whatever when he is on DH's shoulders. Plus it is the only way to make sure we get places since my DS has refused to sit in his buggy since he was 18 months.

Ok, what if your dc was on a climbing frame (similar height)? If he fell, then he would "surely die"

Or if you were carrying your dc on a moving escalator, if you slipped at the top that would be even higher.

There have been a few threads recently of dcs accidentally falling down the stairs. You can never avoid any type of accident we are all human.

I don't want to sound unkind or unsympathetic. Basically there are lots of risks in life. In our family dcs can go on daddy's shoulders. But I would be that there are other "risks" that you take that I would never do...

We all make our personal mini risk assessments I think, and make our own decision.

I carry my DS around all the time on my shoulders. How often does your DH trip up normally? If you've never seen him do it, I doubt he's any more likely (actually probably less as I'd hope he's being careful) than if he's carrying your DC.

Yes I do think it is 'safe' - as 'safe' as anything is and frankly if you're not going to let your dp carry your child in this time honoured fashion then you might just as well pack it in and actually wrap the child in cotton wool and bubble wrap - that's the next step

I let my youngest ride on my shoulders.

Having said this, the other day I was walking behind my dh, who was having ds2 on his shoulders, and I stumbled and fell on to him with great speed from behind nearly knocking him over. I will think twice in the future. And it was crossing a car park with no particular obstacles.

I used to get more worried about my walking under something too low

Is it only dads who carry their kids like this then?

i carry ds like this all the time. (He is 4)

Ditto Spicemonster

DH has just started doing this with DS who is only 8 months (admittedly a very very tall 8 months, but still too young in my opinion as he doesn't hold onto DH). I hate it - I can't watch when he does it as I'm convinced something horrible will happen.

I'm told by DH that I'm just paranoid, and he may be right. I can't stand it when DH crosses the road against the lights if he's got DS with him, even if there's no cars nearby - I just think why take the risk.

Have asked DH not to do both of the above, but as he says "he's my child too, and I won't take silly risks" - so I am trying to relax a little.

didn't even consider it a safety issue, please don't take away precious growing up things from your children because you've been scare mongered by a who-can-I-sue-compensation-culture

My ds gets to work with secateurs under our watch full eyes, he can use a hammer to his abilities, he can even saw a piece of wood. All with real tools, and no, we're not mad, we just don't underestimate his abilities and we think it's better to let him learn early on that there will always be risks in everything that you do in life.

Kids have been doing this for years. I do think you have to be fairly strong though.

I do wonder about those girls at festivals etc on their boyfriend's shoulders. They must be SOOOO heavy after a bit. Are the men too manly to say 'Geerofffff!?

DH often carries DS on his shoulders. I used to but am now the unsympathetic you-can-jolly-well-walk parent, whereas DH is more of a pushover.

I've never seen DH trip and fall over in the twelve years we've been together so have no particular reason to think he's going to start now. And if he did fall it'd be human nature to protect the DC, so DC wouldn't exactly plummet to the ground. And if DC did plummet to the ground they wouldn't "surely die" (although agree not a good idea and potentially serious).

As justaphase says, DC are far less likely to run into traffic (etc.) when on shoulders.

I think you are stressing too much.

My DS loves carrying DD like this. have to bite my lip....
it is so sweet

It's so lovely, the riding on shoulders. I used to love carrying my DSs like this.

When DS2 was only just old enogh to stand, he could walk himself up my calves, knees, thighs, torso, and eventually up to stand on my shoulders (with me holding his hands all the way up, of course. He carried on doing this until he was too heavy for me to play my part.

Now he climbs brilliantly on a climbing wall.

But how would you get a baby up and down the stairs- surely that's a lot higher? What if you tripped and fell?

Off topic but I'm only 5ft 2 and petite and somehow managed to carry my ds who was nearly 4 on shoulders all the way from the London Eye to the cafe in St James park. Poor little mite was tired but so was I!!! It hadn't even occurred to me that I might trip and fall

I think the "surely die" is debatable. I nannied for a child who fell off her father's shoulder on to a stone tiled floor aged 12 months. She cried for ages (wanted to sit with me, not her Mum) and she was fine.

I would worry about an 8 month old child doing it purely because they could rock back and fall.

I don't do it and ask DH not to - I think it is really risky

There is nothing like riding on your parents shoulders as a tot. |My DP does it all the time. It's lovely to see the DC with shining eyes enjoying their adventure.

I nannied for a child who fell off her father's shoulder on to a stone tiled floor aged 12 months. She cried for ages

must have been a pretty shitty experience for her though even if she was fine

no, I don't feel worried, just glad I'm not doing the carrying for a change!

I don't like my dad doing it though, cos I still remember him carrying me like this and falling. I didn't die, as you can see but he sprained his ankle. Badly.

oh come on - its as safe or not as anything else. A meteor could crash into their buggy, a tornado could sweep them up whilst holding your hands. I carry my 9m on my shoulders all the time to give my back a rest and he has never even come close to falling and i have never tripped. If I did my instinct would be to do everyting in my power to give him a soft landing in my arms so I would more likely hurt myself. Hence when I slipped down the stairs whilst carrying him in the standard way in my arms at 12 weeks he was fine but I still have a cracked coccyx and weekly physio. And today I saw someone in the park trip and crash into her baby safely strapped in its buggy and tip it over giving the baby a bit of a nasty bash on the head (was ok though).

I don't like it, but then I'm paranoid. DH does it with dd, and she loves it. I always walk really close by and as my reactions are quite quick, I like to think I might be able to come between her and floor in the event of accident. I sometimes hold her leg at same time. dh goes mad.