Kelly and I have three foster daughters. We love them all just like they were our own. They have a sister that lives with another family. They recently stayed the night over there. When we brought them home the next day all we could hear about was that they wanted a trampoline. I personally have reservations about owning a trampoline because I’m afraid it might cause my homeowners insurance to go up. Kelly simply says “No, they aren’t safe.” I don’t want any emergency room visits either. Since I have never owned a trampoline or was friends with anyone who did I decided to research them online to see if they were safe.
I came across a lot of controversy. Some parents claiming that as long as the rules were being followed such as: one person jumps at a time, only with parental supervision, and only if the nets were in place they are safe. I also found some people saying that their children were hurt or they’ve seen someone hurt even while they were supervised by an adult.
This leaves me wondering who is telling the truth. I suppose they all are but accidents don’t happen to everyone. The question I was asking is will my children get hurt while using the trampoline. I guess the better question would be how bad will my children get hurt using the trampoline. I would never want one of my kids to break a bone because of a toy I bought for them. That would make me feel completely irresponsible as a parent.
As I read the parents accounts with their trampolines I was amazed to find out that many of the parents bought these toys for children three years and under. These are children who are still learning to run without falling down am I right. I’m not saying that a two year old wouldn’t love to play on a trampoline but wow I would be a nervous wreck if I had my son playing on one. I always assumed they were for kids a little older. I guess I really don’t know much about these things.
Some of the injuries I read about were pretty serious. These injuries included a broken arm, two broken arms, serious sprained ankles, broken legs, and worse. These injured weren’t all children either some were the parents, or other adults who played on the new toy. One lady said her sister had to quit her job after a trampoline injury caused her so much pain that she couldn’t remain on her feet while she worked. That is simply scary. I just don’t think I’ll ever get a trampoline just because I would rather be safe rather than sorry. I also like watching funniest home videos which not only steers me away from trampolines, but I don’t think I’ll be getting a piñata for their birthday parties any time soon. Call me over protective if you like but it’s not just that I’m also very cheap and I don’t like doctor bills.
I see what you are saying and think that you have some good points. The only thing that i might have to add is that kids can get hrut doing anything. If your kids are as clumsy as mine are then they might get hurt walking across the yard. My wife and I are still undecided on the trmpoline thing though.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was six, my neighbor had a trampoline that we jumped on everyday. One day we were playing and I landed wrong on my ankle. I told her mom that it hurt but she told me to walk home. I walked home crying and my mom knew something was wrong. After an emergency room visit, I had broken my ankle. Well, it didn't heal in the right position so while the bones have healed they aren't completely lined up correctly. So far too often, after several (like 4 or 5+) hours on my feet, my ankle swells up and turns black and green. The only way to fix it is for them to re-break it and then do surgery. My mom said that it has already shown signs of early arthritis and I'm not even 20 yet.
ReplyDeleteI think you wanting to be protective is totally understandable. While trampolines are fun, they really can be dangerous.
My daughter won a trampoline when she was a year old. We sold that sucker! I think if you buy something for your children that you know you can not control the out come don't get it. I honestly would buy a a four wheeler first then you can ride with them and everything else. No I don't own a 4 wheeler, but I would put money that more kids get hurt on trampolines than a 4 wheeler.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for being "overprotective." Trampolines can be the funnest toy ever, but they can also be quite dangerous. I almost cracked my spine on one before because of trying to do tricks with friends when I knew I couldn't really do them. And I've seen people use them as "jumping boards" into pools. They can be fun, but very dangerous if used incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement "I would never want one of my kids to break a bone because of a toy I bought for them. That would make me feel completely irresponsible as a parent." It wouldn't be entirely your fault if something happened because accidents do happen, it would still make a parent feel bad that "had I not bought this, this would never have happened." But we can't control everything, so it would be a good choice either way. If you did decide to get one, make sure the kids know that it is dangerous and that there are rules.