backyard trampoline?

[DVC-Don]

Make sure it is anchored securely. Those suckers can really fly in high winds! I recall driving around after thunderstorms and seeing trampolines in strange places.

 

[bdcp]

I have read they are very dangerous. There are injury statistics out there.

Taken from an abc report:

"An estimated 98,000 trampoline-related injuries occurred in 2009, resulting in 3,100 hospitalizations, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Head and neck trauma account for 17 percent of injuries.

In most cases, safety measures taken to reduce injuries don't work, according to the policy report published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Enclosed netting and padding have not been enough to significantly reduce the number of people who are getting hurt, the report concluded."

The report (one of many, many hits I got searching for "trampoline dangers" is here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/report-warns-trampoline-dangers/story?id=17292265#.UY4uZWO7HD0

And for the person that reported the stats on bicycles, that's like comparing apples to oranges. Almost all kids have bicycles, not all families have trampolines. Those numbers cannot be compared to make any point.

I (and my kids) begged for a lot of things for our birthdays, but that didn't mean we got them. I don't get the getting your child what you want because they ask/beg for it when you are hesitant. Easy to say you're not comfortable with the safety factor and it's a no. Simple and straightforward.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

We've had one for two years and its been great- it does have an enclosure on it.

 

[EeyoreEma]

I hate trampolines. They are very dangerous in my opinion. Our neighbors have one, and unfortunately our kids love to get on there, but I don't hesitate to yank them off if they get near the edge or if too many kids get on there. I will never own one.

 

[pocomom]

I was always against having a trampoline. I felt like they were unsafe and frankly kind of unattractive in the yard. I was very concerned my kids would break their necks, or an arm etc. We were visiting friends when he little boy broke his ankle on theirs. The kids REALLY wanted one, and when we were picking out a playset the place had several on display. They now have ones with enclosures and the springs are vertical on the outside of the trampoline. There are no hard surfaces they can hit, except each other. I was still really hesitant until I got on it for the first time. I happened to be wearing my exercise monitor and I could not believe how quickly I was at my maximum heart rate. It is amazing exercise, and super fun. My daughter has a heart problem, and needs to keep active in order to be healthy long term. Truth is though that all the kids these days need more active time. We bought it that day. We have had it now for 2 years and the kids love it. They go on several times a day. No major injuries, a few bumps and bruises, but no more than they get doing other active things. We don't move it to mow, ours is anchored to the ground, and we simply lower the sides and cover it in the winter (and use the underneath for other yard toys), in the summer the grass under it doesn't really grow I just trim around the edges with the weed whacker. I also love that when they have friends over they pretty much stay outside playing now ...not much to clean up after!

 

[Dizisfun]

When my son was like 9 his father took him to a friends house. They had a trampoline and they let 3 kids on it at the same time. Smdh. Anyway son came home bc he sprained his ankle or so we thought. He ended up having to have surgery and was in a cast for several weeks. My kids begged for one for years, they are grown now, but we nvr allowed it.

 

[Dizisfun]

I have to add that I saw one that was in the ground. They had dug a huge hole and dropped it in. No risk of falling off but still only one kid should be one it at a time.

 

[pocomom]

I was always against having a trampoline. I felt like they were unsafe and frankly kind of unattractive in the yard. I was very concerned my kids would break their necks, or an arm etc. We were visiting friends when he little boy broke his ankle on theirs. The kids REALLY wanted one, and when we were picking out a playset the place had several on display. They now have ones with enclosures and the springs are vertical on the outside of the trampoline. There are no hard surfaces they can hit, except each other. I was still really hesitant until I got on it for the first time. I happened to be wearing my exercise monitor and I could not believe how quickly I was at my maximum heart rate. It is amazing exercise, and super fun. My daughter has a heart problem, and needs to keep active in order to be healthy long term. Truth is though that all the kids these days need more active time. We bought it that day. We have had it now for 2 years and the kids love it. They go on several times a day. No major injuries, a few bumps and bruises, but no more than they get doing other active things. We don't move it to mow, ours is anchored to the ground, and we simply lower the sides and cover it in the winter (and use the underneath for other yard toys), in the summer the grass under it doesn't really grow I just trim around the edges with the weed whacker. I also love that when they have friends over they pretty much stay outside playing now ...not much to clean up after!

here's a link to one like ours:
http://www.recreationsoutlet.com/products/springfree-trampolines

 

[Hanover]

Our boys wanted one, but our home owners insurance also said that they wouldn't cover it.

We live in a pretty windy area and had one neighbor's trampoline that was in with small stakes come through 3 panels of our wooden privacy fence. It blew from about an acre away. Our son opened the blinds the morning after this happened and was so excited because he thought we bought them one. Our fence was 6 years old and the company was no longer making that particular style, so we ended up replacing the entire fence at our expense, minus the 3 panels the neighbor's paid for at the cost of the original fence. During the same storm, a friend on the other side of the neighborhood had her unstaked trampoline blow across the street and was sitting on her neighbor's car. She had to pay for the damages. The neighor whose trampoline blew through our fence bought a new one, but had it anchored with huge stakes and cement.

I also have a friend whose son was at a neighbor's house and fell out of the safety enclosure and broke both wrists. Her health insurance refused to pay for his treatment and instead made her neighbor's home owner's insurnce pay for the medical expenses.

We do allow our sons to jump on trampolines at other's homes, but only with parental supervision and following strict rules.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Make sure it is anchored securely. Those suckers can really fly in high winds! I recall driving around after thunderstorms and seeing trampolines in strange places.

You took the words right out of my post before I posted seriously you are very correct my neighbor used to have one and I have a horse Anytime over the years that we have had a tropical storm or tornado warnings my biggest fear was that thing would come flying over to my property and the horse would get injured with flying pieces I never said a word but was grateful when it disappeared for good I think they finally got tired of moving it like pp said when cutting the lawn

 

[ktlm]

I'm an attorney and have defended a couple of trampoline cases where people have been sued because kids got hurt on them in their yard. They are very dangerous. I will never let DD have one, and I cringe if she is going to a friend's house that has one. Most people think it is the falling off you have to worry about. That isn't where most injuries occur. Most injuries occur when people land wrong, and the most occur when more than one person is jumping on a trampoline which is never supposed to happen, but which people do all the time. You will see warnings in the manuals and often even on stickers on the trampoline itself that only one person is to jump at a time. The reason is that the mat is supposed to give when you hit it and then bounce you back up; however, there is a point where it has become taut (stretched and pulled tight) either in an up position because someone has just bounced off of it or in a down position because someone has just come down and is still on it. If someone else comes down and hits the mat while it is in the taut position, it is basically like landing on concrete. That is how a lot of people break their bones- specifically legs. One of the cases I had involved a break in the growth plate and they were concerned that the kids legs might not be exactly the same length when he grew up. Your kid can just be jumping up and down normally with another kid doing absolutely nothing wrong and then hit the mat when it is stretched out and break a bone.

In doing research, I found there have also been cases where someone tries a flip, but lands on their head and breaks their neck and winds up paraplegic or quadriplegic, although that is obviously not common.

It is not as dangerous if you limit it to one person at a time always like you are supposed to, but it still has dangers. Plus, in my experience, even if you try to limit it, the minute you turn your back the kids are going to have more than one person jumping on it.

Also, as has been said repeatedly, if your homeowner's insurance discovers you have a trampoline in your yard, there is a good chance you will get cancelled. Some of them even ask the question on your insurance application now, so if you change insurance, you might have to disclose that you have one.

Also, any time a storm blows through your town, the trampoline can get blown over ripped etc. Around here, most of them don't last too long because we usually get some pretty big spring storms.

 

[pocomom]

http://pediatrics.aappublications.o...html?sid=0f8a92ed-26af-4d02-a6bc-5ed36518ead6

this is a link to the statement and backup data of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (and I don't follow all of thier statements and guidleines for my kids, but a good place to start with actual information)
As stated most injuries come from multiple jumpers... (in our house the rule is simple , break the rules on the trampoline and you are off , for a month. no warning , no second chances. Do it again and we get rid of the trampoline. 2 years and the kids haven't broken the rules. )
30-40% come from falling off the trampoline
20 % come from contact with the springs.
In children under 14 the risks and injuries are on par with swimming pools injuries.
So getting a model like the one I referenced before, and being smart about setting limits should help reduce risks significantly. Still it is a personal decision. Lots of people wouldn't get a swimming pool either, but if our neighborhood would allow it (community pool) and we had the room I would love one!

 

[TexasErin]

One of DH's coworkers (a grown man, obviously) just broke his neck in two places. They're not sure if he'll ever walk again.

I had one growing up and loved it, but my kids do not have one.....

 

[bdcp]

http://pediatrics.aappublications.o...html?sid=0f8a92ed-26af-4d02-a6bc-5ed36518ead6

this is a link to the statement and backup data of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (and I don't follow all of thier statements and guidleines for my kids, but a good place to start with actual information)
As stated most injuries come from multiple jumpers... (in our house the rule is simple , break the rules on the trampoline and you are off , for a month. no warning , no second chances. Do it again and we get rid of the trampoline. 2 years and the kids haven't broken the rules. )
30-40% come from falling off the trampoline
20 % come from contact with the springs.
In children under 14 the risks and injuries are on par with swimming pools injuries.
So getting a model like the one I referenced before, and being smart about setting limits should help reduce risks significantly. Still it is a personal decision. Lots of people wouldn't get a swimming pool either, but if our neighborhood would allow it (community pool) and we had the room I would love one!

I have yet to see one child jumping on a trampoline alone because their parents or the owners told them that was the rule. Unless you are going to stand there outside and watch, that rule won't last and I'm not referring to your kids, it's usually someone else's who doesn't have rules or doesn't have any reason to follow them and yet, they're usually the first to sue.

Single jumpers who get hurt usually land wrong and have much more severe injuries than those that jump into each other and get bruises, bloody noses, etc. But, those that want a trampoline will justify it however they can. I'm betting a lot of people would be shocked at their home owners insurances opinions.

 

[jenflamingo1]

PLEASE CONTINUE to completely research this idea -again , the AAP's statement is very true . Yes , there are bike injuries (and some can be very bad ) BUT the head and neck injuries from a trampoline can be life-altering for both kid and family . Head and neck injuries are devastating... you don't even want to know how bad. my kids will not be getting a trampoline .

 

[clori]

We went to a party in another state where the homeowners had put up a trampoline with an enclosure just weeks before for heir two year old birthday. It was someone dh was working with at the time and he asked dh for permission before my girls were allowed on it. I said sure if they use it properly. Well my dd 9 was alone on it and was separating the safety netting to get off. somehow the netting snapped into her arm and the end result was dd had two broken bones and needed two surgeries.

We went to the local hospital but dd was transferred to a children's hospital in my state. All the options were in cities an hour away. For me it was close to home but it was the same options if I lived near where the party occurred. Within days I got called by the insurance company asking about he homeowners insurance company where the accident happened. I had no idea and said I would get bak to them but that it was just a fluke accident and dd was using it appropriately with permission. In the long run medical insurance paid but first reaction was to go after homeowners insurance. Dh did tell coworker to check that was installed properly and to check home owners insurance. Do to the job being a contract job that was eNding dh no longer sees the coworker.

Basically using a trampoline with a safety enclosure is no guarantee that it is safe even when used appropriately. My personal homeowners insurance does not allow trampolines and when talking to the agent when we first got insurance we were told that they sometimes do flyovers if they suspect someone of having one. My yard is on a steep hill so too un level for one so not something I ever put much thought into. If caught with one we will be dropped.

 

[shortbun]

Ask your insurance agent.

 

[stasijane]

My DD13 has had one for three years now and loves it. We have had no issues at all with it, and it keeps her busy I cringe when she rides her bike because thats where I see children get hurt the most.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My old neighbor had one. Her grandson broke his arm falling off it (how I don't know - she had one of those net things around it).

Her insurance found out it was done on a trampoline and cancelled her homeowners insurance. I guess she filed it through homeowners insurance maybe? I've no idea.

She no longer lives in the neighborhood but she did get rid of it after that and did find a new company to insure her house afterwards.

 

[drinkme]

My ds ended up in the er for stitches after being on a neighbors trampoline. The kids were using it properly but ds's knee ended up hitting his chin & cutting it open.

I would never own one. Too many things could go wrong.