Do you let your child jump on a trampoline?

[JESW]

Dd8 has a new friend who has been over our house a couple of times now. Her Mom wants to pay the favor back and have dd over their house soon. She just told me (in an e-mail) that they have a trampoline. Well, I personally don't like those things and don't feel comfortable letting my kids on them. So when the time comes I am going to have to be a mean Mom and say that I don't want dd going on it.

I was just wondering how other parents feel about trampolines.

Jill

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Well we have one that goes in the house and my kids love it. We will not get one for outside because kids do get hurt on them, (and our homeowners would go up if we got one) but we have a friend who has one and we have let our kids go on it and our kids are a bit younger than yours. For me, if they are supervised and it has the safety netting I don't have a problem with it. We used to have trampolines as part of gym class when we were kids and we had so much fun! We have a ginormous bounce house so I don't think it's much different. You have to do what you are comfortable with though. Good luck!

 

[carrie6466]

I would ask if the trampoline has a safety enclosure around it. We have had one for quite a few years now. It has the safety net around it. As long as the kids are careful and obey the rules, we have no problems. Anyone, guests or my own kids, who doesn't obey the rules is done for the day.

We don't allow kids of different sizes on together. That is how little ones get hurt. If we have little ones on it, only little ones can go on, and even then, we only allow 3 at a time.

The bigger ones then get a turn, and they only get to have 2 on together.

It's for jumping. We don't allow them to bring anything on it other than their bodies or some small balls that we have that were originally for a ball pit.

If there is more than one at a time on there, we also don't allow them to do flips or any kind of tricks that will cause them to be tripping each other, falling over each other or bumping into each other.

No pushing, shoving, tripping or jumping on the side of the enclosure with the opening.

It sounds like a lot of rules, but they really do all love it and have a lot of fun on it. Everyone is good following the rules and I've only ever had to pull one of my nephews off for the day. That was because he (11) refused to get off when it was the little one's (4,5,7) turn.

PS: I have a 4 year old and an 18 year old...plus various and assorted nieces and nephews and friends, etc.

 

[CEDmom]

We won't let DD unless we're there or another parent that we really trust. Also we won't let her on if there are other children on it. Call me overprotective, I don't care. Luckily, none of our friends have one and DD isn't really interested in them anyway.

BTW, we have friends with bounce houses and I think those are much different than a trampoline. You can't fall off a bounce house and you really can't jump very high either.

 

[JunieJay]

I'm o.k. with it as long as they have the safety net.

Then again, I'm from the generation that had trampolines in P.E. class. There was no such thing as netting back then, all we had was other girls standing around as "spotters". We were constantly flying off that thing. Between that and the uneven bars, its a wonder any of us are alive today.

 

[Southern4sure]

We have a trampoline without a net. Christmas will be 7 yrs and no broken bones yet. The things my kids do with that trampoline....

 

[Sir Ron]

I don't mind the trampoline. I'd rather them jump on one than use Heely's. haha

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We had a trampoline with the net and had no problems.
We had to take it down because of construction/renovation on the house.
Needed the backyard for the wood, siding, etc.

 

[freckles and boo]

I am not all that comfortable either. I haven't seen broken bones, but I have seen plenty of bonked heads resulting in bloody noses and bloody lips.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We have a trampoline without a net. Christmas will be 7 yrs and no broken bones yet. The things my kids do with that trampoline....

The 2 boys behind us had one with out the net also.
Frome what I can see over the 6 foot fence was nerve racking.
It looked like they were jumping 20 feet!

 

[ckay87]

I feel really strongly about letting the kids jump, climb, dig, dive, swing, slide, run, skate, swim... as often and as vigorously as possibly. (Don't even get me started about how schools take away all the equipment and recess time and then complain about overweight kids.)

Anyway, yes. While we don't have one ourselves, I let my boys jump often on friends' trampolines.

The prospect of my son driving...this is the first time I've truely worried about his safety. As terrible as that sounds, it's just me. I just say, "go play, be careful" and hope for the best.

 

[Becky2005]

I have no problems with them. I will say my son did break his arm on one & I *still* would have no problem letting him go on it again.

In his case, he didn't fall off & break his arm; it was the fact that he was crawling on the trampoline when he shouldn't have been.

Of course, I also have a DD who is a gymnast and if you saw the moves they do on a balance beam (and usually without spotters during the competitions) -- that gives me a heart attack more than any trampoline would.

 

[jel0511]

I personally wouldn't allow it, I've met too many people who've broken bones, EVEN with the safety netting, IMO it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll join you in the mean mom club, because I wouldn't allow my 9 YO or 6 YO near one.

 

[Southern4sure]

The 2 boys behind us had one with out the net also.
Frome what I can see over the 6 foot fence was nerve racking.
It looked like they were jumping 20 feet!

Are you sure your not my backdoor neighbor? I did get the "Bad Mom Award" on the Dis.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Are you sure your not my backdoor neighbor? I did get the "Bad Mom Award" on the Dis.

No wonder why I live next to you, I was one of the runner- ups.

 

[Southern4sure]

No wonder why I live next to you, I was one of the runner- ups.

 

[Hannathy]

I feel really strongly about letting the kids jump, climb, dig, dive, swing, slide, run, skate, swim... as often and as vigorously as possibly. (Don't even get me started about how schools take away all the equipment and recess time and then complain about overweight kids.)

Anyway, yes. While we don't have one ourselves, I let my boys jump often on friends' trampolines.

I agree! Yes I let and have allowed my kids to jump on trampolines. Just as much damage or worse can be done on bikes, swing sets,skate boards, pools, are you going to forbid everything? In the great ironies of life the child with the most over protective Mother on the street started the summer with both arms in casts! How she broke them was falling off her own swing in her own backyard ( isn't allowed to run and play with the other kids) so accidents can happen anywhere why deny kids some of the fun experiences of childhood because of our paranoia. Kids heal great!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We've had a trampoline for the past 3+ years. The kids do play safely on it and enjoy it. Whenever they have a freind come over we are sure to get an OK from that child's parent before they can jump. A safety enclosure is a must IMO.

 

[PatsGirl]

Yep, I let my kids jump on trampolines, build bike ramps, own go-carts, climb trees, jump off the railroad bridges into the river, longboard down extensive hills, and do all sorts of crazy and risky things. Supervision and explanation of the safety rules (including equipment like safety nets and bike helmets, etc) is key most of the time. The only time my son has been seriously hurt is 1)when riding his bike, hit a rock, and went over the front losing both front teeth at age 6 , 2) somehow falling during recess on the monkeybars requiring 15 stitches to his chin at age 7 , 3)bit by a snake during swimming lessons with the YMCA at a local pond at age 9 , 4) breaking his thumb during basketball practice at school at age 13 , 5) breaking his shoulder playing his first varsity football game at age 15 -- my point, every time my son has been injured, with the exception of the bike incident, he was at a school or camp sponsored event -- and he spends nearly all of his time outside of these events being very active doing some crazy things

My DD10 on the other hand is not very active and it's kinda hard to get hurt playing with your dolls or doing oil paints so for the moment no broken bones and no stitches and I don't really see this in her near future

 

[java]

I let my kids on ones that are maintained. We were at a party and the trampoline was in use and my kids wanted to go on- I was the killjoy and said let's check it out. I walked over there and thought- oh good a net. Then I got right up to it and realized there was a huge hole in the trampoline- perfect child slipping through size- so no go for my kids. They were mad but got over it as soon as someone fell through the hole and broke his arm(about 10 minutes after I said no..sometimes karma is on my side- not on the kid that broke his arms side I guess, but my side yes )

So my point being it depends on the trampoline and the parent. I can name a bunch that I wouldn't have a problem with because I know they would be all over the kids. And others that I know probably wouldn't even be within eyeshot of the trampoline.