Do you let your child jump on a trampoline?

[mickeyboat]

I will let my kids jump if I am there supervising, and I have let them jump at a gymnastics camp. But I am not all that keen on trampolines.

Denae

 

[Southern4sure]

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

I hear ya, my youngest broke his jaw falling off the monkey bars at school. He also was 7 at the time. I bought a permanent lifetime spot right at the front door of the orthodontist office.

 

[shirleyb]

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.

I agree. We've had one for 4 or 5 years, with a net, and no broken bones or any other issues.

Actually, we've had more broken bones (2) from taking a fall WALKING in the yard! So, no matter how careful you are with your kids, you can't prevent all accidents.

 

[MareQ]

I HATE them! My DD broke a growth plate in her ankle when she was 4.... She didn't fall off - just landed funny...

Unfortunately it happened the first week of "summer" after school let out - on our FIRST DAY of our vacation! I had to carry her everywhere because she was too little for crutches - no swimming etc. I felt so bad for her

 

[lemondog]

Our 6yo DD is absolutely NOT allowed to jump on a trampoline without a safety enclosure. Two of our neighbors have trampolines and the neighborhood kids are always jumping on them. We told our DD she was not allowed. She naturally disobeyed and got on there. We found out because she came home crying with a HUGE bruise on her hip and a scraped up back. Not only did we lay down some serious threats (she loses her bike and scooter for an entire week if we ever catch her on them again) but we also told those kids' parents that she was not allowed, and to call us immediately if they saw her on it.

As far as supervision, it really doesn't matter when it comes to trampolines. Even with an adult RIGHT THERE a child can get hurt. A little boy in my preschool class got a trampoline for Christmas. 2 weeks later he was in a cast from toe to hip for 6 weeks. His mom was sitting right there ON the trampoline with him while he was jumping and he still broke his leg.

All that said, DD takes gymnastics and gets to jump on the trampoline there all the time, so I don't feel like she is missing out.

 

[lovetoscrap]

When dd11 was about 2 I was still on the fence about them. She was really too little for them anyway. But I was at a relative's house and their kids went out to play on their trampoline. DD was very upset I wouldn't let her go out without me. A few minutes later my cousin comes in screaming that her sister is hurt.

An ER visit later and my cousin (who was about 11 at the time) had managed to basically give herself an episiotomy when she fell. It was pretty bad. I was not longer on the fence.

I agree that kids can get hurt on so many things, but some seem to just naturally lead to more injuries than others. To each their own. I choose to be the mean mom and not allow my kids on backyard trampolines. But I don't let my personal choice ruin the fun for anyone but my own kids .

 

[luv2crash]

We have one and we let our kids jump. However, we do not let other kids jump unless their parents are there or have said it was ok.

That being said, they can be dangerous. Last summer a friends daughter landed wrong (not on our trampoline) and broke her hip. She was in a cast from her waist to her ankle all summer last year and is now having hip replacement this fall. She is 8 years old. It was a freak thing they had netting and spring cover but several kids were jumping and the spot she landed was "hard". I guess it was stretched so that it didn't give when she landed.

 

[luv2crash]

3)bit by a snake during swimming lessons with the YMCA at a local pond at age 9

Sorry to hijack the thread for a minute but what kind of snake was it? We have a cabin on a lake and this is one of my greatest fears!

 

[mommasita]

No.

I have awful awful memories of one of a girl in my grade 7 gym class breaking her neck, and is a fully paralyzed due to it. I realize it was the old fashioned kind (many many moons ago), but having witnessed this at 12, I will never forget it..

My kids are also VERY accident prone..I have no problems with those who allow it, just does not float my boat.

 

[carrie6466]

We have one and we let our kids jump. However, we do not let other kids jump unless their parents are there or have said it was ok...[snip]several kids were jumping and the spot she landed was "hard". I guess it was stretched so that it didn't give when she landed.

That's why we have the rule of only 2 or 3 and they need to be relatively the same size. We did have an accident at first. My friend's son, who was around 4 at the time, climbed on with the 'big' boys' and when they jumped he got hurt, even though he was just standing there getting bounced around. He didn't break anything, but it was enough for me to set stricter rules.

As far as the driving goes: The scariest thing I ever did was let my son get his learner's permit and then his driver's license. Even though he is a good driver (scored a perfect score on the road test) I worry every time he gets behind the wheel.

PS: We can score my son down as another one who fell off the monkey bars at school around 6 and broke his arm.

 

[Pop Daddy]

yes, I just dont let her daddy

 

[MomofTwingles3]

I personally let my kids do whatever they want....we have a trampoline in the backyard, with no net and hardly any cover over the bars, but the kids have a ball. my oldest will bring all the little ones out there and it is so much fun to watch them! my belief is that if we were able to be kids, why not let our children?

 

[Freyja]

We have one, so yes, I allow my kids to jump on it. All 4 of them (2,5,10 and 12 years old).

 

[coolbeans]

DD broke her growth plate in her foot on a trampoline when she was 5, it was a freak accident (neighbors kid jumped and DD didn't, the difference just caught her foot the wrong way). She played on it again after her foot was better. She is a kid, kids get hurt. (I'm more nervous about them now.. but that's just me.)

 

[Minnie_me]

No trampolines for my kids, unless it's got a safety net, and they jump ONE at a time.

My niece broke her elbow while jumping "safely" with one friend. The ER doctor told my brother that the physics of trampolines make them safe for ONE jumper at a time. He explained that there is a split second when the surface of the mat is like concrete. If you're the only jumper, you won't hit it at that point. But if there are two jumpers, the likelihood increases. That's what happened to my niece. She hit the mat at just the right time and it was like slamming onto a sidewalk.

 

[JustinsMama]

I personally let my kids do whatever they want....

Yeah, let us know how that goes when they're teenagers.

 

[carrie6466]

Yeah, let us know how that goes when they're teenagers.

 

[Planogirl]

DS jumped on his cousin's trampoline for many years. He loved it and it kept us from having to buy one.

 

[Jules_2007]

I definately can relate to all of you who are hesitant about letting your kids on trampolines. I have a scar from when i was younger... i hit the frame on a trampoline and my front teeth went through my lip! ouch!

Naturally there was no way that i was letting my boys near a tramp when they first asked but i did some research on the net and found a spring-free tramp. It's so different to the old style.

My DH even gets on for a jump!

I agree that kids need to learn things for themslves but just like i don't let my kids on a bike without a helmut i would let them on an old tramp. It's all about controlling the rsik not eliminating it.

How cool is this smilie too! -

 

[dixipixi]

We had a trampoline for years with no net. We got it when my son was 2 and he jumped on it every day.

We had one when I was growing up and we absolutely wore the thing out.

I also let my son swing on a rope at the river, ride the 4wheeler, ride horses, drive a go cart, and he has been walking on his own (across a 50 acre field, not on the road) to my parents house since he was 5 years old.

The worst injury he's ever had? He cut his chin wide open at football practice. He was fully suited with helmet, pads, everything. It didn't dawn on me until we were at the hospital that he had never been to the hospital for anything. He was more nervous and upset about getting stitches than the actual injury!