Trampolines and Guests

[Lilacs4Me]

For those of you whose kids have trampolines, how do you handle other kids using it? (rules, policies, etc)

In the past, I have been give a waiver to sign from some of my kids' friends parents before they are allowed on. Other parents have never said a word and let my kids play all day on it...and other houses, my kids have reported that their friend has a trampoline, but friends/guests are not allowed on it.

We are getting DD and DS10 one for Christmas (yes....we thought long and hard and I have put it off for many, many years already and I know about homeowners insurance going up, but we have already bought it so it's a done deal now), but I have always been leary of these and hesitant to buy one. But now that we have, I have to decide how to handle other people's kids using it!

 

[LJSquishy]

I hope you also bought the enclosed net thing for it! I actually didn't know homeowner's insurance would increase for having one -- makes sense, but I had no idea.

I don't have kids and don't have a trampoline either, but I probably wouldn't go as far as having the parents sign a waiver...I mean, if you really wanted it to be legally binding, I'm fairly certain you'd have to have a witness sign it and take some additional steps. I also think it would be difficult to not allow your kids' friends play on the trampoline since that's sort of the point of it, right? I can't imagine it would get that much use if your kids could only play on it with each other.

My niece and nephew have one (or did, until a huge windstorm threw it into a far away neighbor's wrought iron fence $$$) and while I enjoyed jumping on it with them, it also scared me to let them play on it! One time my 6 year old nephew jumped on it and fell on his back on purpose and his legs tipped over his head like a somersault (that part was not on purpose) and he injured his neck/spine for a while from it...it really scared me that he could have permanently injured himself so easily.

If I were buying a trampoline for my kids (which I'm not sure I could bring myself to do!), I would either not allow their friends on it, or I would make sure a waiver would be legally binding (if something like that can even be).

 

[wilkeliza]

Most of the people I know who have them with kids always ask the parents first and tell them what the family rules are. I have one friend that only lets her children and their friends jump 1 at a time with no one else on it so not many kids will even want to jump since it isn't a group activity. I have another friend who doesn't let any non-family member jump on it. She says it is just too much risk for a kid to get hurt and then get sued. At least she is confident her family won't sue her.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I hope you also bought the enclosed net thing for it! I actually didn't know homeowner's insurance would increase for having one -- makes sense, but I had no idea.

I don't have kids and don't have a trampoline either, but I probably wouldn't go as far as having the parents sign a waiver...I mean, if you really wanted it to be legally binding, I'm fairly certain you'd have to have a witness sign it and take some additional steps. I also think it would be difficult to not allow your kids' friends play on the trampoline since that's sort of the point of it, right? I can't imagine it would get that much use if your kids could only play on it with each other.

My niece and nephew have one (or did, until a huge windstorm threw it into a far away neighbor's wrought iron fence $$$) and while I enjoyed jumping on it with them, it also scared me to let them play on it! One time my 6 year old nephew jumped on it and fell on his back on purpose and his legs tipped over his head like a somersault (that part was not on purpose) and he injured his neck/spine for a while from it...it really scared me that he could have permanently injured himself so easily.

If I were buying a trampoline for my kids (which I'm not sure I could bring myself to do!), I would either not allow their friends on it, or I would make sure a waiver would be legally binding (if something like that can even be).

My DD is a cheerleader who does tumbling. Not that this trampoline isn't going to be for fun, but she will be using it for practice as well and has been trained that a trampoline is a tool more than a plaything for years. Otherwise, I probably would have never bought one. So I'm not worried about lack of use if all the neighbor kids can't play on it. And DS took a tumbling class once because he was just sitting around watching his sister and there were other boys in the class, so he did it too and learned how to be safe on a trampoline - and honestly, it really is for DD, but my kids are possessive of their cr*p, so if his name isn't on the gift, she will ban him from using it...then I will have to be the mean mom....and she will be a brat....and he will pout...

Just better to put both names on it and call it a day.

And I haven't come across a (new) one that doesn't have the netting? Not sure they sell/carry many of those anymore - at least not at the big box stores we looked at.


Thanks

 

[Kogo Shuko]

I don't have my own children nor do I have a trampoline, but my perspective comes from my own childhood. When growing up, I had a friend with a trampoline and I was allowed to use it. My friend was doing somersaults like it was the easiest thing in the world, so I tried one and ended up hurting my back quite badly. To this day, the small of my back still hurts if I lay prone for too long (aka, if I sleep in for too long).

Because of that, I would be SUPER weary of letting others' children on my trampoline. I wouldn't have a contract, but I'd certainly talk to the parents beforehand and let THEM decide if their child would be able to play on the trampoline. And I'd do my best to supervise, even if I was snooping on them out the window or something.

 

[bethy]

We have a Springfree trampoline which is supposedly one of the safer ones. There's not much you can do to protect against gravity forces, though. We do allow others on it an the two rules are that it has to be zipped closed and absolutely no flips are allowed. I do keep a close eye on things. Another thing I did was bought a very large one so there is less risk of kids colliding.

I debated for a couple of years and delayed that long getting one but ultimately decided the risks were worth to us. I decided that the benefits over several years for multiple kids outweighed for example a broken bone if it comes that which I hope it doesn't. Also, a ton of families in our neighborhood have one so that helps a little. I ALWAYS ask friends' parents if it's OK for their kids to be on it.

In our climate trampoline's can be utilized year round and I've found more than anything that ours has been used as a hangout - like a fort or a treehouse but drier, lower maintenance and fewer spiders. I've LOVED it for that and just hanging out on it isn't dangerous at all.

 

[Blackadder337]

Kogo Shuko has a similar mindset to my approach. Before I let other kids on the trampoline, I have the parents come over first and look at the set-up. The get a nice explanation of how its set-up, our expectation of safety rules etc.. I give them a chance to ask any question they may have. From there I give them the choice as to whether or not they feel comfortable letting their kids use it. I make sure to emphasize there is ALWAYS the potential for injuries. Other kids are NOT allowed on it until their parents have given 100% positive permission.

No lawsuits yet

 

[Disneychix]

We have a trampoline, we have usually 1 neighborhood kid that will come over to jump but he lives behind us so they know we have the trampoline. I try to keep an eye out when they are on it. I'm way more concerned with my 2 kids, they are nuts and basically use it as a cage match, than the other kids. I try to have a 2 at a time rule when more kids are over or at least a "little kids" vs "bigger kids" turns.

 

[LJSquishy]

We have a Springfree trampoline which is supposedly one of the safer ones. There's not much you can do to protect against gravity forces, though. We do allow others on it an the two rules are that it has to be zipped closed and absolutely no flips are allowed. I do keep a close eye on things. Another thing I did was bought a very large one so there is less risk of kids colliding.

I debated for a couple of years and delayed that long getting one but ultimately decided the risks were worth to us. I decided that the benefits over several years for multiple kids outweighed for example a broken bone if it comes that which I hope it doesn't. Also, a ton of families in our neighborhood have one so that helps a little. I ALWAYS ask friends' parents if it's OK for their kids to be on it.

In our climate trampoline's can be utilized year round and I've found more than anything that ours has been used as a hangout - like a fort or a treehouse but drier, lower maintenance and fewer spiders. I've LOVED it for that and just hanging out on it isn't dangerous at all.

I just looked up Springfree trampolines since I had never heard of them -- those are amazing! I watched a bunch of videos on them. If I were to ever get a trampoline, it would definitely be one of those. My niece & nephew have the type with the springs covered by the blue mat which does NOTHING to protect your foot and makes the useable jumping space smaller. I love the net on the Springfree model...seeing an adult fall onto the net was nice.

 

[cijay]

I think I would ask parents to be there too.

 

[AppleDumpling]

You say your kids do tumbling, but honestly I would not let them do somersaults or back flips on a trampoline. It's just too dangerous, unless you have one of those bungee safety harness things attached to poles. I would also make sure it is on level ground, away from decks, swingsets, or other structures, and make the ground below and around it as soft as possible with sand, wood chips, etc.

My DS was injured on a trampoline when he fell through the opening in the safety netting and hit his back hard on the ground. We didn't sue, it was an accident, at a friend's house and we assumed the risk, but he had no interest in trampolines after that.

I would only let other kids on it if their parents are aware and have given permission, and I would always have an adult supervising. Better to have only one kid at a time but if there are 2 (never more), they should be close in size and weight or the smaller one is more likely to get hurt.

 

[luvsJack]

The only safe way to do somersaults, back flips, etc is to have a spotter or a few spotters. If there are several kids there and they get on one at a time, they can spot the person on the trampoline. That was our rules for the ones the boys had. No one ever got hurt.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think I would ask parents to be there too.

I think this is the way I'd go, also.

The rule is "kids with parents/guardians in attendance (and watching them) may be on the trampoline". Along with the "no more than 1 person at a time on the trampoline" rule

 

[bethy]

We paid over $2k for our trampoline. If we had either rule where the a) playmates' parents must stay here or b) only one kid on it at a time then it honestly wouldn't be worth owning. For me, personally, anyway.

 

[luvsJack]

We paid over $2k for our trampoline. If we had either rule where the a) playmates' parents must stay here or b) only one kid on it at a time then it honestly wouldn't be worth owning. For me, personally, anyway.

I wouldn't do the "Parents must be here" rule but one at a time is how it should be for safety Now, when my sons were teens the trampoline became a wrestling ring and the rule went out the window but when they were 9-12. we set the rule because sometimes they would try to put 5-6 on the thing at one time!!!

 

[Skywalker]

This worked with our swimming pool too! We would have random neighbourhood kids show up with their towels and asking if they could swim. Our answer was always "Yes, you can swim any time you wish if you bring one of your parents to watch you." That never happened LOL.

 

[scrapquitler]

We don't have a trampoline (and because of the hill in our yard, we couldn't anyway), but I would have a one child at a time rule for my own kids, and I probably would not allow any other kids on it. If that meant they didn't use it that often, tough luck, safety first.

My DDs friend had one, and I know that the Mom didn't have a one child at a time rule, so my daughter had to follow MY rule: you don't go on the trampoline at B's house, EVER. And she didn't (I know because she rarely went over there when I wasn't there because the Mom was my friend as much as the kids were friends). I was just not risking a serious injury.

 

[bsblady01]

we have one and only our kids can use it and I only allow one of my kids on at a time. we have the screen that goes around it.

 

[Southernmiss]

We had one for our kids when they were young elementary and older elementary ages. I'm of the opinion that kids can get hurt doing a lot of things and if we didn't let them do any of them they'd be lumps on the couch. Climbing trees for instance, a fun childhood memory my kids still love to do. Heck, I've injured myself more often walking than exercising.

The kids knew safety rules and if anyone got too rough they were sent home. One of our boys was a gymnast. It was fun to watch him practice his flips, etc. We also allowed multiple kids in it at once. Dh and I often would join in the fun. It provided hours of entertainment and exercise for our four kids and their friends and we never had any injuries.

I hope your kids have many happy years of jumping.

 

[mefordis]

The only safe way to do somersaults, back flips, etc is to have a spotter or a few spotters. If there are several kids there and they get on one at a time, they can spot the person on the trampoline. That was our rules for the ones the boys had. No one ever got hurt.

I think no one who isn't trained should be spotting on the trampoline. They will with certainty get kicked in the face. My daughters do all sorts of tricks on the trampoline. Not much fun to just jump up and down without doing anything else.

My girls go on it with their friends. I don't worry about it - their friends have trampolines, too.