Two unplanned expenses; damaged children

[kid-at-heart]

I do not know where to put this and I want to reach as many people as I can. I just received a call from my sister, her friend’s grandchild fell off her bike and hit her head. She now has permanent brain damage. She was not wearing a helmet. Her mother said she will be attending a “special” school next year. Last year my neighbor’s nine-year-old flipped his bike and knocked out both front teeth. His rode by this morning to show me his new teeth. He still is not wearing a helmet… He told me his new teeth were very expensive. His family had planned to go to Disney World this year; instead they used the money for his new teeth... Please folks, make your children wear helmets when engaging in any activity where brain/face damage is a possibility. The neurons do not grow back. False teeth just are not as good as natural teeth… And set a good example; wear your own helmet.

 

[mrs.beast]

this is a great thing to post. when i was in college (93) i was getting my special education credential and took a class where the professor shared that 70% of all people in need of handicapped services due to neurological issues came from tramatic brain injury. Most people are not born with it. She also said that 80% of the 70% were children who injured themselves riding roller skates, roller blades, and riding bikes without helmets. I am sure with the popularity of scooters, this may have risen.

 

[Ellester]

If this doesn't convince people, nothing will!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/15/mangled.helmet.ap/index.html

Two years ago a guy in our old church was out riding with his four little girls and hit a bump on his bike. He was riding slowly, at the girls' pace. He hit a rock or something and flipped over the handle bars. He hit the ground knocking himself unconscious and then into seizures. A few brain surgeries and much therapy later he is almost back to normal, which the doctors say is miraculous. His girls were all wearing helmets, he was not. My kids may complain, but I'll take the complaints over a visit to the ER any day.

 

[gonemousin']

My personal favorite...how "cool" it's become to wear your helmet unbuckled. Like that helps.

My DH and I are helmet crazed. My children don't ride anything without a helmet...and he and I both wear helmets as well. Despite the helmet law in my state, my neighbor's children never wore helmets until recently. Whenever they came to our house to ride bikes or scooters, we'd make them put helmets on (we have extras for just such an occasion) - they'd hem and haw, but those are the rules in my house. Their parents finally smartened up, bought them helmets, and now I get to watch as they ride around our cul-de-sac with their unfastened helmets. What part don't they get?!

 

[teresajoy]

I do not know where to put this and I want to reach as many people as I can. I just received a call from my sister, her friend’s grandchild fell off her bike and hit her head. She now has permanent brain damage. She was not wearing a helmet. Her mother said she will be attending a “special” school next year. Last year my neighbor’s nine-year-old flipped his bike and knocked out both front teeth. His rode by this morning to show me his new teeth. He still is not wearing a helmet… He told me his new teeth were very expensive. His family had planned to go to Disney World this year; instead they used the money for his new teeth... Please folks, make your children wear helmets when engaging in any activity where brain/face damage is a possibility. The neurons do not grow back. False teeth just are not as good as natural teeth… And set a good example; wear your own helmet.

My entire family (hubby, me, ds15, dd9, dd4)wears their helmets when we ride our bikes. I am always amazed at the people who don't. Helmets are cheap, and they are easy to use. One of the boys at my Mom's daycare has a dad who makes fun of him if he wears a helmet. I think that is SO stupid. I believe my Mom makes him wear a helmet when he is at her house though. (At least she does if I'm there! or else she wouldn't hear the end of it!)

 

[teresajoy]

My personal favorite...how "cool" it's become to wear your helmet unbuckled. Like that helps.

Kind of like parents who put their kids in carseats but have the straps so lose they are falling off. Why???

 

[ceecee]

Kind of like parents who put their kids in carseats but have the straps so lose they are falling off. Why???

I see that all the time! I mentioned it once and the mom said he fusses if it's too tight!

 

[mrs.beast]

I see that all the time! I mentioned it once and the mom said he fusses if it's too tight!

She hasn't seen fussing until she sees how he would fuss if he flew out of his seat and went through the windshield. when i was in driver's ed in high school it was done to a dummy in a video and it gave me chills. i couldn't imagine it happening to a real child.

 

[SeaWitch]

My 38 year old brother died after he fell off of his bike and struck his head against a rock. He was not wearing a helmet.

Parents please make your children wear helmets and set the example by wearing one yourself.

Everyone in my family either wears a helmet OR they do not ride a bike.

 

[ziggystardust]

I used to work at a Bike shop and you would be shocked at how many parents were clueless when it came to helmets. They would come in with the kids helmet all the way on the back of the head, so loose that you could take the helmet off w/o unbuckling it. I made it a point to fit every child I came in contact with even if the helmet wasn't purchased at my store. I couldn't bear seeing them ride out without a proper fitted helmet

 

[Kahana-ri]

What a great post. Even our DS who is only three wears a helmet when he scoots around on his little three wheel plastic bike.
My friend went over her handle bars while riding the bike path and even though she broke her arm, she attributes still being alive because she had her helmet on.

 

[eeyoregon]

It is against the law in our state, Oregon, for kids under 16 to not wear helmets on bikes but sadly it is rarely, if ever enforced.

Such a simple, inexpensive tool that can save so much grief.

OP: I am soooo sorry for your grandchild.

 

[Hannathy]

I see so many kids to,even the Moms who seem so proud to brag that their child never goes without one, with the straps buckled so loose it hangs below the chin!! That strap needs to be tight against the chin. Otherwise it is just a fashion accessory. No hanging straps.

 

[yrdlyprincess]

I so agree that children should wear helmets, my immediate neighborhood friends & I make our kids wear helmets even when riding in the motorized cars & motorcycles. It's funny that I found this post because we talk about this EVERY night that the kids are riding bikes, etc. There is a family in my development that (get this) not only let's all 3 of their kids (ages:11,9 yr old boys & 2 yr old girl) ride w/out helmets on their motorcycles (small ones) & motorscooters but barefoot too. We just kringe when they ride pass, up & down the sidewalks & in the street. By the way my DD & neighbor were playing last year & had stopped riding bikes & were running- my DD still had helmet on & neighbor pushed her so neighbor could win...knocking my DD down so hard the only thing that saved her from knocking out teeth, smashing face into ground was her HELMET!! (Thanks for letting me ramble!!) WEAR HELMETS!

 

[gonemousin']

Kind of like parents who put their kids in carseats but have the straps so lose they are falling off. Why???

Oh boy, don't even get me started on that one! I'm a "carseat nazi" as my dear friend says. A friend of mine had her son's carseat straps too loose when he was a newborn (new mom) - I tried to gently point out the two finger rule and she was NOT happy with me...she was concerned that the straps were too tight and choking him. We went to a carseat safety check together...mine passed with flying colors (one of the few that day) and she failed...the straps were too loose (as well as the carseat base in her car). She was ticked.

So I guess I'm just a safety nut all around!!

Definitely wear those helmets...properly!

 

[littleteapot]

Great Post

My 26 yo cousin came for a visit and brought his bike and helmet

My kids now think helmets are cool, no matter that all the other kids on the street go without. My own SIL lets her kids go without, she's a teacher, she should know better IMO. I have a cousin who is deaf in one ear from a childhood bike injury.

WEAR HELMETS and WEAR HELMETS PROPERLY!!!

 

[MrsPete]

I used to work at a Bike shop and you would be shocked at how many parents were clueless when it came to helmets. They would come in with the kids helmet all the way on the back of the head, so loose that you could take the helmet off w/o unbuckling it. I made it a point to fit every child I came in contact with even if the helmet wasn't purchased at my store. I couldn't bear seeing them ride out without a proper fitted helmet

I think we parents are "clueless" about helmets because we didn't use them as kids -- and growing up without air conditioning, video games, organized sports, etc., we spent waaaay more time outside playing and riding bikes than the average kids do today. And we rode on uneven ground with rocks and things to hit, not nice sidewalks. Didn't we all have homemade bike ramps in the backyard, and didn't we pretend to be the Dukes of Hazzard while jumping over things on our bikes? We had an old clawfoot tub in my cousin's backyard, and we'd ride up pieces of old wood (propped up by cinder blocks) and jump over that tub -- we all fell hard more than once. Looking back, I can't believe the things we did . . . and no one ever got more than a scraped knee. I also can't believe we didn't destroy the bikes in the process. We were more afraid of the Doberman than being hurt while riding.

Also, while these serious accidents can be traumatic, they are rare. We all know people who've been in car accidents -- in our collective psyche, that's a very real possibility for any of us. Most of us don't know anyone who's been hurt on a bike, so the possibility of it happening to us seems distant and unlikely. It's kind of like being hit by lightening; yeah, it could happen to us, but we don't really think it will.

Not excusing the lack of helmets, but explaining the thought process behind not bothering with them.

 

[juligrl]

Good point but, helmets don't always prevent teeth from being knocked out.

 

[tedhowe]

Also, while these serious accidents can be traumatic, they are rare. We all know people who've been in car accidents -- in our collective psyche, that's a very real possibility for any of us. Most of us don't know anyone who's been hurt on a bike, so the possibility of it happening to us seems distant and unlikely. It's kind of like being hit by lightening; yeah, it could happen to us, but we don't really think it will.

Not excusing the lack of helmets, but explaining the thought process behind not bothering with them.

MrsPete,

I couldn't agree with you more... I'm the youngest of six kids... and my Mother's reaction to car seats, helmets, etc. is to say "I don't know how any of you survived"

I'm really of two minds about helmets, car seats, etc. I don't argue that they are great for protecting the health/safety of our kids - and my daughters both wear helmets and are strapped in their car seats at all times.

But, at the same time, I think we should recognize the rarity of these accidents in reality. The modern media world makes us hear about all kinds of tragic incidents constantly in the 24 hour news cycle - but these things really don't happen all that often from a statistical basis.

This is off topic, but another example of this type of fear vs. reality thinking has to do with teaching kids about "stranger danger". My oldest is at the age where we are really trying to teach her about who's okay to be around and who's not okay to be around.

The reality is that she should not talk to strangers that approach her, but from a statistical standpoint - if she gets lost and seperated from us in a public place, the SAFEST thing for her to do is to find the nearest adult (event a STRANGER!!!!) and ask for help to find her parents. The odds of that adult having harmful intentions are so remote, that she's FAR better off asking them for help rather than remaining lost and seperated from us.

Again, I'm not saying that we shouldn't use helmets/car seats, etc, but be aware of the real odds of the dangers that they are designed to minimize anyway.

Ted

 

[mamalle]

we are amazed on the parents that

1. do not make their kids wear helmets
2. do not make their kids use a booster seat
3. let them sit in the front seat
4. do not use the harness and or seatbelts correctly

as a ER Nurse and a husband that is a firefighter/paramedic- we have seen too much tragedy over things that be prevented.