Helmets

[Guest]

One of my colleagues has just mentioned that one or two paretns feel we are giving their children mixed messages because we don't provide helmets for the children to use when they are outside on bikes, tractors etc. As it's in a safe, enclosed area it hadn't even crossed my mind. I understood helmets to be of use primarily when they are out and about and in danger of being hit by vehicles. On reflection I take the point about mixed messages but I thought helmets came in individual sizes etc. I can't see how we could have space for 24 helmets at a time!

 

Has anyone else come across this?

[Sue R]

Oh, dear!

 

Do they put helmets on their children at home in the same circumstances? If so, they could always send them in with them to be worn during outdoor play, but I suspect the answer may be 'no'. Some times it's just a chance to have a moan!

We have parents who moan about 'smells', then moan about the air fresheners we use! Sorry, seems a bit 'over the top' to me, but perhaps I'm being a bit tetchy today?

 

And no, I've not come across this before!

Sue

[Guest Wolfie]

Yes, I came across it when I had my nursery! I ended up sending out a letter explaining the situation and stating that we would not provide helmets for every child at the nursery but if individual parents wnated to provide one then we would ensure that it was worn. I think I ended up by also designing a permission slip for children who DIDN'T wear helmets - parents signed to say that they were happy for that to be the case!

 

It's a nightmare, isn't it? I have to say that the parents who had made the fuss suddenly didn't seem so bothered once it was them that had to make the effort!

[shazzam]

we had a mum last year who wanted her child to wear a helmet, we went with parents wishes, she provided the helmet the child wore it, but he was the only one and he started to not use ride on toys because of it!

also occasionally he bumped into thers or they bumped into him and the helmet hurt!

we spoke to mum about this but she was determined he had to wear it and suggested we bought them for all children. this was not possible apart from finances, helmets need to be correctly fitted for each child! luckily we were given some little tikes cars which got him using the ride-ons again.

we only have a small outdoor area and only small trikes, tractors etc

 

also we got her to put it in writing giving permission for staff to put it on him (the clips often pinch under the chin if not really careful)

this was the one and only time this situation has occured and i would seriously consider our response if we were asked again.

 

difficult one

[Deb]

Not come across that one! We don't supply helmets. Wouldn't you have to have them safety checked every time they dropped them to make sure they were still safe?

[Guest]

I think I might be feeling as tetchy as Sue R. , so apologise if my comment seems brash.

 

Mixed messages, . I have let you ride a bike for X amount of years unsafely, now you must wear a helmet.

Mixed messages, Stabalisers DO NOT keep you from falling off your bike and hurting your head.

Mixed messages, We don't have hard hat role play hats, ie: Bob the Builder, Police hats etc, these hurt when you (accidently or otherwise) head but your peers, yet you must wear a hard bike safety hat. ( but don't bump into anyone whilst wearing it)

Mixed messages, Some children wear safety hats, some don't.( unless ALL parents agree to the wearing of safety hats)

Mixed messages, We are an inclusive setting, all children have access to riding bikes ( ooh, unless of course you refuse to wear a hat, or your parent doesn't provide one, or your parent doesn't agree to you having to wear the ones we provide)

 

Risk assessment, I know what mine will look like;

Risk of head injury through riding tricycles or two wheel bikes with stabilisers. According to my 7 year accident book entries ( and my 20 yrs experience) 0 occurances of such an injury.

Injuries sustained through using bikes - pulled from the deepest part of my memory bank, a few grazes when bike has toppled onto a child whilst 'mending' it,( role play mechanics) not riding it. Serious injury to tables, storage boxes when children crash into them, no injury to child. Mild injury to staffs legs when crashed into.

Risk assessment of wearing hard hats: ( again from records and experience over 20 yrs). 15 incidents ( yes, I'll be honest this is an informed guess, I do not have ALL records to hand, just memory) of knocks to other childrens noses, forheads, back of heads, injury level - mild - recovery within 10 minutes.

 

CLEAR messages, When you are older and ride a bike without stabilisers, you may fall off, your natural reaction will be to put your hands to the ground, you may hurt wrists, knees, and maybe even your chin. If you are going very fast or someone crashes into you you will be safer if wearing a safety helmet to avoid injury to your head.

 

Ironically there is an article in this weeks Nursery World, as well as many other media discussions about the way cildren are not allowed to take risks. I wholeheartedly endorse the wearing of safety helmets when riding at an older age, however, if we give the wrong message that children need to wear safety helmets whilst riding tricycles / stabalised bikes, then we should be aware that we are giving the message that additional clothing will safeguard against injury, rather than teaching sensible, safe use of this equipment.

 

Mixed message; :wacko: We should enable children to develop 'common sense', how can they do this if we don't practice it ourselves, and lets be aware that if we say to children that wearing safety hats enables safety from injury, does this not give a false sense of securty, it enables protection for the head, it doesn't stop other injuries which can be caused if the rider soesn't use common sense.

 

end of rant.

 

Peggy

[Sue R]

Peggy,

I endorse everything you have said. We are in so much danger of cotton-wooling (OK, made up word) our children! And well done for being braver than me!

 

Deb - don't say that!! I keep dropping my motor cycle helmet, but don't let on to husband in case he makes me buy a new one before he'll take me out!!!

 

Sue

[Guest]

Sorry if I’ve picked up this thread a little late but I do have a particular interest in the helmet issue!

 

My company specialises in the supply of trikes to nurseries and schools and coincidentally we have been asked (by one of our manufacturers UK agents) to carry safety helmets in our range. Since I would need to buy a minimum of a thousand units (and we are quite a small company) I need to be sure there is a need first and your various comments suggest this may be something of a non-starter!

 

The suggestion is that safety helmets are routinely used in the States and it’s inevitable that the same will happen here too. Some manufacturers are likely to start including a “free” helmet with each new trike sold, but inevitably this is bound to impact on prices.

 

The sample helmet I have in front of me is really quite a good product, will sell for about £8 - £9 and to answer Shazzam’s point about fitting is easily adjusted.

 

In addition to the points you have raised however I wonder is there an issue regarding the transmission of head lice? Is this likely to be an issue in pre-school settings?

 

Would appreciate your thoughts.

 

 

Martin

[Guest]

Peggy-

Just wanted to say I think all your comments are brilliant! How are children going to learn about risks if we don't let them experience what if feels like to fall off a bike in a safe environment!

[Guest Wolfie]

In answer to your questions Martin, I think there are likely to be a lot of problems in nurseries surrounding the provision and use of individual helmets. Cost is likely to be the main one but storage in the nursery would also be a major issue. Sharing of helmets wouldn't necessarily work, not just due to the headlice issue but also because I thought each child's helmet had to be individually fitted in order to be most effective? And I also understood that once the helmet had suffered an impact it would be useless and have to be replaced, comnig back to the cost involved again.

[Guest]

Hello Martin2,

 

A warm welcome to the forum and your first post.

 

Issues would be cost, storage, and each settings risk assessment analysis.

 

In preschools bikes etc already have safety in mind with the use of stabilisers so the need for addition safety wear is limited. Schools may prove to be a different consumer.

 

Settings follow standards stipulated by Ofsted, maybe it would be worth your while contacting them to see if they think safety helmets are necessary to maintain health & safety standards. I would also do a bit of research with other government health & safety departments.

I hope it will be a no go ( sorry, not meaning I want to reduce income for safety helmet manufactorers/distributers). I just feel that the 'nanny state', wrap 'em up in cotton wool syndrome is getting to be too much.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

hi agree with you peggy hope it is a no go as storing will be difficult plus if this is the case we may as well put helmets on children at all times because they can bump their heads anytime anywhere even if they are walking!

[Guest]

Thank you very much for the feedback. I will carry a little more research but it’s not often I see so many concerns about a product!

I think we will wait and see how things develop before we commit to making helmets available.

 

Thanks

 

Martin

[Guest MaryEMac]

Are these the same parents who carefully fit a helmet to their child before putting them on a child seat on the adult bike but don't wear a helmet themselves ?

 

Mary

[Guest]

We have one cycle helmet in our nursery (curiously from my own garage!!!). It came into nursery as a prop for a theme on transport and was thoroughly discussed at the time. It stayed on after the theme ended and is now resident in the dressing up area (for no particular reason). The children access it when they want, are fully conversant with its purpose and how to adjust it (better than me!!). I agree that I would not want lots of helmets or for them to be compulsory. Yes, Martin, it would definitely be a headlice issue!!!

[HappyMaz]

Are these the same parents who carefully fit a helmet to their child before putting them on a child seat on the adult bike but don't wear a helmet themselves ?

 

Mary

Those'll be the ones! I probably wouldn't wear a helmet when riding a bike (nor do I ride a bike that often these days). However, when I did go out and about on my bike I always wore my helmet because I couldn't bear it if one of my Brownies saw me without it and pointed out the safety issues!!

 

As far as the bikes (that is trikes and stabiliser bikes) in nursery are concerned, I have wondered whether our children should be wearing helmets. I guess until it is made mandatory we'll just carry on as we are at present. I can't see where I would store 24 crash helmets though!

 

Maz

[JacquieL]

I'm totally with Peggy and Sue. What a nightmare it would be putting them on and off. When children play they pop on and off the bikes willy nilly, and for the children to have to keep taking helmets off and putting them on, and adjusting them for each child, would soon discourage the children from using them at all, and discourage the staff from putting them out. Where on earth would we keep them?

[Guest Wolfie]

Exactly!

[Guest]

I'm totally with Peggy and Sue. What a nightmare it would be putting them on and off. When children play they pop on and off the bikes willy nilly, and for the children to have to keep taking helmets off and putting them on, and adjusting them for each child, would soon discourage the children from using them at all, and discourage the staff from putting them out. Where on earth would we keep them?

 

ooh, and then there would be the arguments of who wants to wear the pink, blue, red or green or barbie or power ranger one.

 

Peggy

[JacquieL]

OMG!