TODAY Moms - Does your high-speed crawler need a helmet?

Are "helicopter" parents taking things too far? Do you think the average baby needs a helmet to protect them around the house?
This is totally anecdotal, but my kids have all survived thundering herds of Great Danes, hard floors, outside, and my grandmother's driving. No helmets needed.

[K.A.T]

So we need to put helmets, elbow pads, knee pads and overall protective gear on our kids just because they're starting to be mobile around the house? Why not just place them in a plastic ball the way we do hamsters?! Kids get hurt, it's part of growing up. They will most likely survive the small scrapes and bumps.

[cybele]

Originally Posted by K.A.T

Why not just place them in a plastic ball the way we do hamsters?!

My youngest son would love that, it would make his day, HAHA.


You know what, every single person on this forum survived childhood without todays "super bubble wrap protective devices" and look, we are all here and we are all alive. I think that alone speaks leaps and bounds.

[Frackel]

Umm, no, I don't think the average child needs a helmet.

Ds likes to wrap himself in bubble wrap, but it's not for protection. It's for rolling around on the ground and going "pop" repeatedly. (it's also hilarious to watch)

I do think some parents are beyond over protective and in most cases it's more harmful than helpful. While I'm very protective in some ways, I'm very..not, in others. I think I've found a good balance that works for us. My kids get hurt from time to time, because I know that I can't possibly protect them from everything and even trying to, would drive myself to the nut house.
We are, by nature, accident prone in this family. It's life, we deal with it, learn from it if our actions caused it, and move on. I put protection in place where absolutely needed, but I don't believe in going overboard.

That actually looks really fun lol

[cybele]

Oh man, I am so getting a couple of giant hamster balls now.

[Frackel]

Ooooh, we live right on the lake. That would be perfect. Put the kids in big bubbles and send them out, see which one comes back first

I want to know how they breathe in those things. I've seen them on the ground before, didn't know they were water proof.

[Frackel]

I've never seen them on the water either. Maybe there's a time limit to how long they can be in there before air supply runs out, or something, lol.

Originally Posted by Frackel

I've never seen them on the water either. Maybe there's a time limit to how long they can be in there before air supply runs out, or something, lol.

When the kid turns blue, time's up!

[plan4fate]

yeah... I don't think so. I'd temporarily store furniture before I'd put a helmet on my kid.

Those balls look like fun!

[tiredmom]

Originally Posted by cybele

You know what, every single person on this forum survived childhood without todays "super bubble wrap protective devices" and look, we are all here and we are all alive. I think that alone speaks leaps and bounds.

Not to point out the glaringly obvious, but those that didn't survive their childhood traumatic injuries aren't currently on this forum.

Originally Posted by ~Tithen~

yeah... I don't think so. I'd temporarily store furniture before I'd put a helmet on my kid.

Those balls look like fun!

Us too. We haven't had a coffee table for years because they've proved to be too much of a hazard.

[tiredmom]

^^^How is that really any different? Some people put away coffee tables, some people put rubber foam on the edges, and some put the foam around the kid's heads.

I, on the other hand, prefer to chase after my older two kids while the baby climbs down the brick stairs by himself, falls, and bonks his head. Which is exactly what happened today. True story.

[Quantum_Leap]

Originally Posted by foxfire_ga79

That actually looks really fun lol

They had those near our house last year! They don't actually roll all the way around. You can see that there's a weight at the bottom, and air holes at the top.

[Frackel]

I let my kids learn from life's lessons.

Break your arm walking, tripping over your own feet and falling? Won't do that again will ya? (that was DD in 2010, lol)

Yeah my kids get bumps, bruises and all sorts of injuries I could probably prevent if I were an over protective nut. But I'm not.

Spit happens, accidents happen, and kids are going to get hurt. Even babies.

My sister was changing the batteries in my nieces swing last month and my other niece grabbed her leg, which made the battery smack out of her hand, hit the swing, fall and bounce off the baby's forehead while she was sitting in the seat on the floor.
Baby was pissed off. But she's perfectly fine-not even a mark. A helmet would have prevented the one minute scream fest, but, would my sister have learned her lesson?
(not that I know what lesson is to be learned from this, but it's a good argument)

[Hey... Where's Perry?]

My Jace was a headbanger when he got pissed off or frustrated, and survived hitting his head anywhere... Even concrete. I don't see the need for baby helmets unless medically necessary.

[WineKeepsMeSane]

No, the average child does not need a helmet. If they do, I guess we should all be wearing them since bonked heads aren't unique to kids.

[Tammyjh]

What we think is silly today will be seen as common sense and possibly a law tomorrow. When I was little, making kids wear bike helmets/elbow pads/knee pads would have been seen as helicopter parenting. Now there are bicycle helmet laws almost everywhere. We used to ride around in the back of pick up trucks, stand up in the back seat, drink out of the garden hose, played lawn darts, etc...its a wonder anyone my age ever survived childhood.

So basically, if its for the children, someone should make it a law that helmets need to be worn 24/7 until the age of about 12 or maybe even 15.

[Cereal Killer]

Meh, to each his own. I don't see myself getting a helmet when Rhys starts crawling but it is none of my concern if someone else deems it necessary.

They have those waterwalkerz at the mall near my house. These aren't weighted and they completely rotate in the pool. They say there is enough air for about 30 minutes. It is hilarious to watch people trying to walk in them.