amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

adamsmommy · 09-02-2003, 12:52 AM

As much as I love trampolines, my dh fell on one when he was 14 and fractured a vertebrae. He was luck in that he didn't get paralized. But he did spend a year in a brace and has had a lifetime of back problems ever since.

I think they are safer now than they were then. But think very, very hard about whether you are willing to accept the worst possible scenario before you get one.

Solstar · 09-02-2003, 01:06 AM

Here is an idea!: I went to a yard sale recently and saw a REALLY different kind of trampoline in these people's yard!

They had dug a hole, I am not sure if it was lined w/cement or not.
Then they had the trampoline part, the part you jump on-no legs, stretched over the hole and almost flat with the ground. It was so cool!
I think it was attached with some kind of hook attachments.

I also did gymnastics at a gym as a kid (not on the commune LOL in the city, we moved around a lot), I was pretty good and was invited to study under a very well known coach but my mom thought I wasn't serious enough about it to spring the $.
She was right, I am not Olympic material, not disciplined enoughl LOL.
We rotated on all the equipment, my best was floor (I can actually still do a lot of stuff), beam, parallel bars but we used the trampoline too. I LOVED it!

I am thinking about getting a small exercise trampoline for dd to help her motor skills and strengthen her messed up leg. Any thoughts on those? I saw one w/ a bar but I can see dds falling and knocking their teeth out on it.

dd was one of those kids who get injured on the playground (supervised) at school

Last year she fell from the very top of a corkscrew (she was sitting on the bar at the top and fell from there and this corkscrew is taller than most! YIKES) and couldn't walk for a while. She sprained her hip and i brought her to an orthopedist recently for followup because she was still having problems but nothing showed up fractured on xray.
The dr agreed that she walks/runs funny and muscles are too tight so I need to find something to help loosen her muscles back up.

~Bethany~ · 09-02-2003, 09:15 AM

We have one with a net, and we love it. The little ones go on by themselves, and the older boys two at a time. No flipping or somersaulting is allowed. We are either sitting out on the porch watching them or in the kitchen, which has the window facing the backyard.
They are dangerous. But so are bikes, playground equipment, skateboards..life in general...LOL
Good luck!
Bethany

okmama · 09-02-2003, 09:19 AM

i agree w/posters who said accidents can happen all the time. we have had 2 trampolines (one got blown away in a storm) and love them. and, we don't even have a safety net

. actually, when we first got ours we didn't even know you could buy a safety net. anyway, nary an accident and we have had many, many children out for birthdays, family events, etc. the trampoline gets a LOT of use.

that said, we are thinking of getting a safety net for ours.

Heidiliz · 09-02-2003, 09:45 AM

I'm not really for or against them. I do have a suggestion, however. Tell your kids to keep their knees bent when they jump. A friend of mine locked her knees while jumping and totally crushed the majority of bones in one of her legs. I was there to see it and it was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed. So, please tell the kids to always keep their knees bent!

hannahsorchard · 09-02-2003, 10:08 AM

no. I am 100% against getting a trampoline. dh wants one but i vetoed it fast. I don't believe kids learn to jump the right ways like you learn to on a real trampoline in gymnastics. they don't know how to properly land if they DO come down wrong. Tramps are supposed to be ONE person at a time, all the time. Anyone hitting another person can hurt them. There is a post about this at mycoupons.com at the family board right now. They can be playing nice on them but still land wrong. You have no control over how you really land at all and two small children can easily get hurt by one kid just falling a little off and landing on the other ones leg. I definitely wouldn't allow older kids in there more than one. I dunno. I know plenty who own them and they love them, but to me it is not worth the risk. There are so many injuries every year from trampolines. And everyone argues that people get hurt other ways too like in pools and on bikes... but look at the numbers compared to how many people own bikes and pools compared to tramps. And I would be too afraid to have one for fear of liability. If someone else got hurt in my yard, I certainly wouldn't want to be responsible for it!

Closest thing my kid will get to a trampoline is their mattress! lol Or if they go to a gym where there are spotters and they are taught how to jump.

elliebelly · 09-02-2003, 10:39 AM

wow! what a great bunch of insightful posts. i had no idea trampolines stirred up such strong feelings. i'll have to forward this link to dh (so be forewarned if we have a brand new poster, lol). i tend to think it's like anything else--gotta have safety rules like 1 at a time & no flips. & i'm definitely looking at the one with the safety net! thanks everyone

Mama2littleman · 09-02-2003, 11:02 AM

Definately check with your homeowners/renters insurance. I know my insurance company won't cover you if you have a trampoline.

Nikki

Sunspark · 09-02-2003, 12:19 PM

We actually bought it for me to play on, long before we had kids lol. Anyway, the kids have been playing on it since they could walk and *love* it. They are 4 and 2 now. Great exercise. Teach them to play safely.

Cheers, Carolyn

LoriG · 09-02-2003, 01:16 PM

We had one for 5 years. My dh was never really for it, but I wasn't against it, so we just kept it (no safety net). One day my then 7 yr old had an accident. He jumped too close to the springs, and his leg got caught in the spring but his body bounced off the trampoline. Dh ran out there so fast and got him off --and we got rid of the trampoline.
I think they can be ok if you have some rules. We saw a show on them and it was scary to see the injuries they can cause --especially this 17 yr old parapleigic (sp?). It was so sad!

I know life is dangerous, but there are things that are more risky than others, and it's your choice if you want to take that risk!
Another thing that I was concerned about is the homeowners insurance, and also if another kid got hurt on your trampoline, they can sue you. That's scary too!
I do miss having the trampoline though, I used to jump on it too. But I wouldn't want to fight over it with dh, because if anything ever DID happen, he'd blame me forever, I'm sure!

rosemary · 09-02-2003, 01:17 PM

My friend is a physiatrist (a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation) and she is vehemently against the use of trampolines. She has worked with many patients who have severe injuries due to trampoline accidents. We don't often talk about medical issues, but she has passionately cautioned us against getting a trampoline.