Should I make my child wear a helmet skateboarding?

Question

A helmet for biking is undeniably wise, but what about on a skateboard? "Better safe than sorry" is an obvious response, but aren't we taking something away from childhood when we overprotect our kids? Do we wrap them in bubble-wrap every morning before we send them out into the world?

I think biking is different because you are generally travelling a lot faster and tend to ride in the street. Skateboarding (the way my kids do it) is limited to the driveway and they are not going fast.

Answer 1

I totally hear you on being over protective, I mean we survived our childhood and did not have all this protective gear, right? Some of it is for the better though. As someone who is into extreme sports...I think a child should definitely wear a helmet as they are more likely to fall on a skateboard, especially if they are riding in a pipe park. At least until he is old enough to have mastered the board and has better agility and control.

Answer 2

I have 4 boys who are 13, 13, 11 and 8 and they all wear helmets for both bikes and scooters and skateboards as well. They have friends who are not forced by their parents to wear them but I have always told them that I don't understand why other parents would not force it for their child's own safety. It's because I care about them that I make them wear it and they know it. When my kids skateboard I actually make them wear all the padding even my oldest two because they go on ramps and all. My 11 yr old and one of my 13 yr olds had a collision one day. One of them was scootering and one was biking and they collided by accident. My 13 yr old was on the bike and he had a scrape on his chest and hands where he landed and my 11 yr old who was on the scooter had a huge scrape on his helmet at the front. If he hadn't had the helmet that injury would have been on his head rather than the helmet.

Answer 3

Is skateboarding less fun with a helmet? I don't think so ... so I don't think we're taking anything away. They're still doing the same activity ... and, at no cost to them, making sure they don't get a concussion in the process. It's the same pavement they'd fall onto if they were biking, so I don't really see the difference.

EDIT -- even if they're skateboarding slowly in your driveway right now, at some point they're going to be on the street or at the skate parks doing all kinds of dangerous stunts, etc. Easier to set the blanket rule now that if it has wheels, you have a helmet.

Answer 4

I would and I will when my child is old enough (he's 6 months now). I know someone who lost their child b/c he was not wearing a helmet while skateboarding. He fell, hit his head on the curb, was ok for about an hour, then lapsed into a coma. He died a few days later.
I would rather be accused of overprotecting my child than have something terrible happen.

Answer 5

YES all the way. Here's an article about a boy who fractured his skull while skateboarding. He most likely took the helmet off when no-one was watching.

Some states have laws requiring it.

As a parent it is your responsibility to protect your kids from harm.

Even when you do provide protection you still have to supervise them also. This guy in the article is learning that the hard way.

Answer 6

He's not too over protected, being able to get out on that skateboard is not over protective. My husband wasnt able to play sports even with the correct protection... THAT was overprotected. You're just being safe having them wear a helmet, teaches value of safety for self

Answer 7

I don't get why you are even asking this question. If he is skateboarding in the street he is just as likely to get hit by a car as if he was riding a bike. And kids try to do really stupid and dangerous things on skateboards (in the street or otherwise). They try to do flips on ramps and grinds on poles sidewalks etc. They fall A LOT. I don't generally see people randomly falling off of bikes... a helmet should be even MORE necessary for skateboarding...

Answer 8

If the kid's below puberty, then yes, definitely require it. Once they hit puberty then insisting they wear it is kind of like encouraging them to ditch the helmet as soon as their out of your site, and requiring that they skateboard out of your site. Describe the problems, show them a few pictures, and have them make up their own minds.

Answer 9

i make my son wear a helmet whenever he uses something with wheels, rollerblades,bike,skateboard,scooter etc... It is not him i am worried about, it is all the idiot drivers out there. It is common sense to make your kid wear a helmet. I would rather be overprotective than see my son get hurt.

Answer 10

Kids fall off skateboards a whole lot more often then bikes. It also doesn't matter how fast you are going when you fall, it's just a matter of hitting the cement when you do.