Parents Worst mum in the world

[xrachx]

I'm feeling utterly terrible and like a horrible mum DD has been invited to a party at a trampoline park by one of her teammates, and both me and her dad have said an outright no chance.

We've heard far too many stories of really nasty breaks and fractures coming out of the two places we have locally, and sods law is if anyone is going to get hurt, it would be DD. Normally I'm fairly relaxed about DD going off and trying things, but I get this weird feeling every time I think of her at one of these places.

Admittedly her major comps are finished for this year so she's not competing until March now, but considering a year ago she broke her finger and was generally unbearable for the 8 weeks she was out and the 8 weeks getting back up to strength, I really don't want to go through it again.

Fear I'm becoming an over protective CGM

 

[notthatmom]

Honestly, at a place like that, gymnasts are probably the least likely to get hurt. The kids who get hurt do-so because they have no idea what they're doing on the trampolines. Your DD has been trained well on what to do and how to fall. Let her go, but be stern about how careful she needs to be.

If it were meet season, and it was cliff diving or white water rafting, that would strike as more dangerous in my eyes

 

[Iwannabemargo]

you horrid meany beany lol

Totally get you. They look amazing fun but their safety record is abysmal. Stick to your guns.

I think the problem is the flying teenagers, toddlers and balls - yes they let them have balls on there - its broken ankle waiting to happen.

 

[raenndrops]

Honestly, at a place like that, gymnasts are probably the least likely to get hurt. The kids who get hurt do-so because they have no idea what they're doing on the trampolines. Your DD has been trained well on what to do and how to fall. Let her go, but be stern about how careful she needs to be.

If it were meet season, and it was cliff diving or white water rafting, that would strike as more dangerous in my eyes

Or a gymnast is more likely to get hurt because of those that don't know what they are doing... Landing on the gymnast, cutting the gymnast off, throwing a ball under the gymnast, etc...

 

[lovemygymnast]

Completely understand! We have taken dd though to one nearby only because they have very strict rules and because dd is super careful to watch for others. She only plays on the tumble tramp and really nothing else. But that said, I have been to a couple with lax rules, slack employees who don't enforce rules and just wow! Somebody is going to be seriously injured there. So I completely understand especially if you'd heard of other injuries from that place. If you're horrible, I would be too!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Odd duck here. I've seen kids break a leg stepping off a curb. I let my kid go. But she knows what she can and can not do. In fact one party was her gymnasts friends birthday. The whole team was there.

 

[suebee]

I let my dd go, but only to the ones that have the individual squares for a kid to jump on that you don't share with others. Plus I tell her she is not to do tumbling - jumping only. The place closest to us has a longer trampoline like a tumble track but I tell her not to go on there, because I've seen other kids running across it while kids are trying to tumble, and I feel like there is a serious potential for injury.

She only goes to those places for birthday parties with school friends, so the kids are all just jumping, so she doesn't have an issue with it.

 

[2G1B]

I let my kids go; but... I let my kids ski during competition season (since ski season IS competition season unless we want to go down to the Southern Hemisphere).

 

[OwlGalLiz]

It's not the gymnast I worry about, it is everyone else getting in his way. I've seen kids get hurt at the one locally. Our rule is only if it is a team activity and a coach is present. The teens that typically are "on duty" just don't cut it for us.

 

[duyetanh]

Another odd duck here, but it would be my dd being the odd duck-ling.....
She wouldn't go to one of those parties.
And hasn't when asked.
Because, being tiny, she knows she would get run over. She did a bounce house one once.....and that was it for her....it was gnarly. And the kids are having way too much fun to notice or care honestly. But when I was a kid, I loved them!

 

[Jenny]

It's not the gymnast I worry about, it is everyone else getting in his way. I've seen kids get hurt at the one locally. Our rule is only if it is a team activity and a coach is present. The teens that typically are "on duty" just don't cut it for us.

This, if it was all gym kids I feel it would be better. It is the non gym kids that I would worry about more. They aren't 'gym savvy' and are more likely to run across or bounce out of control into your kid.

 

[l.c.o]

I let my kiddos go. While I understand it's a risk, and so do they, I already feel like they miss out on so much.

Though maybe they're older than yours?

They don't go often, but it is probably 1-3 times per year. It's not a go-to activity, but birthday parties and the occasional meetups with friends I do personally allow. To me, it isn't a whole lot different than going to open gym - lots of crazy kids there, too.

That said, I also let my DS9 ski/snowboard last winter during comp season and I'm encouraging my DD12 to try it this winter. They also indoor rock climb - which they both LOVE. While I understand there are risks, I'm just at a point where I want them to be free to try new things.

I do get the cautiousness, and I do respect it. We each parent differently, and you have to do what you're comfortable with.

While I hope my kiddos stay healthy, I've had to work hard to accept that sometimes the cost of fun and trying something new is a broken arm. While YES, I hope that is never actually the case, I've had to make my peace with it. Goodness, they can get injured so easily just at gymnastics practice - this weekend my DS landed on his neck when tumbling - he'd bailed on a BHS. It was terrifying. But I hope he gets back at it for his next practice, once he's feeling better.

Sorry for the tangent, oh my!

 

[GymDad9.9]

I would say it depends on the Trampoline Park. Some are better managed and controlled than others. My daughter does a fair amount of training on the trampoline in the gym so I don't worry about her as much as the interference of others.

 

[RTT2]

I'd have my kid skip that party, too.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

I let my kiddos go. While I understand it's a risk, and so do they, I already feel like they miss out on so much.

Though maybe they're older than yours?

They don't go often, but it is probably 1-3 times per year. It's not a go-to activity, but birthday parties and the occasional meetups with friends I do personally allow. To me, it isn't a whole lot different than going to open gym - lots of crazy kids there, too.

That said, I also let my DS9 ski/snowboard last winter during comp season and I'm encouraging my DD12 to try it this winter. They also indoor rock climb - which they both LOVE. While I understand there are risks, I'm just at a point where I want them to be free to try new things.

I do get the cautiousness, and I do respect it. We each parent differently, and you have to do what you're comfortable with.

While I hope my kiddos stay healthy, I've had to work hard to accept that sometimes the cost of fun and trying something new is a broken arm. While YES, I hope that is never actually the case, I've had to make my peace with it. Goodness, they can get injured so easily just at gymnastics practice - this weekend my DS landed on his neck when tumbling - he'd bailed on a BHS. It was terrifying. But I hope he gets back at it for his next practice, once he's feeling better.

Sorry for the tangent, oh my!

I feel the same way as this. I let my dd go to trampoline places and she loves them. She doesn't go all the time, but if she is invited to go with a friend or at a party, she goes. She also goes roller skating, plays on our own trampoline, and other activities. And a couple of weeks ago, our whole family even went caving. I also understand being cautious and why people avoid it, but I think accidents can happen so easily anywhere.. at the gym, the playground at school, even riding bikes. I don't want her getting hurt of course, but she's just a naturally active and fun loving child and I don't want to squash that either.

My son broke his elbow playing on the monkey bars at school. Our neighbor just broke his arm falling while riding a scooter. A friend of my son's just had a horrible open fracture break while riding his ripstick. I broke my ankle on a bosu taking a class at the Y. Unfortunately, it happens.

But I totally understand the opposite point of view too. It you feel it's an unnecessary risk, then avoid them. I am sure there are some trampoline parks out there that are more dangerous than others too. The ones I've taken my kids to have never been that crowded and I've never been overly concerned. But if it was a madhouse with tons of jumping kids and my child was significantly smaller or something like that, than of course that is a completely different story.

 

[mommyof1]

I am also "fairly relaxed about DD going off and trying things." I let my child roller skate, ice skate, climb the rock wall, and play on the monkey bars. We are planning to take her skiing during competition season. But I don't allow her on any trampoline that's not in a real gymnastics gym supervised by qualified coaches. I also keep her out of bouncy houses whenever possible. She is tiny for her age, and jumping on a trampoline or in a bouncy house with larger kids is especially dangerous for the smaller ones. We also know several people who have been injured at our local trampoline park and in bouncy houses. The bouncy house injuries have all occurred while all parties involved were using the equipment properly. Perhaps my perception of risk is skewed, but I just don't think trampoline parks and bouncy houses are worth it.

 

[l.c.o]

Maybe there is some difference between trampoline parks, because supervision-wise, I've never found our local ones to be any less safe than an open gym. Kids are monitored, etc.

They also limit the number of kids at one time in our trampoline parks.

Again, maybe my perspective in this is skewed given that my kids are a bit older, and while small for their ages, they aren't tiny.

If anyone is personally concerned with going to these places, they absolutely shouldn't. As I said, it's a risk that I've/we've personally accepted. I just wanted to share my point of view and my personal logic behind it. It's not "right" or "correct", rather, it's "right for us".

My DD has been more seriously injured on the playground at school (concussion) and in gym class (multiple bruises on her face/eye, a 'knee sprain'). While many say additional risk isn't worth it (which is totally ok), I personally think everything can be risky and that calculated risks to personal comfort is the way of life.

(Also, my own DD decided not to compete cheer anymore (she flew) or play volleyball again (sliding on knees, etc) because they weren't worth the risk of injury to her. Which I completely respected. To each their own brand of risk and nuttiness.)

 

[sce]

I totally respect not letting them go. we used to frequent a trampoline place, with homeschoolers during the day, during the week. it was pretty empty and my kids were petty young, so no flipping etc. I felt they were well supervised and quick to stop anything unsafe. we went on a weekend for a party. Very crowded, felt a little too chaotic but still well supervised. It seemed they minimized their risk of accidents with their supervision.

We had not gone in years and then recently were invited to a party at a different place. That place was a mess. Little supervision, kids running everywhere and little guys going under the barrier from the under 7 area into the regular area. (basically popping into other trampoline space kind-of our of nowhere. Parents weren't really watching little one either. The place was also a bit run-down and the pit was not very deep! I would not even have to tell my kids, "no", if invited there again. Neither one wants to return.

 

[GYM0M]

I've let my DD go. She absolutely loves the obstacle course and pretty much stays there the entire time.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I have let my DD go in the past.
Then, like OP, she was out of gym (mono, not an injury, but still out) for 4 weeks straight and was unbearable.
The next time she went to a skating party, I was on edge. Before having her out of gym for a solid month, I hadn't given it thought. After the experience, my awareness tripled. Mostly because I didn't want to have her out again.

That said, she had a stress fracture in her back last year from beam BWOs, then about to be cleared to tumble, and sprained her ankle in conditioning.

So, you just never know...