# Tricycle helmet - am I overdoing it?



## lemurik (Jul 26, 2007)

My 2 yo received his first tricycle for his birthday, together with a helmet.
He doesn't really know how to ride it yet and only uses it on our porch. Usually he would get on, try to pedal for a few minutes and get off. After a while he might try it again.
I make him wear the helmet every time he get on (he doesn't object), but it takes some time to do and seems unnecessary since he doesn't actually ride it. I am trying to get him into habit of using the helmet, but I am afraid he will get frustrated with the bike and not want to use it just to avoid the hassle.
Should I be more relaxed about it now and wait till he actually rides the trike?


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## grumpybear (Oct 5, 2006)

My 2 y.o. has a trike too and even before he started to pedal on his own, we've made it a point to emphasize the use of a helmet. That way, he associates bike=helmet. Now, whenever he gets on it, he will always look for his helmet. I think it's just setting the foundation for good safety habits.
We have an ordinary helmet and it's fairly easy to put on (I think it's a Thomas the Engine one).
But I agree with what you are doing about letting him wear a helmet even if he's not actually riding yet.


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## straighthaircurly (Dec 17, 2005)

You are doing the right thing. The line between not riding and riding is very blurry. You will appreciate the fact that you are being very consistent about wearing the helmet whenever he is on the trike. We did the same thing and now there are no arguments re. helmet usage for biking, rollerblading, or skateboarding, and horseback riding.

I am shocked how few parents insist that their kids wear helmets (of course the parents don't either which is just as stupid...a friend's mom died from a head injury caused by hitting her head on a curb after falling off her bike for unknown reasons).

Wear your helmets people! And make sure your kids do too!


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## tatermom (Jun 11, 2005)

DS1 wears a helmet whenever he rides around on his trike, and I think it's very important because 1) it sets up a good habit for bike riding later and 2) sometimes he gets going pretty fast down a hill and I'm glad he has it on! He always remembers that he needs a helmet when he wants to ride his trike.

That said, we did make a rule (starting at 2yo) that if he was just playing with the trike in the back yard or the patio, that the helmet was not necessary. He has had no trouble distinguishing the two situations-- in the backyard he's hopping on and off, mostly playing pretend and such, whereas when riding down the sidewalk he's really riding. IMO I think it would be ok to skip the helmet on the porch as long as you require it whenever he leaves the porch with the trike, and remind him of that rule each time.


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## Yooper (Jun 6, 2003)

I am pretty lax about most safety stuff but the helmet+trike thing was encouraged right from the beginning. My dd rides a 2-wheel bike now and I swear she fell off her trike more frequently than a 2-wheel bike. The trike we had was very top-heavy and really not a good design. Now it is just a habit and she never forgets.


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## AllyRae (Dec 10, 2003)

It isn't an option in our house--ever since they first sat on a trike at a year old, they wore a helmet. And when they refused, they helped put the bike back in the garage. It's easier to instill the importance of a helmet when they're younger so that when they're older they still wear them. I wouldn't let them ride in the car without a carseat just because they refused to be buckled, and the bike helmet is the same story for us.


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

I don't make my 2 yr. old ride a helmet on his bike (he moved from a trike to a bike a few months ago). I will when he gets his training wheels off, same as my oldest. My 5.5 yr. old never, ever wore a helmet on a trike and he always wears his helmet on his bike.


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

Even if he doesn't need to wear it its a good habit to form.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

i think you are doing the right thing. you are doing what i do...and my 2.5 yo now goes to get his helmet before getting on his bike (its a balance bike).

i think establishing good habits is a good thing.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

The rule at my house has always been "anything with wheels, where your feet don't touch the ground while you're moving, needs a helmet." This means roller skates, scooters, bikes and trikes (if we ever actually had trikes rather than very tiny bikes with training wheels, which is what we ended up owning.) Skateboards would fall into this category as well, if any child ever develops interest in one. I don't insist on helmets for the kind of bike or toy car that works on a "Flintstone propulsion system" ie the kids' feet touch the ground to make it move.

I think your'e doing the right thing with the helmet association. I woudln't insist on taking the helmet right off after riding if DC doesn't mind wearing it longer- it makes it quicker to get back on the trike a few minutes later.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

this was a good thread: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=bike

took me awhile to find it though.


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

The smallest bike helmet I can find barely fits my 3 year old. We don't make him wear it with the trike or his power wheels but he does wear it when he's on DH's bike


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## nalo (Oct 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~Megan~* 
Even if he doesn't need to wear it its a good habit to form.

Yes!
In this situation it doesn't sound like safety is an issue but it's great to start the association/habit now. I plan to do the same thing.


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## Jes'sBeth (Aug 30, 2004)

always a helmet. After I hit that tree head first flying off my bike I've been rather fond of my helmet. My wife commutes to work on her bike and hit loose sand/ gravel one day from the street sweeper and took out a helmet on the curb. Our DD has fallen off her trike several times (she's not so good at steering! She'll turn the handlebars all the way when she's got a good bit of speed going and totally bail) and we've always been very happy she's had a helmet on. There should be no problems finding a helmet for a small child. They make them to fit kids 12 months and up. In fact, our 3 yr old is on her 2nd helmet. She outgrew her first helmet this summer. They have great ones that have dials on the back to help adjust them properly.


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## cam&kat's_mom (Jan 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla* 
The rule at my house has always been "anything with wheels, where your feet don't touch the ground while you're moving, needs a helmet." This means roller skates, scooters, bikes and trikes (if we ever actually had trikes rather than very tiny bikes with training wheels, which is what we ended up owning.) Skateboards would fall into this category as well, if any child ever develops interest in one. I don't insist on helmets for the kind of bike or toy car that works on a "Flintstone propulsion system" ie the kids' feet touch the ground to make it move.

I think your'e doing the right thing with the helmet association. I woudln't insist on taking the helmet right off after riding if DC doesn't mind wearing it longer- it makes it quicker to get back on the trike a few minutes later.


that is our rule as well. If it has wheels and moves whilte you are on it your wearign a helme. DS got a littel scoot about bike thing for his first birthday and he ran up to it sayign "hat, hat" and patting his head becaseu he already had been taught that he needed a helmet. I say there si no age too early to teach them safe use. Also even if a child is on a training wheeled bike they can still tip over or fall or get hit by something and injure their head.


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## tree-hugger (Jul 18, 2007)

I think what you're doing sounds great. It's good to be consistent now so that the helmet-wearing becomes automatic. And I bet that it would be possible to have some bad falls hopping on and off the trike (especially when you're not used to it) even if it's just on the porch.


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## kochanyk (Jun 30, 2005)

that's a great habit to get into!!!


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## dinahx (Sep 17, 2005)

ITA with PPs . . . Elmo is always going on and on about helmets and it just made sense to me to continue that and make it a habit. I don't LOVE that it is made of styrafoam, but I'd rather stay out of the ER later on, so I deal. Actually when DS got his bike, he wouldn't take his helmet off for a whole week! He even tried to sleep in it. We got him a really rad one with real lion hair on the sides . . .


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## LaughingHyena (May 4, 2004)

DD wears a helmet when she's riding too and from preschool and things but not playing in the back yard. She also wears it when in the bike seat.

I don't insist in the garden as it's more playing with the bike than riding it, ie she can't go far/fast but does pretend to rid to the shops /wherever.

I so insist that helmets are removed when not on the bike. There have been a couple of cases I've heard of where children died because of playing on the playground with helmets on. They tried to climb through the equipment but the helmets didn't fit and strangled them.


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## kittyhead (Oct 28, 2005)

my two year old always wears a helmet on his trike. in fact, every time he wants to ride he asks me for his "bike hat"


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## lactivist (Jun 14, 2005)

Our rule is that if it has wheels and you are using it outside you have to wear a helmet. I also don't let any wheeled things in the kitchen because it is too slippery and hard. The good thing is that because I have always had this rule my kids automatically put on a helmet. I even make my dh wear a helmet when snowboarding. We are a helmet family. This was all reinforced for me the other day when I heard about my bf's brother. He is 16 and stopped for a minute to skateboard with friends and didn't wear a helmet (it was in the car but he didn't put it on) he slipped and fell and got a serious head injury. He was in the ICU for over a week. It is just too serious not to enforce.
Wendi


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## goodheartedmama (Feb 1, 2007)

DS just plays on his, can't pedal yet, but since he got it for his bday in March, the rule has always been "on the trike, the helmet goes on." He willingly does it now (he thinks it's cool). I'd rather just go ahead and start the rule, rather than deal with teaching it later.


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## galincognito (Nov 23, 2007)

we put a helmet on dd (14 months) and have since she was 10 months old. she only rides in the chariot on the back of our bikes but she knows that bike means helmet.
it can take some searching to find a small size. dd is petite and i called around to several large bike shops in my city before finding one store that carried a helmet small enough. (i believe it is a bell brand name).


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## katheek77 (Mar 13, 2007)

Most of the local preschools require helmets for tricycles, even for indoor riding. I don't think it's a bad habit to get into.


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## nov05mama (Mar 29, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AllyRae* 
It isn't an option in our house--ever since they first sat on a trike at a year old, they wore a helmet. And when they refused, they helped put the bike back in the garage. It's easier to instill the importance of a helmet when they're younger so that when they're older they still wear them. I wouldn't let them ride in the car without a carseat just because they refused to be buckled, and the bike helmet is the same story for us.

















:


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## milehighmonkeys (Apr 13, 2006)

We do helmets for trikes, too. Now DD is starting to ride a 2-wheeler and it's not even a question. I don't have to remind her or anything. She knows if she's riding something, she wears a helmet, plain and simple.


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## mran (Dec 9, 2007)

The few times my son has got on a bike without a helmet, he's managed to fall and "ding" his head quite badly. We even have extra helmets for friends too, and require them for all.


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## PGTlatte (Mar 7, 2004)

We use a helmet for the tricycle. I don't think it's overdoing it at all. Tricycles are actually pretty unstable around corners. It's also good to start the helmet habit early.


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