It’s that time of year where these stir-crazy kids can now play outside almost every day after school. Spring into summertime is so exciting as a kid. They can get outside and run around like looneybirds all day long. Moms everywhere love it too!
We have a wonderful neighborhood where kids are out riding their bikes from dusk until dawn, it’s reminiscent of when I was a kid and we were on our bikes all day. I am not an overly cautious, neurotic parent but I have certain major rules about safety, especially outdoor safety. One of my biggest issues is bike safety.
We have a rule in our house, “no helmet, no bike.”
My kids know it and they repeat it. I put my helmet on when I’m on my bike even if it’s to ride in circles in a 100 yard area.
No helmet, no bike.
However, it is a big pet peeve – it bugs me to no end – that 90% of the kids that ride around in our neighborhood are sans helmets. My boys know that even though the other kids aren’t wearing helmets, my rule still applies. But it still bothers me that so many kids (and adults) are on their bikes without helmets.
I am not perfect. A few months ago, this happened:
My older son crashed. It wasn’t the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last. He took the training wheels off around his fifth birthday and had not slowed down since. The issue is that he doesn’t always think. This incident happened because he was riding mach 5, then stopped, not thinking to communicate to the kid riding behind him that he was stopping.
First of all, parenting fail for not teaching him this yet:
Secondly, Andrew was wearing a helmet that day, but when I looked at the wounds, I realized that while the helmet protected the majority of his head, it wasn’t fitted correctly. His forehead shouldn’t have made contact with the ground that way.
I’ve stepped up my helmet safety. We have kids that come over to play and helmets get shared. Each time a kid puts on a different helmet, I’ve now realized I need to stop and check it.
I’m begging my parent friends out there to please put a helmet on your kids. Put one on yourself. And constantly remind yourself to double check and update the helmets as needed.
Here are some additional sites:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/bike_safety.html
CT Working Moms 
[…] Holly wrote a great piece this week about helmet safety which is especially relevant now that our children are playing outside a lot more. My husband worked in the bike industry for 16 years before making a career change and has great tips about how to ensure your child’s helmet is on correctly. Check out his first official video blog for CTWM’s (actually it’s our first family video blog!). […]
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Thank you for this eye opener about the helmet fit. With a newly minted bike rider in our house, I needed that! And thanks to Cora, I’ll be singing “No helmet…no bike” Bob Marley style to my girl every time we go to ride! LOL
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Agreed. We always wear our helmets when we are on wheels, that includes scooters. We also wear ours to model appropriate behavior. the number of parents who enforce the helmet rule for their kids but not themselves astounds me.
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Such an important message. We just got bikes (haven’t assembled them yet) and bike helmets, so I am glad to see that guide picture above. Thank you.
P.S. Every time I read your title, I think about the Bob Marley Song, “No Woman, No Cry.”
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Holly this is a wonderful post! My husband ran a bike shop for like 15 years and I think would agree that often times helmets on kids aren’t fitted correctly. So glad you put this out there, hopefully other people will check to make sure their kids helmets are on the correct way.
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I am with you on this 100%. I always make the boys wear their helmets and I always wear mine. I just checked the straps and the fit this past weekend. Now Big is complaining that the helmet hurts his forehead and he started pushing it back, which makes me realize that the nanny must let him wear it tipped back like that. I’ll have to show them your picture above.
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