Children love to explore their surroundings while having fun with their peers. However, every time kids go out and play, parents fear for their safety. Since biking and riding scooters are popular outdoor activities, they need to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Around half a million kids are rushed to the ER due to fractures and concussions injuries. Severe head trauma can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Parents need to remind and educate their children about the importance of wearing PPE while skating or riding their bicycles. This article aims to teach parents how to encourage their kids to always wear their safety helmets.
Take Them Helmet Shopping
Shopping helmets with your children is a step in the right direction. This gives them a chance to choose the right helmet. Let them pick the design that catches their eyes. Treat buying helmets like buying a new pair of jeans, shoes or clothes they wear every day. Letting them choose means you’re giving them autonomy to make the right decisions by themselves.
Explain the Different Types of Helmets
Another approach is explaining the different types of helmets. Explain that not all helmets were created the same, and they serve different purposes. A Giro ski helmet, for example, was designed to protect a skier against the cold weather and high-speed injuries while at the slopes.
Bike helmets, on the other hand, were designed to reduce wind resistance while its outer shell absorbs the impact in the event of a bicycle crash. Helmets for skateboarding were designed to absorb multiple low-impact blows to the head since these are the common injuries associated with skateboarding. Although there are multi-sport helmets available on the market, a child should wear the recommended helmet for his or her particular activity.
Show the Importance of Wearing Protective Gear
By nature, children are fearless and have a wrong perception of being invincible. This is due to their desire to discover new things despite the dangers the real world brings. Cuts, scrapes, and fractures might not convince them to wear a “tacky” protective gear, but why not show them how a serious fall can affect their brain?
Drop a raw egg on the floor to demonstrate your point. Riding their bikes without wearing head protection can result in fatalities. Explain to them that you don’t want them to get seriously hurt while having fun with their friends.
Be an Example of Personal Safety by Riding with Them
Children will always look up to their parents for advice and best practices. They need an adult, especially their parents, to teach them the ropes and show them how things should be done. Schedule a riding or skating day with them. Wear your protective equipment to encourage them to do the same.
Make things more exciting and engaging by taking them to sports events related to their favorite outdoor activities (cycling, skateboarding, or rollerblading). This will help them understand the value of being safe while engaged in their preferred outdoor sports.
Promoting safety is a vital part of parenting. No parent wants to rush their children to the emergency room and blame themselves in the end. Start your kids young to help them develop good safety habits. Ride and play safely!
