Written by Jamie Bessette
As the weather is warming up and our kids head outside to play I’d like to take a little time here to discuss helmets. A few years ago I learned some information about helmets that I’d never heard before and as I talk with other parents I have learned they haven't heard this information either.
My doctor tells me, as I’m sure your doctor tells you, to make sure my kids are wearing helmets when biking or rollerblading. The message is short and simple, cover your noodle and your kids noodle.
After my son had taken a fall roller blading, my brother informed me that my son was wearing the wrong helmet when he fell. Even when we went to the emergency room with the cracked in half helmet the ER doctor did not tell me it was the wrong helmet! So here is the big news: there is a helmet for each sport and you are not supposed to exchange a single helmet for multiple sports. So my son was wearing a bicycle helmet when really he should have been wearing a rollerblading/ skateboarding helmet. I had no idea! Part of the reason my son’s injuries were so severe was because he was wearing the wrong helmet.
A helmet is designed for where the most impact is likely to happen when you fall during that sport. A bicycle helmet is designed to take a front impact where a rollerblade helmet is designed to take a rear impact. I know some of you are thinking “Well duh!” but I also know a ton of you just thought “I had no clue!” Don’t feel bad I had no clue either and that is why I am sharing this information with you.
The other piece, which I think more people are aware of is that each helmet is supposed to fit a certain way and as your kids grow you need to buy them new helmets. Here is link for how to properly fit a bicycle helmet: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/8019_fitting-a-helmet.pdf
And my last bit of information… as the parent you need to set the example and wear one too. If you have seen any of the pictures of me riding a horse I wear a bright pink helmet. I am usually the only adult wearing a helmet when we go to events (and I do put a brown cover on it when I am in a formal riding event). I also wear one when I ride a bike but it's a more mellow white.
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