Ah, summer…..sun shining, kids outside. Wait, that’s when Samara Tilkens Postuma notices something…

It is always something isn’t it.

Upon a child’s birth, its breast vs. bottle, working vs. staying at home, preschool vs. Montessori and so on. Most of the time we all do what works for our own families trying to leave our own biased opinions out of it, don’t we? It’d be nice if as our kids got older the arguments over what is better and the decisions over what is best ceased, but it seems that isn’t the case.

My stepson, Tyler, is 9 and entering 4th grade this fall. Imagine my surprise when I watched him and three of his neighborhood friends bike around the neighborhood and he was the only one wearing a helmet. In years past, all the kids wore helmets. And I mean ALL. This year, he’s the oldest one wearing one.

It doesn’t seem to bother him and only once have I even heard one of his friends question him. His friend started to point and laugh saying; “You still wear a helmet? Helmets are for babies!!!” and Ty quickly put the blame on me, (his evil stepmother), “She makes me.” He said pointing at me.

I was fine with that explanation and feel thankful that he willingly puts it on each day when he hops atop his bike but I can’t help but wonder how much longer it will be before he starts asking when he’s old enough to go helmet less.

Helmets weren’t what they are today when my husband and I were growing up. As a matter of fact, I first got a helmet when I was 10, from my pediatrician after a fall on my noggin. But even today my husband and I wear helmets when we go biking because we want the kids to all understand that it’s about being safe and making the right choices.

Is there some sort of magical age that helmets are no longer needed? The way I see it, my two year old is probably safer on his tricycle without a helmet versus a 9 year old boy who wants to ride hands free, going off of jumps. What do you think and how does one approach and encourage this as the kids get older?

Samara Tilkens Postuma
http://simplicityinthesuburbs.blogspot.com

This entry was posted on Monday, August 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am and is filed under Family Life, Guest Bloggers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.