I went on a backyard trampoline once as a kid and it ended with the entire neighbourhood searching for me. I just couldn’t stop playing with my friends and was hours late for curfew. I had forgotten to tell anyone where I was.
Fortunately, I integer overflowed my mom’s level of worry and she was too glad to have me back to be angry. Though, seeing her unwind from genuine terror was more effective than any level of scolding and I never again forgot to tell them where I was going.
…I integer overflowed my mom’s level of worry and she was too glad to have me back to be angry.
I had a childhood acquaintance who was lost in the forest for half a day, and was found by a search and rescue in perfect shape, minus a missing shoe. His mom had that same reaction.
>A reminder to buy the kids things they say they desperately want.
If I were to follow this, I'd be spending half my days driving to stores to buy the thing my kids happen to "desperately" want today :)
Also a reminder that you're not obliged to _buy_ everything. Its kind of amazing how ingrained this is into a large amount of peoples' heads. You can get a lot of things for free or secondhand. I got my kids' large trampoline for free.
I think the previous comment was more about second hand, and free options compare to running out to buy them new from a store; not if the parent should/shouldn't get them anything.
I knew what I was commenting on. I see that HN continues to be salty about anything that doesn't support their entitled worldview.
The broader thread was commenting about the dangers of trampolines and I was simply suggesting how to sidestep an entire category of suffering.
If they insist on wanting a trampoline and actually do yard work for it or whatever, then the pain won't be wasted. It may not even be remembered as trauma, but as the moment they learned to think a little harder about what they want. This is really basic parenting.
I would elaborate on what I mean by "entitled" as applied to the adults on here pushing their own ideas/products/etc., but I think it's clear enough where my train of thought is going.
That was somewhat my first point - kids, especially younger, want things all the time. Its fine to ignore most of it. Catering to every wish of a toddler is silly. Unfortunately it seems a lot of parents tend to do more of that than seems healthy.
One of my favorite trampoline hacks is to rip the legs off and use them as a giant tree swing, or portaledge when tree climbing.
The hoop is immensely lightweight, strong, and doesn't care if it's being supported by legs in compression, or by lines in (equal) tension. They break down and transport super easy.
I sweated the years we had a trampoline. It was visible from the street so anyone could have jumped on it and broke their neck. One of my children's friends did get hurt but fortunately, not enough to become an issue. They're a huge liability and not sure insurance covers them.
Insurance… lawyers… No wonder most kids these days are glued to screens: liability free!
Went to an “amusement” park the other day (US). Throughput of people going down a waterslide at about 2 kids per minute. Insane. Wavepool? Cleared out every 15 minutes or so. Non-stop whistling by an army of lifeguards. Insane. A kid got whistled at because they had a kid on their shoulder. Okay… At least the cop walking around the park (in uniform) all day was nice and handed out stickers. That’s right, a cop at an amusement park. No wonder these places are dying and being turned into warehouses or what have you.
I ended up finding an insurance plan which explicitly covers trampolines. I now basically pay for the cost of the trampoline each year. Insane.
I was at a trampoline park last weekend (regular kind of place, everything padded for safety, as you'd imagine).
A ten year old kid left in an ambulance, neck injury, one side of the body paralyzed at the time of the event.
I really hope the kid recovers... but I don't think I'll ever forget that image.
Yes, everything in life has risks, but I don't even want to imagine how I'd feel if my kid, or my kids' friend had a life-changing injury on a trampoline at my home.
It gets worse - if you make an unrelated insurance claim while owning an undisclosed trampoline then insurance company can deny your claim due to having the trampoline even if the claim has nothing to do with the trampoline.
Not sure how common that is, but it's definitely a possibility. My cousin is an insurance adjuster and he said he denies claims for misrepresentation all the time.
So all you trampoline owners I hope you're renters or have disclosed your trampoline to your homeowners insurance.
We bought a trampoline when our oldest was five. He didn't ask for it, we were just guessing. We got a good deal on one from Craigslist or similar that was brand new, still in the box, so probably like $50 or something.
He loved it and many years later he still uses it, pretty much every day that it's not raining. He's well past the age where I would have thought he would still be interested. We've replaced the mat and all the springs to keep it going.
Point being, sometimes you just don't know what kids will like.
My parents dug a hole in the ground for a trampoline, so it was flush with the ground. It was great because you couldn't accidentally fall off, and it was safer than doing any given stunt on regular ground.
The lot was graded in 70's or 80's, which was late enough to have modern drainage as part of the design. In their neighborhood, most houses are graded at several feet higher than the sidewalk gutter, so the trampoline just needed a regular drain pipe to bring the storm runoff to the front of the property.
They did later add a sump pump, because most of the years rain happens over a small number of very wet storms, and it can take a while to gravity drain out several inches of rain we'll often get in a single storm. (Our record from before they had the trampoline was 12 inches of rain in just over 24 hours, but that was an especially strong El Niño year, but we'll probably be getting another one soon.)
A great idea but it's not the main cause of kids at ER because of trampolines: the main issue is two kids hitting each other, not one kid falling of the trampoline. Say the head of one kid hitting the jaw of the other kid. That's the main issue (my source is a doctor friend who worked at ER and refused to have a trampoline for his kids).
So I came up with a very simple rule: one kid at a time in the trampoline and I were to see two, I'd disassemble the trampoline (and as the kid saw me assembling it, she knew I meant business).
But yup a hole in the ground to lower it sounds like a good idea too: that and a rule of one kid at a time.
A trampoline can be endless fun for kids. I got one for free from my neighbor (who was very happy to get rid of it) and a few years later I ended up giving it away when I moved.
That's why I compared it to a similar stunt on regular ground. That kind of horseplay wasn't allowed in my household, or really anything we were into as children, so my parents could let several of us play on the trampoline at a time, although they had to be more careful if we had someone over.
Almost everyone I knew who broke a bone growing up broke them on a trampoline. As an adult, every story I've heard involving someone's kids and a trampoline ended up involving a cast at best.
... And yet. I wonder. I can remember the feeling of freedom and joy in my body as a child, joy in movement itself that I have never recaptured in any meaningful way no matter how I ever tried to motivate myself to exercise...
Swimming is also dangerous, but is considered a very healthy and useful activity and skill. I could see a similar cost/benefit analysis for trampolines and other gymnastic equipment.
Backyard trampolines without nets are particularly dangerous. A gymnasium or trampoline park with in-ground trampolines are my go-to if someone wants to learn how to do tricks.
I'm someone who suffers from major reluctance to exercise. To be more specific - the first thirty minutes of exercise are hell, always. Doesn't matter how long I've been doing an activity. It feels like the first time. Exhaustion, fatigue whatever.
This basically means stuff like jogging is out, since it takes so long to get over the hump each time my motivation to do it can't be maintained.
Recently (in my late forties), inspired by some friends who go regularly, I've started attending a weight lifting centred gym near my house.
The cardio I do at the beginning and end of each workout is still hell. But the weight lifting itself really is quite freeing, and it's wonderful to see your strength go (gradually up). It's great also to discover my legs are much stronger than I'd have expected (after years of riding a fixie), despite my arms being flimsy noodles.
I loved our trampoline as a kid. I went on it nearly every day and I'd go on it to dry after baths.
It was a big deal buying a trampoline for my kids - they used it once and I have to force them to use it again.
Somehow, my wife's co-workers managed to sneak a full size trampoline (with netting) into their Rental's living room; somehow the landlord is fine with the arrangement, having seen it in person.
I just took down part of our trampoline this morning, and it gave me the sads, because our kids have used the heck out of it over the years. When they were smaller they'd ask me to 'bounce' them, and they'd scream happy screams as they flew into the air. I was wondering myself if it'd end up being one of those things they used for a week and grew bored of, but they enjoyed it for years.
Trampolines are awesome, not just for kids. Best thing I bought (long before I had own kids). I recovered my knee after an operation with it - the "professional" reha I got before was close to useless.
Because you cannot just mind and recklessly jump on it - you have a generic flat/bouncy ground to do all kinds of soft movements, you can do slow or fast. So recovering I did not by jumping yet, but by roling and softly bouncing up and down. First while lying, then standing ... then finally jumping again.
Now many years later, I bought a second, connected them and can do longer jumps and tricks between them.
Oh yes, and the children now love it since they could crawl in it. (Except with strong sun, my older boy is strongly afraid of the static electricity that builds up, that can result in discharges strong enough to hurt, which my daughter uses intentionally to shock him).
Of course it helps, that the Trampolin is hidden from view, not sure if I would have as much fun it it, if everybody from the street could watch. If you have that, or don't care, - go wild in it. Extremely rewarding sport for me. I never hurt myself in it, but that can of course happen, if you overdo it, but compared to the accidents I had in all those other sports that not happen on a soft ground ...
I had a trampoline as a preteen, they are loads of fun for pretty much all ages. Kids and adults of all ages had fun on them. However, I would never in a million years own one or allow one on my property as an adult, because they are humongous liability and most insurance companies won't cover you if you own one. At some point my parents insurance company did some reconnaissance, saw the trampoline, and immediately cancelled their policy on the spot. They are also considered an attractive nuance, legally, so if someone breaks into your yard and breaks their neck on it you're considered legally liable.
As much as I like them, nothing is worth that kinda risk.
We only had one because my parents were extremely irresponsible people. (In other ways too)
I bought a medium sized above ground pool that the kids rarely used. More work than it was worth.
Next I bought a nice trampoline for the kids and the second it showed up at my door my dad commented that he thinks it was a waste of my money and that the kids don't even use the pool and the same would be true for the trampoline.
Well he has since apologized many times over after realizing my kids would put about 6 hours a day on the thing in the summer and even on some of the less then optimal weather days put in some time. My dad now keeps talking about the cost per hour the trampoline has gotten ($500 trampoline - 500 hours use = 1$/hr), well now I think he calculates it by the cents per hour no longer dollars.
If I was their mischievous uncle, I would get them a full feature drum set, maybe with extra percussion instruments. Hopefully the kids will show the same enthusiasm for it, before the parents let them play the drums in the bath or the rain, in a deliberate effort to get the kids to destroy the drum set.
Fortunately, I integer overflowed my mom’s level of worry and she was too glad to have me back to be angry. Though, seeing her unwind from genuine terror was more effective than any level of scolding and I never again forgot to tell them where I was going.
Trampolines, man.