Wed 27 Sep 2006
Yesterday, when walking downtown, I saw a woman on the sidewalk pushing a three-year-old girl on a push-trike. You know, one of those tricycles with a protruding handlebar that allows the parent to control the speed and direction of a tyke that may not be able to pedal or steer yet.
The girl was wearing a helmet.
Aitch has such a tricycle. Do I really need to put a helmet on him? I mean, that little girl wasn’t traveling any faster than her mother could amble. Her mother was completely in control of her. They were on the sidewalk. I can think of ten activities that are more likely to result in a head injury than riding a push-trike, and the first two are “walking” and “sitting on a chair.”
Reminds me of the kid in A Mighty Wind whose mother forced him to wear a helmet while playing chess.
September 28th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Nicolas also has such a trike. We don’t own a helmet. Perhaps we could start a gang in which we allow our tots to go helmet-less and encourage them to sport henna tatoos and roll up candy cigarettes in their sleeves.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
My daughter, who also doesn’t need one, has been begging for a helmet. I think sometimes they just want to emulate the big kids. That kid may have just been playing a form of dress up by wearing it.
January 9th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Having picked up children in the ambulance who have head injuries from not wearing a helmet. I think that starting them young teaches them that any time they’re riding a piece of recreational equipment they should have a helmet.