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polo_pro · 09-06-2006, 11:44 AM

Now I know I'm going to be criticized for my below stance. Someone's either going to respond after reading only a few sentences ignoring my overall point as described in later sentence OR quote a few phrases out of context to make my position seem extreme or unrealistic. And to save pundits from having to post some typical response, I'll answer the two obvious questions with "yes, I have kids" and "no, they've never been seriously hurt as we tried things". Finally, I'll state that I'd never let my kids or anyone do anything on a segway that might cause it to "catch air"!

Part of parenting is letting your child take risks (under your watchful supervision so that you can intervene at any time to prevent a catastrophe). I think our country (USA) has lost touch with the fact that childhood is SUPPOSE to involve nicks and bumps.

Kids come up with wild ideas, and they don't have the good judgement to know when things have become too risky. But when a child who's exploring possibilities says, "Hey, I like segways and I like trampolines...let's do them together to see if we have more than twice the fun," we as parents SHOULD seriously consider their request for two reasons. First, the child may be onto something new and grand (like surfing with a kite pulling you)! But second, you never want your child to stop bringing his ideas to you...the worst scenario is where (s)he sneaks off and covertly attempts the stunt.

Upon getting the request, I feel we as parents should do everything in our power to help them do it SAFELY. (I readily admit some things can never be done safely....maybe that's the case with trampolines and segways.) The parent should experiment with the feat/stunt carefully considering all the ways things could go wrong AND explain to the child throughout the experiment that the outcome might be a ban on doing it even if the parent is trying it right then and there.

If circumstances can be changed to make the activity SAFE (perhaps with close supervision, etc) then I think it's time for the child to be allowed to try out their idea with the stipulation that they must always have things set up the same way (ie. parental supervision, etc.) if it's attempted in the future.

In the case of a segway on a trampoline, I'd probably demonstrate to the child what a segway does when it's in balance mode and completely lifted up of the ground (probably taking two adults to do this). The child would see the wheels spin up outrageously fast making a scary noise. I might even set it back down on the ground before the wheels spin down to show the child how uncontrollable the segway becomes. Then I'd point out that all the same thing is going to happen on the trampoline when you bounce. If my child still thought it was a good idea, I might even get up there and as carefully as possible show them how it gets out of control...but only if my child didn't have the attitude of "oh, dad can't do anything right and I'll show him how to do it!" The last thing you do is try to find something comparable in the child's eyes that they will feel looks as dangerous as this segway-trampoline activity is. Finally, on occasion, I've had to pull the parenting trump card out of "well, wait till you're 18 to do this...but try to postpone it even a bit longer till you're no longer elligible for a Darwin award". 8^) 8^) 8^)

ps - I will readily admit that not all parents have good judgement (or lack basic caution/common sense) nor do all kids obey rules. I haven't had much trouble with this in my family. As my kids become teenagers (and I get older) maybe this will become more of a problem!

09-06-2006, 11:44 AM	#24
polo_pro Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA, USA. Posts: 2,608	Exploring and pushing the limits Now I know I'm going to be criticized for my below stance. Someone's either going to respond after reading only a few sentences ignoring my overall point as described in later sentence OR quote a few phrases out of context to make my position seem extreme or unrealistic. And to save pundits from having to post some typical response, I'll answer the two obvious questions with "yes, I have kids" and "no, they've never been seriously hurt as we tried things". Finally, I'll state that I'd never let my kids or anyone do anything on a segway that might cause it to "catch air"! Part of parenting is letting your child take risks (under your watchful supervision so that you can intervene at any time to prevent a catastrophe). I think our country (USA) has lost touch with the fact that childhood is SUPPOSE to involve nicks and bumps. Kids come up with wild ideas, and they don't have the good judgement to know when things have become too risky. But when a child who's exploring possibilities says, "Hey, I like segways and I like trampolines...let's do them together to see if we have more than twice the fun," we as parents SHOULD seriously consider their request for two reasons. First, the child may be onto something new and grand (like surfing with a kite pulling you)! But second, you never want your child to stop bringing his ideas to you...the worst scenario is where (s)he sneaks off and covertly attempts the stunt. Upon getting the request, I feel we as parents should do everything in our power to help them do it SAFELY. (I readily admit some things can never be done safely....maybe that's the case with trampolines and segways.) The parent should experiment with the feat/stunt carefully considering all the ways things could go wrong AND explain to the child throughout the experiment that the outcome might be a ban on doing it even if the parent is trying it right then and there. If circumstances can be changed to make the activity SAFE (perhaps with close supervision, etc) then I think it's time for the child to be allowed to try out their idea with the stipulation that they must always have things set up the same way (ie. parental supervision, etc.) if it's attempted in the future. In the case of a segway on a trampoline, I'd probably demonstrate to the child what a segway does when it's in balance mode and completely lifted up of the ground (probably taking two adults to do this). The child would see the wheels spin up outrageously fast making a scary noise. I might even set it back down on the ground before the wheels spin down to show the child how uncontrollable the segway becomes. Then I'd point out that all the same thing is going to happen on the trampoline when you bounce. If my child still thought it was a good idea, I might even get up there and as carefully as possible show them how it gets out of control...but only if my child didn't have the attitude of "oh, dad can't do anything right and I'll show him how to do it!" The last thing you do is try to find something comparable in the child's eyes that they will feel looks as dangerous as this segway-trampoline activity is. Finally, on occasion, I've had to pull the parenting trump card out of "well, wait till you're 18 to do this...but try to postpone it even a bit longer till you're no longer elligible for a Darwin award". 8^) 8^) 8^) ps - I will readily admit that not all parents have good judgement (or lack basic caution/common sense) nor do all kids obey rules. I haven't had much trouble with this in my family. As my kids become teenagers (and I get older) maybe this will become more of a problem!