Trampolines - jump or dump?

This past weekend, I saw (and read) several reports on the dangers of back yard trampolines. The Canadian Pediatric Society wants a ban on back yard trampolines, saying that there has been a significant increase in injuries, including paralysis because of back injuries. They have issued a joint statement with the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine.

While it’s true, trampoline can be dangerous and there has been in increase in injuries, the trampoline industry points out that thousands more trampolines are being sold and used now than there used to be and that the increase in injuries is merely a reflection of the increased number.

When I was in elementary school, we used a trampoline in gym – I remember having to stand along the sides as the class acted as spotters for the one person on the trampoline. I was not an athletic kid, so the trampoline wasn’t one of my strong points either. It was kind of fun, but if you jumped the wrong way, you could (and did) get hurt.

The manufacturers warn parents not to allow more than one person on the trampoline at a time and, I don’t know about you, but I see this rule broken a lot. On the news the other day, one child told a reporter that she wouldn’t want to go on the trampoline alone because it was boring and you can’t play games then.

So, do we ban them like the doctors want? Or do we accept these injuries as a part of childhood? Personally, I would never have a trampoline in my backyard. I wouldn’t want that responsibility, to me the risk of injuries is just too high. I don’t wrap my kids in bubble-wrap. I wrote a post a couple of months ago about how we have to allow our kids to grow and try things, including activities with some level of risk. But I think that trampolines are just too high risk.

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