Has anyone kept their toddler in a helmet?

[garddwr]

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[TechWife]

Generally kids who wear helmets are those who pose serious risk of harming themselves. The child who has autism and bangs their head on the floor and/or wall constantly, for example. 

 

I'm not in favor of putting a typically developing child in a helmet. Let him explore and yes, he will get bumps & bruises along the way. Be there to enforce safety concerns (such as holding hands when going down stairs, or holding the bannister), but otherwise, let him explore and learn to solve his navigational problems on his own. 

 

[garddwr]

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[TheReader]

My youngest was that way, and I half-heartedly contemplated a helmet, too. Mine was climbing before he could even walk --- we're talking onto the table, up the ladder of the bunk beds in his brothers' room, he'd use those push-behind walking things, turned around backwards, to climb and reach shelves, so there he'd be standing on this thing with *wheels* trying to get at books on the high shelves. He'd empty books from the lower shelves onto the floor so he could climb atop them and reach the next shelf. It was insane. At the playground he would climb up the monkey bars/dome type thing, following his brothers, and then be stuck. That was around 18 months, but still......oye. Nerve wracking. Seriously nerve wracking. 

 

Anyway, I never did helmet him, but boy do I remember that stress. You have my empathy. Maybe a bike helmet when he's on hard surfaces? Although I have no advice on getting him to leave it on....that's why I never actually pursued it. That and three boys in a row, even with him being by far the most active, convinced me that they somehow survive these crazy antics, however nerve wracking they are to mom. 

 

 

[Spryte]

Are you being tongue in cheek, or serious? I answered as though you were serious, then realized maybe you were not altogether seriously contemplating this. :)

 

I've seen toddlers wearing head-shaping helmets, so I know some parents manage to get their kids to put up with wearing something on their head all the time!

DD had to wear one for 6 months, due to issues pre-birth. It's a different ball game. Our kids have to wear those bands 23 hours a day. They are only removed for bathing and cleaning the band. Even with special cleaning, big problems can happen under the bands. It's a lot of work. Yes, they adjust - because it's always there, even for sleeping. But you wouldn't want to put your kiddo in a helmet 23 hours a day, unless it was medically necessary. Believe me. :P Also, the bands are specially fitted with 3D imaging, checked and adjusted weekly (they carve out bits of the band each week to allow for growth), and check for skin issues. I would hesitate to keep a toddler in a helmet full time due to concerns about constricting head growth, personally. Not to mention the rashes that can result.

 

I do have a friend with a special needs toddler who used a bike helmet occasionally, at a playground, for example. Only for a normal bike helmet wearing amount of time for a toddler, though.

 

Our oldest was a daredevil, too. It's rough.

[anotherbrother]

If you do decide to go with a helmet, please be very careful of the other hazards that could create. I specifically remember that kids should not wear helmets at the playground because it's a hanging hazard. A chin strap could easily get caught on a railing, toilet paper dispenser or cabinet handle and choke your little one.

[Aspasia]

This sounds like my 15 month old. She's insane. I'm forever turning around to see her walking across the kitchen table (!) or standing on the kitchen counter! She uses a dining chair to climb onto a barstool, and then onto the counter. More than once I have looked over to see her standing on the tricycle outside--one foot on the seat, the other on the HANDLE BARS! I have also been fortunate enough to catch her before she attempted a step down the concrete porch steps. I totally understand this constant fear. I just try to watch, watch, watch her. It's HARD.

[garddwr]

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[Michelle My Bell]

I would be more inclined to give him a padded safe playing area when I couldn't watch him, and watch him very well when he is out and about. 

[Spryte]

The one you linked is much better than the bike helmet type option I pictured. :)

 

Softer, and machine washable - those are pluses.

 

If it will make you feel better, more comfortable, why not give it a try? Obviously keeping him in sight at all times, and being aware of hazards, as you would anyway.

 

One thing: when our daughter got her band off, it took some adjusting because she was used to the cushion it provided for bumps. So having a helmet go on and off might be confusing for your guy, if he expects a cushion when it's not there.

[tabinfl]

I understand your fears! My youngest, in trying to keep up with the twins, was walking and climbing far earlier than they did, and between her exploration and the older two not quite understanding that the baby was not a new toy doll, I spent half my day holding my breath in fear of what just happened or what was about to! She managed to break her arm twice in almost the same spot, once at 18 months (playground fall -- ironically I was right there to catch her, but her elbow bumped the ground just wrong) and once a year later, at 2 1/2 (falling off of a living room chair, of all things, onto carpet!).

 

I thought for sure there would be awkward questions the second time we were at the ER / ortho office, but my pediatrician assured me that she worries far more about the kids who don't have bumps and bruises and scrapes than the kids who are active and have injuries that are obviously from play.

 

Have you talked to your pediatrician about your concerns? He or she may be able to reassure you that kids are a lot more resilient than you might think, and if your son's injuries are a real concern, can advise you on prevention without doing further harm (as a poorly-chosen helmet might).

 

ETA: We also had some hard (concrete) floor areas in our house when the kids were infants, and I ended up buying a bunch of those interlocking foam squares to put down in the areas where they played a lot. Might be something you could do around the furniture he's prone to climbing on? We also took several pieces of furniture completely out of the house for a while, and stored it in the garage, because it just wasn't safe when we had three toddling / climbing at the same time.

[Dahliarw]

I would HIGHLY recommend, if you budget at all allows, enrolling him in a gymnastics type class.  Most of them are parent/child at this age.  My oldest was a climber and maniac like that.  Gymnastics gave him a safe place to rough and tumble and he learned how to do so safely.  At home my "no" turned into "this is not gymnastics, we can do that there" and the safety aspect of gymnastics helped him be safer when he did climb on things at home, etc.  He's 8 1/2 now, still does recreational gymnastics and loves it!

[garddwr]

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[Ottakee]

http://www.kidsafetyhats.com/

 

My daughter had the pink Danmar soft shell helmet that she wore for about 2 years when she was a toddler. She wore it just for active play.

[Sisyphus]

I wish I'd thought of a helmet (bike helmets weren't even really a thing yet) when Ds was tiny. He walked at 7 months. 7!months! And ran by 7 1/2, I swear. He was simply too little even understand "no" really, it was a nightmare for about 6 months. He climbed, he jumped, he ran full tilt towards drop offs....I still feel panicky thinking about those days. Dh and I would wake up to him on our dresser, having crawled out of our bed and climbed up there. Forget a crib- !

 

We don't own a photo from 7-15 months without a goose egg on his head, or a cut, or a black eye. It was crazy.

 

He is a quite sedentary 15 now, thank god, and no harm done. But seriously- I was prepared to laugh at this question u til I started remembering back, and I say get the helmet!