Trampoline parks?

[forty-two]

Only if I or a trusted adult was there to be sure that the safety rules were being enforced. And if I could trust my dc to recognize when rules were being broken and to immediately get themselves away from the rule-breaking situation.

 

Friends of ours had a dd who ended up with a compound fracture (arm) because of an accident at a trampoline park - an accident that involved at least two violations of the safety rules. It happened because a much bigger boy jumped on the same trampoline as her, and somehow she fell and he jumped on her arm. He never should have been in the same section, and he shouldn't have been on the same trampoline. When dh took the youth group there, I was pretty nervous *without* any of our kids going, and he promised to keep an eagle eye out for rules violations. (No one was hurt on the trip.)

 

I admit I cannot be rational about the risks - my mom (physical therapist) treated a kid who was a quadriplegic after a home trampoline accident, and the story sticks with me. What I'd want to do is say absolutely not; I maybe (or maybe not) could compromise on watching them with an eagle eye to ensure no rules violations - because after our friends' dd's accident, I don't trust the trampoline place to enforce their own rules. But honestly I'd be a wreck the whole time, because right or wrong, trampolines trigger my anxiety big time. And honestly I don't think jumping on trampolines is important enough, although other aspects surrounding a proposed trampoline trip might be.

[lewber]

I would have never thought about it being risky until these stories - and I'm a worrier:)

DS has been several times and it's always been well supervised. He's not one for tricks but he had a great time playing dodge ball and jumping in the pit. They only allow so many kids in each session and the workers were good about checking stickers for the correct time and keeping similarly sized kids together in the main trampoline area. I had fun jumping too. Maybe we just got lucky with a well run franchise.

I like your idea of taking your daughter before hand to check it out.

[....]

I posted on the first page about dd15 having knee surgery last week from an injury at a trampoline park.  I wanted to add, the orthopedist was saying that some of those trampoline injuries are actually non-impact injuries.  So, dd had jumped up in the air on the trampoline, she heard a loud pop and then collapsed on the floor.  Her ACL completely broke.  They had to do a patellar tendon graft during the surgery.  There wasn't anything anybody did...like no one bumped into her, she wasn't goofing off or doing something she wasn't supposed to.  Injuries happen on trampolines even when everyone is trying to be safe.

[....]

My answer last Friday: sure, my kids love those places!

 

My answer on Saturday after an ambulance ride, ER visit and now a cast for the next 4 weeks with a small chance of ankle surgery in the future for Dd from a trampoline injury: no way

 

Also my niece had to have finger surgery for a fracture from a trampoline park

 

(that being said, I'm more comfortable with the park type than one in someone's backyard!) 

 

Ugh.  I hope your dd heals and doesn't need surgery.  I wasn't real happy about our $3,000 hospital bill.   :glare:   And my dd will be on crutches for quite awhile...and no sports/PE until December.