Flips on the trampoline- reality check please

[Anonymous]

Just prior to spring break, my somewhat uncoordinated eight year old figured out how to sort of do a flip on an inground trampoline. I say sort of because he can do the flip, but he can’t land on his feet. He lands on his back. He learned this at his cousin’s house. I let him try a few times, but after watching him, I asked him to please stop, and that I would enroll him in gymnastics over spring break, so that he can learn to do it safely. He learned a bit more over spring break and can sometimes do it with a running start. I put it out of my mind for a while, thinking I could get him a few more lessons, maybe even a private lesson, whatever.

Fast forward, and I cannot believe I’m in the situation, but he is being invited to a play date where the family has three kids, and a beautiful outdoor space, which includes a trampoline, but not the inground kind. And I’m like, shoot all my kid is going to want to do is to try to do flips. He’s old enough that he’s not going to be monitored by a parent while the kids are playing outside. And I can tell him, no flips, but I know that he will be too tempted.

Real talk, please, should I land the helicopter? I really don’t care for above ground trampolines, and I’m even more nervous now that my generally cautious kid wants to try this stunt. I know a handful of people in emergency care, and literally every single one of them I have heard, anecdotally, always talks about how dangerous trampolines are. Literally day before yesterday, I was chatting with someone and her father and brother are emergency surgeons, and I was telling her how my son is learning to do flips on the trampoline in gymnastics camp, and she, unsolicited, said, “be careful. Trampolines give my family a lot of business.” I welcome any advice, thanks!

[Anonymous]

The key is, only one kid can jump at a time, and for doing a flip you have to start halfway between the net and the center and aim to land IN the center. Landing on his back/butt is totally fine. It's the landings near the edges that are problematic.

[Anonymous]

I HATE trampolines. I also have friends and family in medicine who have had similar things and remember a scary experience of my own fras a kid that really put me off them. I feel the same way. The families we know don’t supervise kids or have any rules. I’d try to enforce no flips if you know he can’t do it safely. We haven’t been in exactly this situation yet but I think a heads up to the parent that this is an issue for your kid right now might be ok. I guarantee they will have multiple kids on there at once and if they have any sense aren’t going to want him landing on their kid.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think you’re being too helicopter here.

[Anonymous]

We have a trampoline and lots of friends with trampolines. My older kids to flips and land mostly on their buttes and feet. They have all gotten hurt at some point and my daughter broke her arm once, but it was always getting out of the trampoline or walking on the outside part while someone was jumping inside. They are in elementary school and we don’t monitor them anymore. They are never tired of the trampoline and have so much fun with it

[Anonymous]

Someone who’s done trampolining taught by a professional: on one hand, landing on his back is probably easier/safer. On the other hand, this is legit terrifying to me and I would get him instruction with a real coach ASAP.

[Anonymous]

As someone who just had a child in the ER from a tree climbing incident, I don't think you are being too helicoptery. Your kid is not proficient. You are going to enroll him in a gymnastics class so he can learn to do flips safely. This is a safety issue. Decline the invitation totally if you think it's going to be too awkward to ask him to avoid flips at the friends house.

[Anonymous]

Oh hell no. Same info from doctors.

[Anonymous]

No trampolines. My neighbor's adult son is now paralyzed from going to a trampoline park with his kids.

[Anonymous]

You need to get rid of your trampoline and ban all playdates at houses with trampolines. I consider trampolines and guns the same.

[Anonymous]

We had a life flight land in our neighborhood thanks to a trampoline incident. Kids were monitored at the time. Bad things happen, but they happen more frequently on trampolines

[Anonymous]

I am a very hands off parent but I have a no trampoline rule. Ask er dr or surgeon friends. None of mine let their kids near them either and this goes for in ground, spring free, etc. It’s not the broken bones I am afraid of, it’s the neck, spine and head injuries

[Anonymous]

You're not being too helicoptery on this one. It is a good idea to draw a firm line where you are comfortable.

My 10yo DD can reliably do a front tuck on a trampoline, but I won't let her try any other flips. She's pissed but I don't care, I don't need her getting injured trying to teach herself an ariel or whatever.

And no flips at all with other kids on the trampoline. No bouncing into the sides, etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

I've also taken trampoline classes from a professional and I wouldn't feel comfortable with my kid doing flips like this on a regular backyard trampoline unsupervised. Maybe a little safer if the trampoline has one of those guards around it so it's harder for him to fall off or get caught in the springs, but I'd still worry about him landing awkwardly on the trampoline.

I'd sign him up for a weekly trampoline class (you can take them at gymnastics places) with a real instructor on a pro trampoline (they are very different than the recreational ones people buy) but say no flips on the trampoline outside of class -- just jumping. I'd also explain to him what the danger of a fall or a bad landing could be.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to monitor your kid right now if he may be too tempted to do flips at somebody else’s house. It would really be a terrible thing if he got hurt on somebody else’s watch, or if he motivated his friends, who are also on the play date to mimic the behavior, and they get hurt. We are a no trampoline family, not that that helps you here as the genie is already out of the bottle. But there have just been way too many accidents among friends to have one, including three years ago when our neighbor’s 7yo awkwardly landed a flip she had done a zillion times and broke both arms, like bones coming out of the skin at the elbows. That trampoline was on the curb as soon as they got home from her surgeries.