Broken arms from playground

[Anonymous]

My kid broke his arm falling off the monkey bars at recess. He's a physically adventurous kid who will find ways to hurt himself no matter what equipment you make available to him (or not). The monkey bar incident is only one of about 5 trips he's had to urgent care / ER for various injuries. My other kid (raised the same way) has never needed anything more than a band aid.

I don't think monkey bars should be taken away. Some kids will hurt themselves, yes. But kids need ways to be physically active, and sometimes that brings injury. It's a risk of being an active kid. A broken arm is fixable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:teach your child to make good choices

So every hurt kid is making a bad choice? Nobody is perfect and it's not always about choices. Some other kid can plow into one minding his own business and hurt him. Or the kid in front of you randomly stops on the slide and a bunch come right down after you and you're the one hurt. No choices were made unless you're suggesting never use the slide, or monkey bars, or any playground equipment.

And herein lies the problem; playgrounds are fraught with dangers lurking in every nook and cranny - the monkey bars, the swings, the whirly thingies, the oversized 7 year-old, the overly protective parent, the underly protective parent, the list goes on…

But, it is also crammed with many life lessons - watch out for the bigger kids, know how to share (and conversely, when not to share); don’t get get sandwiched on the slides, don’t walk under the adventurous swingers (entendre?), and listen to caregiver who says “stay where I can see you.” In other words, make good choices; and don’t be like the PP above who gaslights with specious argument…

So, stay off the playground because mom will blame you for a bad choice if you get hurt. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Another anxious diabetic who couldn’t agree more. We need increased risky play at all levels. And parents who parent their kids while young so they can handle sticks, heights, mixed ages, etc.

[Anonymous]

My kid broke an arm falling from the monkey bars (after school hours, not climbing on top) and I don’t think they should be taken away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:teach your child to make good choices

So every hurt kid is making a bad choice? Nobody is perfect and it's not always about choices. Some other kid can plow into one minding his own business and hurt him. Or the kid in front of you randomly stops on the slide and a bunch come right down after you and you're the one hurt. No choices were made unless you're suggesting never use the slide, or monkey bars, or any playground equipment.

And herein lies the problem; playgrounds are fraught with dangers lurking in every nook and cranny - the monkey bars, the swings, the whirly thingies, the oversized 7 year-old, the overly protective parent, the underly protective parent, the list goes on…

But, it is also crammed with many life lessons - watch out for the bigger kids, know how to share (and conversely, when not to share); don’t get get sandwiched on the slides, don’t walk under the adventurous swingers (entendre?), and listen to caregiver who says “stay where I can see you.” In other words, make good choices; and don’t be like the PP above who gaslights with specious argument…

You are acting like accidents are always preventible. Don't get sandwiched on the slides? That just happens sometimes. We can make good choices but sometimes we need help from a bigger power, like laws about seat belts or air bags in cars. There is a reason there aren't 30 foot slides at the playground, so why do they allow monkey bars? There is a line drawn somewhere and I think it's drawn in the wrong place.

[Anonymous]

My kid's school has something like this. The bars spin and that's how you get from one to the next. The fall height is 8feet! How is this a good idea?

[Anonymous]

monkey bars are a broken arm risk for sure. newer monkey bars are lower than older ones/come in different heights and have the bars a little closer (I was recently involved in a a playground remodel and we weren't allowed to keep our old monkey bars). do think equipment is designed to be safer while still allowing play.

[Anonymous]

My kid broke her arm on monkey bars and I broke mine on a teeter totter when I was a kid. Who cares? Kids will find a way to get hurt.

[Anonymous]

The outcome I'm going for with my kids is not "go through live without ever getting hurt".

My kid broke his arm on a playground and I never once thought: "Playgrounds should be changed so this never happens."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The outcome I'm going for with my kids is not "go through live without ever getting hurt".

My kid broke his arm on a playground and I never once thought: "Playgrounds should be changed so this never happens."

But at some point you gotta say enough is enough.

[Anonymous]

I broke my arm doing a cartwheel in my backyard when I was a kid. Should we also not allow cartwheels either? If you want to bubble wrap your child, then pay for therapy for all the anxiety and depression, that’s your call. Mine will risk the broken arm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:teach your child to make good choices

So every hurt kid is making a bad choice? Nobody is perfect and it's not always about choices. Some other kid can plow into one minding his own business and hurt him. Or the kid in front of you randomly stops on the slide and a bunch come right down after you and you're the one hurt. No choices were made unless you're suggesting never use the slide, or monkey bars, or any playground equipment.

Reading comprehension is fundamental. But yes, choose to go down the slide when it is clear. Choose to promptly move off the slide at the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid broke his arm falling off a slide last year when kids created a backup and he got pushed out. The alternative is no play standing around. Accidents happen.

+1. I've actually never heard of a kid breaking their arm at recess, but I'm sure it happens. The alternative is worse though.

Every year at my kid's elementary some kid broke their arm on the monkey bars.

[Anonymous]

Kids are being shot in schools and you’re worried about monkey bars? You are so far off the target I worry for your kids. My kid broke his arm playing floor is lava. We still play it. Kids breaking arms is not a crisis. Kids’ mental health struggles actually is a crisis. Risky play is essential to help kids learn mental health skills. Taking it away is literally dangerous!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/jungle-gym-playground-kids-1.7320426

[Anonymous]

I would be really upset if they took away the monkey bars, my kids love those things. But yes, agree, some kids make bad choices (climbing to the top, hanging upside down, etc.). It's rare that a child using the monkey bars in the way they're meant to be used is going to break an arm.