Backyard trampoline - any real life experiences??
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Anonymous
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We recently accepted a 14-foot trampoline from friends of ours whose kids have outgrown it. We were excited about this hand-me-down as it seemed like a fun way for my kids to burn off energy, but now that I've done quite a bit of reading about the risks, I'm having second thoughts. I'm hoping to hear the experiences of folks who have a trampoline or have had one in the past, especially with young kids (my youngest is 6).
The trampoline is in good shape and has padding but no net. So at a minimum I'm looking to get a safety net. I will also supervise them while jumping. I've read quite a bit about the risks and injuries associated with use so I'm not really looking for folks to educate me on that. I'm more interested in real life experiences with this type of equipment. If you have had in the past or currently have a backyard trampoline, have you been happy with it? Are you stressed out when your kids use it? Do you only allow one child on at a time as it recommended? Would you buy it again? |
Anonymous
| Does your homeowners insurance know you have it? If they don't and find out, they could cancel your coverage. |
Anonymous
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Your insurance might drop you if they find out, so be prepared.
We had one when I was a kid (nets weren't an option at the time), and I fell off and landed on my head, bending at the neck/shoulder. I'm lucky I'm alive. I still have residual nerve/muscle/tendon issues 20 years later. I'd never allow a trampoline in my yard without a net (or with one, but that's based in my experience.) |
Anonymous
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We have one with a net and many of our neighbors do as well.
I make sure no more than 2 kids at a time and they have to be similarly sized. Ours is 8 foot though, so not that big. I've had it for years and it's been fine. |
Anonymous
This right here is one of the biggest problems. The rule should always be ONE person bouncing at a time. If you don't believe me, go watch a trampoline class at a gymnastics facility. The ONLY time there will be 2 people on a trampoline is if one is an instructor who is spotting. |
Anonymous
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My sister purchased a house with one and could not get insurance until they got rid of it.
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Anonymous
| wow I had no idea it was this dangerous or that big an issue.... |
Anonymous
| We had one and it didn't get used much, but it worried me constantly about liability. We had a space dug out so it was flush with ground and also had a net, but it was usually just full of leaves. |
Anonymous
We have a big one with a net. We've had as many as 3 kids on it, with an adult supervising. It's been fine for 10 years now. |
Anonymous
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We have a big one fully surrounded by netting and padded on the edges.
BY FAR- THE most used kids item we ever got. My teens don't use it much anymore but for about 5 years it got hours of use just about every day. They would get home from school, a couple of neighborhood kids would join them and they'd spend hours bouncing, playing games and sometimes just hanging out on it. They even had a few sleepovers/camp outs on the trampoline... Our homeowners gave us the o.k. to get one. |
Anonymous
| One kid at a time and no flipping. |
Anonymous
This is us and the kids (4 of them) use it constantly regardless of weather. Definitely get a net and our insurance (State Farm) has no problem with it. |
Anonymous
| My husband has a nasty scare and can hyper extended his arm as a result of a surgery to put a pin in his elbow. Injury from a trampoline incident with him and his two brothers goofing off. |
Anonymous
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Our insurer didn't care at all. I don't know if it's b/c of the type we have or if they just don't care.
It does say on it (A MILLION TIMES) that no more than 1 person should be on it an a time. It is used constantly. |
Anonymous
| Never known anyone to get hurt on one. I'm not saying it doesn't happen but we've had one for 10 years with no problems. |