No Helmet, No Wheels
A number of years ago Scott, my husband, came home from work later than usual due to an accident. He was not involved but was the first one on the scene. A few blocks from our home he came upon a woman sprawled out on the side of the road, her bicycle twisted beside her and a child standing next to her crying. He immediately pulled over. After calling the paramedics for the mom, he helped calm her little girl as the three of them waited for the ambulance to arrive. The mom was okay, but had a nasty bump to her head and was skinned up from the tumble off her bike to the pavement.
When he walked through the door and told me the story I remember him shaking his head and saying, “The daughter was wearing a helmet. The mom was not and more than likely will have a really bad headache from her fall.”
It was a good lesson for us as parents. “Do as I say, not as I do” rarely works. As a result, we both wear helmets and The Danielson Helmet Rule is non-negotiable for our boys. They heard it so often as youngsters they could recite it in their sleep, “No helmet, no wheels.” This included bikes, skateboards, in-line skates, scooters, and anything else that could roll. Friends were included in The Danielson Helmet Rule too!
With your own kids start early, when they are young, and make it part of getting ready to ride. A mom in a parenting class once told me, “My preschooler is so close to the ground on her tricycle, she really couldn’t get hurt.” Oh, yes she could! Even little ones need the protection of a helmet while riding a trike or any other toy vehicle. Once children are accustomed to having a helmet on and buckled under the chin, it will feel strange to go without it.
Yes, it’s a rule but you can make it fun! Go on a special shopping trip. Let your child choose from the helmets that fit correctly. Allow for funky stickers to make it personal. Find a good spot in your home to hang everyone’s helmet. We use hooks in the mudroom to air out biking equipment and to keep everything handy.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a terrific Bicycle Safety Activity Kit. Check it out! You’ll find everything from how to comfortably fit a helmet to the rules of the road. There are activity sheets for the kids too.
And remember, as with any lesson you want to instill in your kids, practice what you preach. Strap a helmet on your head before hitting the road or bike trail. When Mom and Dad wear helmets, kids are more likely to do the same. Modeling matters!
Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6
© 2013 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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