Lynda Loveland: Helmet? Heck yeah!

By Lynda Loveland

Posted: December 19, 2012

It’s a hard and fast rule in my house. If you ride a bike, you must wear a helmet. My son, though, thinks he’s above the law.

My kids play down the street with all the neighbor kids. I can’t see them, but I can hear ‘em. I walked down to check on them one day and couldn’t find my son. I had a feeling he’d gone outside the invisible fence.

I went farther down the street into the next neighborhood. Nothing. Went a little farther, thought I heard something. Went a little farther, rounded the corner and there he was, racing down the hill on his bike with three other boys … helmetless. They all were!

He pedaled over to me looking totally busted. I was totally boiling. I told him to get his butt home immediately!

His excuse was this: No other kid wears their helmet. I told him that’s their problem, not mine. I don’t want his head busted open on the pavement! I promptly put his bike on the garage wall and told him it was off limits for a week, along with the scooter which also requires a helmet.

Just a couple of days after he got his bike back, he gave his helmet the Heisman, AGAIN! What the heck? Sooo, I took it away for two weeks.

He was very happy to get it back, finally. He did well wearing his helmet, until he rode his scooter … wait for it … without a helmet!

The first words out of his mouth were, “I don’t have to wear a helmet with my scooter.”

I said, “the heck you don’t! Kiss your two-wheeled, kid cruisers goodbye, ‘cause you’re not seeing them again for THREE weeks! Anything requiring a helmet is in mothballs for just shy of a month."

I get that it’s probably uncool for him to wear a helmet because no one else is, but that’s tough. I have to admit, I’m surprised the other kids get away with it …

Lynda is the mom of three and co-host of Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM's Bill & Lynda in the Morning. Find her here on Thursdays. Click here to like her on Facebook.

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Good for you! Thankfully, my kids have not yet questioned this rule. none of the other kids in our neighborhood wear them either- of all ages, except one other family now. They too require them. It is sad. I get so mad when I see my grown-up neighbors ride a bike with their 3 yr old on the mom's bike- NO helmet (they also let him ride the lawn mower with daddy, but that's another story to not get me started on!)

I think if my kids were to push it about helmets (which they know it's not negotiable), we'd have a very real conversation about real-life accidents of kids just playing on their bikes or scooters, or skates, etc, without a helmet. It may not be pretty, but it's reality. If they can't trust me at my word the first, second, or third time- then what choice do I have? I certainly don't have to give in to young peer pressure- not while I am still Mom. :)

busyb97
December 19, 2012 9:29 p.m.

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Well, you can also tell him it is the law. No helmet for a kid under 16 is technically against the law, although sadly, rarely enforced - http://www.buckleupnc.org/laws_bike.cfm.

kelleyh
December 19, 2012 9:38 p.m.

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Our kids were also required to wear helmets. We were out once when our son was 8. He hit a small rock in the road and was tipped off his bike. We watched his head bounce off the pavement. We were so grateful for the helmet that protected him. It amazes me even the adults who don't wear them.

jonnraleigh
December 20, 2012 8:21 a.m.

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Thanks for this article!We require our kids to wear helmets as well and are shocked at how many educated parents don't!

jeaninebandini
December 20, 2012 8:41 a.m.

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Sigh, I was always the only kid with a helment. While I understand the need for them (and I would make my kids wear them) it was so hard being picked on. I did try to take it off once I got down the street, but the one time I got "busted" was enough to scare me into wearing it, lol!

ncsualum09
December 20, 2012 9:07 a.m.

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I must say, working in an ER you see stuff that you always compare to "what if that was my kid". While my daughter is not old enough to ride her bike yet I always use examples of what I have seen to by brothers and sisters who do not like wearing helmets, or wearing their seat belts properly. I think the seatbelt thing is my biggest pet peeve, seeing them and other other kids putting them on wrong. It'll them they might as well take it off because it is going to them no good in a wreck. I am not sure how old he is but maybe if you look up a news story of a child being killed or seriously injured on a bike that would open his eyes up to how important it is. Kids are so desensitized to death these days because of video games and things, they don't realize what kind of consequences their actions may have.

johnnagrabowski
December 20, 2012 9:26 a.m.

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Stick to your rule on this one. Fast forward to driving age and he's riding in a car with his friends. It's not cool to wear a seat belt in the back seat but it sure will go a long way toward saving his life. Forget cool. Life, Health and Safety are much more important!!!

4.13
December 20, 2012 10:03 a.m.

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Good for you in many ways - first of all by teaching your kids that rules are for a reason and no matter what they should be followed - the other for being a mom that checks on her kids to see how they are doing and if they are actually following your rules - you mentioned you are surprised others get away with it, but how many moms actually know their kids are getting away with it. I always tell my 3 kids - you are MY kid, I don't want anything to happen to YOU - you are what matters - good job!

katizs
December 20, 2012 10:20 a.m.

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Why are the helmets so darn geeky looking?? Its almost 2013 for goodness sake! I mean they try to make them cool...but slapping a fake mohawk on it does not make it look any cooler. Don't get me wrong...I make my son wear his anytime he is on a scooter or bike...but he does look geeky. I didn't ever wear helmets growing up.

Bklyn2Raleigh
December 20, 2012 11:17 a.m.

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YOU GO LINDA - don't back off! My kids and grandkids know this rule and pretty much stand by it so much so that if they have a guest they tell them in advance they can't come over without a helmet. But just in case, we keep a couple of spares in the garage.

Raleighnative58
December 20, 2012 11:46 a.m.

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Lynda Loveland: Helmet? Heck yeah!

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