Your child’s safety is number one; helmets and pads can save a child’s life and protect them from painful injuries. The most important item is the helmet. There are a number of helmets for children on the market, using some simple guidelines; you can choose the right helmet for your child.
The first feature to look for in a helmet for cycling is the official sticker of The US Consumer Protection Safety Commission. It’s labeled, CPSC on the sticker. This shows the helmet has passed a rigid set of tests for protecting the wearer involved in most kinds of accidents. Avoid a used helmet for your child. Why? All helmets, like air bags on a car, are designed for impact. The helmet takes the force of impact so that the head is left protected. Once impact occurs, small fractures in the material will weaken the protective ability of the helmet. Even if the helmet has no visible dents or cracks, stress fractures in the material will affect its protective abilities. Age and sunlight will work against a helmet’s material to stay at its peak preventive abilities. Because of this, don’t leave the helmet for long periods in a place with heat and sunlight, such as in the back window area of a car. Don’t take chances; obtain a new helmet.
You want a helmet that is as round as possible, so that there are no edges or corners to catch in case of a fall. You want air vents to allow heat build up to escape. Most of your body’s heat is expelled from the top your head, it’s the same with children. Many helmets for children have add-ons, to make them attractive, if the helmet you have in mind has these or you want to attach them to the helmet, be careful not to block any air vent and look to see how pliable the material is in case of a fall. You don’t want stiff or sharp objects such as adding some type of toy that may either fall off or endanger your child. Bright colors are best, so that the child is visible. You want a helmet that offers the most protection. In other words, the more area around the head the helmet covers the more protection the helmet gives your child in an accident.
It is best to have the child with you when deciding on a helmet. Not all heads are alike and not all helmets are alike, so you need to spend time in making sure the helmet is right for your child. The helmet should fit snug, but not tight, they come with pads to help in fitting. The helmet should fit evenly on top and around the sides, so that when shaking the head or jumping, the helmet will stay in place and level. Look for a helmet that has a rear stabilizer, this will help keep the helmet in place and provide a better fit. Some helmets come with an adjusting ring inside the helmet to adjust the size; you either widen or shorten the ring. Most helmets come with padding to help in the fit. Remember that this padding is for the fit and offers no protection by itself. The less padding for a good fit, the better. The chin strap should fit with the adjusters placed just under the ears and the buckle located under the chin. You do not want any of the hard plastic sections of the chin strap to fit on top of bone, such as the jaw. Once the chin strap is correctly positioned, the helmet should stay level and in place. There is a simple test to make sure the helmet is correct. Have the child stand against a wall. The helmet should touch the wall before the nose does. While the child is wearing the helmet, have them look upward, if the rim of the helmet is barely visible you have it correctly placed on the head. With the chin strap secure, have them open their mouth; they should feel the helmet pull down a bit. You then know the chin strap is tight enough. You can take a rubber band to twist around the adjusters and buckle, to help keep them in place once you have the correct fit. You will need to check the fit periodically because in wearing the helmet the chin strap will loosen in time.
Instruct your child in the importance of their helmet. It is not a toy, it’s not to throw or stand on. It’s their helmet, not to share with others. The helmet should only be used for sports such as bike riding or skateboarding. The child should not wear a helmet for climbing trees or playing on gym equipment as in monkey bars. The reason is, if something catches the helmet, such as a tree limb, your child can strangle in the straps.
Pads for the knees, elbows and wrists are available wherever skateboarding or BMX equipment is sold. Most use a Velcro strap to secure the pad and most have a thin plastic shell, like the bike helmet, for holding the padding. Usually it’s one size fits all. Make sure the fit is snug and the padding stays in place while in use. For gloves, which are hard to find in smaller sizes, you can use a child’s winter glove. Cut half of the finger section off so the child can grip the handlebar better, leaving the rest to protect the child’s hand.
Children three years old can pedal a child’s tricycle. They have the ability to steer but they cannot use handbrakes. They can stop with their feet but they do not have the ability to balance a two-wheeled cycle yet. They can use training wheels however. At ages, four and five they can now balance and begin to use a two-wheel cycle. Have the child look ahead while riding and not down. It’s the same principle as in balancing yourself while walking. Stand with your feet together and look down at your shoes. Notice how wobbly you feel. Then look straight ahead and your balance corrects itself. You can show this to the child so they can learn to look ahead and not down. This will greatly assist their learning in balancing a bicycle quickly without training wheels. It’s at this age that knee, elbow and wrist pads are most important. The child can now ride a two-wheeled bike, but they do not understand the risks of auto and pedestrian traffic, they are at their greatest jeopardy of falling and having injuries. Adult supervision is required at this age level.
At six and eight years old, the child now has the strength to use handbrakes and is familiar with the dangers of auto and pedestrian traffic. At nine through twelve years old, they can use gears and are ready for a more professional sports type of bicycle. Be aware that they will take more chances at this age, trying stunts and engaging in high-risk behavior with traffic. You can steer the child toward bicycle sports where taking risks is under adult supervision.
There is one more person that needs a helmet-the parent. While in some states it’s mandatory for children to have helmets, the parent is seen riding without one. You feel that you’re safe because it’s in a park, away from cars while riding with your child, so you don’t need one. When you are with your child, your attention is focused on them, not where you’re riding. This sets you up for a bad fall. You hit something, you catch something in your foot or wheel and because you are going at a slow speed, you tend to fall harder. You’re out cold and your child is left alone for strangers to care for. Wear a helmet, it’s not just to set a good example, its for your protection and your child’s well being. Cycling is one sport a family, both young and old, can enjoy. Learn good habits early and wear the correct gear; it will give you a lifetime of enjoyment in this wonderful sport.
