Parents Let's talk (again!) about trampoline parks

[gymnastmom05]

I don't love them and I don't seek them out and offer to take my kids. I have allowed them to go to a birthday party here and there and a trip with their grandparents. I also hate germ filled places like Chuck E Cheese but I would never deny them the opportunity to go to a party there. If there was a place that was legitimately negligent then yes, I would say no, but I do try to control my inner mom crazy and let them have some fun.

 

[rjb123]

Our coaches have flat out said multiple times that they do NOT want the girls having tramps. Also if you have one, to get rid of it. They say that there are far more bad injuries on backyard tramps than in the gym. They have not said anything that i am aware of about tramp parks, but I am pretty sure if they don't want the girls on home tramps, they wouldn't be crazy about trampoline parks either.

 

[momnipotent]

I fall in the middle-I let them go (only really to birthday parties or to use the pit) but I don’t let them on the big trampoline areas where everyone is bouncing and running around. They can do any of the other activities-so dodgeball, basketball, the gladiator pit, ladder, obstacle course, and pit are all ok, but I keep an eye on them the whole time and don’t rely on the staff to do anything really.

 

[profmom]

I think running a business involving having a bunch of connected trampolines monitored by low-wage hourly staff members with inadequate training is pretty darn close to negligence per se. It's not like we don't know this is dangerous.

 

[wandrewsjr]

If I thought I could stop my students from going to trampoline parks, I would, but I suspect it would be as effective as trying to stop college students from drinking alcohol.

Very true. Though I don't think it's out of bounds if we warn kids about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and encourage the parents to not pay the cover charge and buy rounds of shots.

 

[SMH]

Our gym has no rules about trampoline parks although the coaches are very vocally against them. After doing some of my own research, we decided to avoid them.
For something like a birthday party I’d maybe discuss it and come up with some rules for my kid as to what equipment they are allowed to play on. Sometimes the trampoline parks have big play structures, arcades, etc, so it’s possibly to avoid the big trampoline area.

 

[raenndrops]

Yes, there is risk everywhere. Kids get hurt everywhere.

Had a gymnast, a few years ago, get a concussion in gym class at school - out for a year.
So far this year, we have had 5 gymnasts injured in cheerleading (a BHS leading to a broken elbow, 2 ankle injuries requiring 6-8 weeks in a boot, a torn meniscus, and a dislocated knee) ... and the competition cheer season hasn't even started yet, so this was all for sideline cheer practices.
We have had a girl injure her knee going upstairs at school ... another one that tripped over a curb and sprained her wrist ... and, if I heard correctly, one girl broke her foot getting off the school bus!
Oh, and a girl on pre-team a few years ago broke her wrist roller skating ... but her mom was clueless and sent her to practice 3 days later saying she was "fine." After seeing her on beam (after bars), I called her over, and then called her mom and MADE her take her to be examined. I could do this because she is YG's little step-sister.

The nearest trampoline park is 40 minutes away, so I don't worry too much about it (even though I don't personally like them).