childrens scooters

[k8bailey]

ok this may sound silly but here goes....Getting my daughter a scooter for her 3rd birthday (this one - http://www.amazon.co....RDG/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i ) Oh asked when were we gonna get her a helmet to with it? I hadn't even thought of that!

Does she need a crash hat and knee/elbow pads with that kind of thing?

[annie0000]

To be honest, at 3 i'd have gone straight for a normal 2 wheel scooter - she will quickly learn to balance and it's much more fun. We always made ours wear a helmet (til about age 6/7)but not knee/elbow pads, but i'd maybe stick with long trousers and long sleeved tops til she get's the knack

[k8bailey]

Thanks Annie...all the 2 wheelers I looked at were age 5+ but this one converts to 2 or 3 wheels, so hopefully she'll like it.

I'll have to secretly measure her head now!

[annie0000]

lol. I take it it's a surprise then! I am sure she will love it. All I would say is that try to get her on the two wheels as soon as possible, in my view thats safer than 4 as it is easier to steer and control. It'll also get her balance sooner and she'll ride a bike faster - missing out the whole stabilisers debacle.

[k8bailey]

lol yeah, I was hoping it would be a surprise...she still doesn't understand about asking for presents (luckily). I asked what she wanted and she said a present, when I asked her to be a bit more specific, she said something purple!

I dread seeing on this scooter, she can trip over thin air......she's very blonde, I might have to stock up plasters!

[annie0000]

Practice the route to your local minor injuries unit/A&E lol. My elder son will be 11 in the summer has never had to go yet, but my younger son (10 in the summer) has been a regular visitor but he is the more co-ordinated of the two, he just takes bigger risks!! He was scooting about on a two wheel scooter from age 2 as he had to be like his brother and he rode a 2 wheeler bike when he was about 3 and a half. The first day he rode it properly he was riding with one hand with one leg over the crossbar by tea time!! He has knees like a patchwork quilt. He has never broken anything but has had numerous glued/butterfly stitched injuries.......doesn't stop him jumping back on his bike/skates/scooter though!

[Answerprancer]

That looks a bit unstable to me, I've seen lots of kids that age using ones like this:
http://www.argos.co.u...rchtext%3ESCOOTER.htm
They're really low to the ground and steering is done by leaning.
One of my housemates bought one for her 3 year old, he gets about on it like nobody's business, no spills or injuries as of yet infact I've noticed that kids that age (including my housemate's 3 YO) seem to take to that design more naturally than any other design.

[bednobs]

but it's not purple ap!

[k8bailey]

lol neither is the one I've ordered ooops!

AP My little girl tried one of those in mothercare she crashed it straight into a display because she couldn't figure out how to steer it.....it didn't cross her mind to stop!

Annie you're really making me regret this now! We're already at the hospital regularly, luckily(?) not because of accidents....yet. Maybe I'll skip the crash hat and go for bubble wrap instead?! Your youngest sounds like my brother, who has now, unfortunately for the NHS, moved on to motorbikes :(

[annie0000]

lol k8 - he's already been told he will get a motorbike over my dead rotting corpse!! His dad thinks that is unfair since we used to have a motorbike but kind of agrees! I keep telling him that I haven't spent a fortune on Clarks shoes, toothpaste, fresh fruit and swimming lessons for him to smash himself into a lamppost before he is 25 and reaps the rewards of the brilliant upbringing we have given him! On a brighter note, if you ever need any info on getting blood out of a Judo suit then I'm your woman!

p.s. I am sure your wee one will be perfectly fine - you can always improvise knee and elbow protectors by cutting the toes off old socks and rolling them into a nice band to put on the joints - wont stop a break, but will stop a scrape.