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Free Wheeling
Bikes, Trikes, Skates and Boards Equal Family Fitness Fun!
By Krissi Danielsson
Falls are inevitable when learning to skate, so having proper safety gear and supervision is essential. "In addition to a helmet, skateboarders and skaters should wear wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads," Dr. Iannelli says.
Preteens and teenagers often enjoy skateboarding. It's easy to learn and works in almost all settings. Scooters have also grown increasingly popular over the past few years, providing kids with a fun hobby and a means of transportation. As with skates, you should be sure that your child is physically ready and has good balance skills before buying a scooter or skateboard.
"The AAP recommends that 'in the absence of close adult supervision, skateboards and scooters are not used by children younger than 10 and 8 years, respectively,' and that children under age 5 not use skateboards at all," Dr. Iannelli says.
The skateboards and scooters on the market vary heavily in quality. Most models in department stores are good only for the novice or the infrequent user. If your child will be using a skateboard or scooter frequently, specialty shops and online shops are the way to go.
Once your family is used to bicycling, skating or skateboarding, it may be tempting to let down your guard on safety issues. The AAP reports 50,000 emergency room visits each year for skateboarding and scooter injuries, along with 76,000 injuries from inline skating. Bicycling results in a whopping 415,000 injuries. While these statistics should not scare you out of letting your family participate in these sports, they should remind you to always pay close attention to safety.
"My husband taught the kids the rules of the road, and he is very strict with them following them or they lose riding privileges," Draper says. "We wear helmets no matter what, even if we are just going down the street."
