Monday, July 18, 2011

To Jump Or Not To Jump...And A Few Other Things...

-This isn't the biggest decision in the world - but we're thinking of getting a trampoline.

And I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a tad over-protective, and I sorta hover over the girls sometimes...alright, all the time.

But you understand, I want to protect these sweet little thangs...


And as you can tell, our swingset is, well, ancient...


So do you have a trampoline and love it, or do you think it's just plain dangerous and something else they will argue over?? My brother broke his ankle on one when we were kids, so I've always been a little hesitant of them - not to mention I'm sure the kiddos will want me to jump with them and I'm just not sure my insides (aka - bladder) are made for all that intense jumping after 3 c-sections :).

-I'm going to paint the kitchen a blue-ish grey, thanks for your thoughts...can't wait to get it all done!!

-The Moms Night Out went great last week...pictures to come of all that jazz.

-Have you read this? It's been all over the Internet and rightfully so...it is an amazing piece with a lot of wisdom and encouragement.

Is this the most random post ever? Awesome.

I'm off to start breakfast, hope you all had a great weekend!

16 comments:

Susie B. Homemaker said...

We thought of getting one before but opted not to. We have a big wooden playset for the girls to play on- swings, slide, fort, etc.- that keeps them busy.

If you do get a trampoline definitely get a net for around it. Homeowner's insurance companies don't like them either so you'd need to check with them to see what their policy is.

I found this on another site- either your insurance company will raise your rates dramatically or, more commonly, they will have a clause in your insurance that specifically excludes trampoline injuries from the policy; no exceptions.

So I say... NOT to jump. lol Invest in some other fun backyard toys. :)

Real Life Motherhood of 4 said...

I say JUMP!!!

I have 4 kids ages 6 to 11months and we have had one for 3 years and the kids LOVE it. We have a spring-free trampoline and that the the SAFEST one available (I thoroughly did my research! I felt the same way about safety!). There are no springs and the net and mat are flush to eachother, so there is no way to get anything stuck. And it looks at as good as it did 3 years ago; no sagging in the net or lopsidedness.

In this hot weather the kids favorite activity is to put the sprinkler under the trampoline so it mists up through it as they jump. And it is good exercise (your quads will hurt after jumping with the kids for a while!).

We decided a trampoline over a swingset because we get out and go to parks all the time. Then they have something different at home. And we don't regret it one bit!

Have fun!!

Stacey Nerdin @ Tree, Root, and Twig said...

How timely this is for me! We just bought our very first trampoline on Saturday. My husband set it up and let the kids have a go, and they had SO much fun! I kept having mini heart attacks, though, because the net isn't up yet. I will be installing that TODAY. :) Seriously, though, we decided on the tramp because it's something *all* the kids can do - we have five, ages 3-17. A swingset wouldn't cut it. Having never broken a bone in my body, and not being sure how I would handle it if one of my kids did, I'm terrified of someone getting hurt. But I've heard from many people that have been accident-free with a trampoline for years, so I'm going to hope for the best. Good luck with your decision!

Amy said...

Like I said on Facebook, we too debated over this purchase. I am so glad we ended up getting one. We just set a few rules that the kids have to obey or they loose the privilege of jumping on it. Whenever they have friends over I make sure to check with the parents if their child is allowed and if so, I go over the rules with them. A few of them are...No jumping unless and adult is outside, No jumping while someone is getting on or off, Net must always be closed, 2 people at a time (sometimes we allow 3 depending on ages and such), no going under it, and no touching others while jumping. I feel it is like anything else...kids can get hurt by riding bikes, skateboards, running...many things.

Laura said...

i vote yes for trampoline but make sure it has the net on the sides. My brother is an orthopedic surgeon and he always says the trampolines without the sides are 50% of his business!

The Skinny Turtle said...

Yeppers, go for the trampoline but absolutely get the net. My kiddos use ours ALL the time and it is AWESOME for getting pent up energy out. =)

Um, yeah. I can't jump on it because of bladder issues either. But chances are they'll have so much fun with each other that they'll let you and Linc have a pass. ;-)

Can't wait to see your kitchen!!

Anonymous said...

YES! My boys love it! Def need the net around it! AS for you yes you will leek, I will not be shy I do, but if you pee before sometimes that helps! No one will know but you anyhow...lol

Romberg Family said...

We have one!! Ours it actually a mini version of the big ones. Its awesome!! Its probably a foot off the ground and half the size of the big one. It comes with the nets on the side and we got it at Sams club. Plus it was only $140. Plus it would help with how many kids you put on it. So it wouldnt get so crowded. Heres the link. It actually looks smaller in the picture then it really is!

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod2100624

Shannon said...

I'm not at all against trampolines, but we went with a wooden playset instead. It has a climbing wall, slide, a couple of swings, a trapeze, and an awesome deck that the kids pretend is a tree house. Lots of things to choose from and lots of room for games of pretend...plus they are getting upper- and lower-body workouts!

The Sneaky Mommy said...

Jumping sounds fun and entertaining! The only thing I would worry about is the "other" kids who find their way over to jump. I'd hate to be liable for too many neighbor kids who might jump recklessly or without permission. Just padlock that net... ;)

Tracy said...

Funny you should ask. My 5 year old daughter just got her cast removed from her leg yesterday. She broke it on the trampoline. We've had our trampoline for years and have never had a single problem. We have a net all the way around it (a must), but the truth is, most breaks happen from more than one person jumping on it at the same time. That's what we were told by the orthopedic surgeon and the nurse, and that's how my daugther broke her leg. They have soooo much fun on it though and it gets used year after year, so I'm glad we have it. We'll be more cautious now though.

Courtney said...

I personally am afraid of trampolines. I know, that's strange for a nineteen year old. I've been kicked in the back on one and landed on my neck on another. But, none of those were on ones with nets...and we didn't have any rules to follow.
I think a kid can get hurt doing just about anything, so being overprotective doesn't help. I would just supervise. But hey, like I said, I'm only nineteen. And I certainly have no kids. :)
Good luck with your decision!

mandbrid said...

Jump, jump, jump! I've been told that most accidents happen from the way people land ON the trampoline - not from falling off of it. We love ours - have had it for 5+ years and no breaks just a baby tooth knocked loose. (You may call me negligent, but we don't have a net or a pad and we let them all jump together....it's crazy but they LOVE it!)
Good luck with your decision!

Amy@My Front Porch said...

I read that article awhile back and have been thinking on it ever since, so good! As for the trampoline, I'm paranoid about them, but I have heard those springless ones are the way to go!

Anonymous said...

Our good friends that have 8 children have a trampoline, and they opted to dig theirs into the ground, there is a hole underneath and the top is even with the ground. My brother got one about a year ago and did the same thing with his. I think it makes it much safer plus it's easier getting on and off. Good luck! -Diane

trooppetrie said...

we love our trampoline, i was a little nervous at first but cannot imagine not having it, it has been 2 years and they still love it