Ren and Rei have recently started BMX, and out at our local track, there are an incredible amount of young and novice riders, which is exciting and scary at the same time. I love to see kids out there being active, and love to see them, excited parents, seeing their kids doing something they purely enjoy. With so many novice riders crashes are inevitable. Just like any sport, there are some regulations in place to protect the kids. Our track rules require a helmet, pants, and long-sleeved shirts.

As a nurse, I have seen my fair share of head injuries. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are often devastating and debilitating injuries. Many times the injury could have been avoided or the severity decreased if a helmet was worn. The brain texture is similar to firm gelatin, and the skull is made of very dense bone. The forceful impact may not crack the skull but the brain tissue easily bounces around inside causing potentially permanent damage.

All too often I see helmets worn incorrectly leaving the entire forehead exposed, or the straps so loose the helmet is jostling around when the rider is in motion. Behind the forehead is the part of the brain called the frontal lobe. This lobe is responsible for personality, behavior, impulse control, tempter, and what I like to call the “brain-to-mouth filter”. Slamming the forehead will cause the frontal lobe of the brain to smash against the inside of the skull, where it will bounce. Then the back of the brain (occipital lobe and cerebellum) will then hit the back of the skull, called a coup-contrecoup injury. The occipital and cerebellum are responsible for vision, balance, and coordination. All of these functions are vital to bike riding, not to mention vital to our children becoming fully functional adult humans.

This is why wearing a properly fitting helmet is so important. We must protect our children’s delicate brains so they can continue to be who they are and be able to enjoy the sports they love. Here are a few tips to ensure your child’s safety.

This is why wearing a properly fitting helmet is so important. We must protect our children’s delicate brains so they can continue to be who they are and be able to enjoy the sports they love. Here are a few tips to ensure your child’s safety.

Make sure the helmet is the right size

A helmet the child wore when they were 2 may not be the proper helmet when they are 5. Measure around the head from the back level with the ears to the forehead and check the manufactures size guide. Improperly sized helmets can give a false sense of safety or may add to additional injury. The forehead and back of the head should be sufficiently covered.

Adjust the straps with every use

 Kids grow and straps loosen. You need to ensure that these straps are being adjusted with every use. Bouncing around on pavement, or a dirt track can loosen the straps mid-ride as well. Many helmets come with an adjustable dial in the back. Ensure this is adjusted too. Loosen it when putting it on your child’s head, ensure the helmet is covering their forehead and back of the head, then twist to tighten enough that the helmet is comfortable and not loose. Then buckle the chin strap and tighten it as needed so that you can get one finger between their jaw and the strap. Adjust the side adjusters up just below the ear.

Replace when needed

A hard crash may damage the helmet causing it to be less effective at protecting your child. If your child has a collision with the helmet, it’s best just to replace the entire thing, instead of hoping that the integrity is still intact. Luckily there are some very reasonably priced helmets on the market and never buy a helmet that can’t be easily replaced within your budget.

Check the safety ratings and read the reviews

Only buy a helmet that has the seal of approval from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM). These agencies are put in place for the consumer’s protection. Reading the reviews from other buyers is also a very smart move. Just because they pass the safety test doesn’t mean that they are a good product. Comfort is a huge factor, if the helmet you choose is uncomfortable your child will not want to wear it.

Thing to Consider

There are so many helmets on the market. Some are very expensive, and some provide the same protection and a more reasonable cost. How do you decide what to get? Start with the sport in mind, or shop based on the style of helmet. Ensure that you buy something that can easily be replaced. Don’t buy a helmet that is completely out of your price range knowing that it will more than likely need to be replaced. Never buy a used helmet. You will not be able to ensure that the helmet is safe. Another consideration is to provide a few eligible products for your child to choose from. This gives them a sense of control in making this decision, after all, we want to encourage our children to be independent and autonomous. They are ultimately the one who has to commit to wearing it, so give them the choice. Rei is too young to care about style, but Ren is starting to enjoy being able to express himself in what he wears. I want to ensure that we provide a safe helmet that he will want to wear out on the course. Now that he sees all the other kids on the track wearing BMX-style helmets I’m sure that will be our next purchase.

For some help making this choice Best Reviews as some recommendations for you to choose from.

The goal is to ensure that we are providing not only a fun experience for our children but a safe one. Children are resilient and tough, but trust me when I say this: You never want to risk your child’s safety by not teaching them to properly wear a helmet.

Let’s raise amazing humans together.