How To Keep Your Kids Safe While Learning How To Skate
Skating is an activity most kids and teenagers adopt as they’re growing as a hobby, although pursuing it as a profession is also possible. Although it’s quite popular, safety is paramount, and some parents might be reluctant to let their kids skate.
Are you one of these parents worried about your kid’s safety? Well, you shouldn’t worry. There are practices you can adopt to keep your kids safe as they learn how to skate. This article discusses them. Read on!
Consider doing the following:
Buy The Right Skating Accessories
There are different types of skating that your child can learn. These are ice, inline, roller skating, and skateboarding, among other types.
Each of these requires different gear to play. Suppose your child wants to skateboard. You must get a skateboard suitable for them, especially regarding body size. Your child should be able to handle the board independently. It’d help to use the skateboard-buying guide, which depicts the best board size width for different ages. For instance, a seven-inch board and below is best for kids eight years and below, while a seven to seven-and-a-half-inch board is ideal for kids ages nine to twelve years.
Besides the board, you also need to acquire skateboard wheels, which vary depending on where your child will skate. For instance, there are different types of street skateboard wheels from which you can select. Here, you ought to consider the wheel’s diameter, which determines the stability and ability of your kid to lift the skateboard.
That said, identify the right gear for your child’s skating preference and get the accessories needed.
Get Safety Gear
You can’t guarantee your kid’s safety without safety gear. This gear will protect them from injuries or minimize the extent of the injuries. With skating, falls are bound to happen, and you must prepare your child adequately.
You’ll require a helmet to prevent head injuries, elbow and knee guards to protect joints should they fall, and a wrist brace to keep the wrist in place during a fall. A mouthguard will also come in handy; you don’t want your child to lose all their front teeth on falling. Ensure that each of these fits your child properly. They shouldn’t be too big or small; it’s the only way they’ll protect your kid.
As they go skating, consider dressing them in comfortable, fitting clothes that won’t restrict their movement as they skate. Although comfortable, they shouldn’t be too loose or have strings and ties hanging. These can cause them to trip and fall. Also, consider dressing them in long-sleeved clothes to help prevent the possibility or extent of abrasion their skin gets on falling.
Practice On The Proper Location
As stated earlier, skating is broad; you can skate on ice, concrete, or even on the road. As your kid learns how to skate, it’s important to train them on the ideal location for your chosen skating.
With skateboarding, ensure you do it in a skate park with concrete surfaces for skating. It’s best to train them in a less crowded area to avoid accidents with those already experienced. Be sure to follow any skating rules you find in the park. It’s for your own and your kid’s safety.
The ground’s terrain is also crucial. Ensure you’re training your kid on the smooth ground for better stability. Once they master the art of skating, they can progress to rougher surfaces without falling.
Work With A Professional
As your kids learn how to skate, it’s important to have a professional train them. Yes, you might be a guru at skating, but how good are you at teaching kids how to skate? This concerns patience and the language you use to make them understand what you’re teaching them.
Highly consider hiring a professional skater for them. They’re well-trained and have the right skills to train your kid. They’ve probably trained hundreds of other kids, meaning they know what and how to do the training. It’d help to ask to see their qualifications before hiring them. You want to leave your child in safe hands as they learn a new hobby.
Choose The Right Weather
The weather greatly determines your kid’s safety as they skate. Some weather conditions increase the risk of injuries through falls, which is no way to protect your kid.
For instance, rain and other wet conditions make the ground slippery, which increases the chances of falling, especially for a child and a beginner. It’s best to choose suitable weather; not rainy or too sunny. A cloudy day is perfect for beginner kid skate training.
Conclusion
As a parent or guardian, you always want your children to be safe, and you might be tempted to keep them indoors. However, it’s not always possible since your children will outgrow your lap and have to join their peers to discover life and learn new things.
The discussion above has proven that you can allow your child to learn how to skate while ensuring their safety. Therefore, adopting this guide to protect your child as they learn new things is in your best interest. With the adoption, you’ll barely have to worry about them not coming home in one piece.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
