Kids from around the country are no doubt enjoying the time away from school that the holiday break affords, but after a few days of playing with the gifts they got for Christmas, many will no doubt be jonesing to head outside. There are many whose inclinations will lead them to take part in sledding in the days before they have to go back to class and as a parent, it’s your job to make sure that the child won’t suffer a concussion or some type of serious orthopedic injury.
Supervision will be a necessity in this regard, but there are certain other ways in which you can advise your children on how to execute the proper sledding techniques. A new report out of Nebraska explains how with help from a doctor from the Cleveland Clinic.
First, although your children might complain, a helmet should be a consideration if you’re worried about the possibility of a concussion. Although this may not be necessary on all hills, there are certain situations in which it would be warranted. A small hill where a child barely moves faster than he or she would if they were walking probably doesn’t require a helmet, for instance, especially if the path they’re on is relatively free of other people and doesn’t take them near trees or other obstacles.
That said, choosing the appropriate slope is also going to be important for parents. Although this will depend on your child’s age and skill level, you’ll want to try to minimize any paths that are icier than they are snowy. Thick trees and paths filled with foliage should be circumvented, and you’ll want to stay clear of any property lines denoted by fences. Any of these things can throw your child for a loop and end in an injury.
The type of sled that you choose for your child will also come into play. Although it might be too late to give an appropriate sled as a Christmas gift, you still want your chid to be able to navigate properly as they speed down the hill. Anything that’s tubular in shape, for instance, doesn’t allow the amount of control that would be necessary in order to avoid an obstacle once it has been spotted. This is unfortunate, as it eliminates the ability of your child to take safety into their own hands when they’re out on the slope. Do your kids a favor by getting them the proper sled.
In this manner, you can set your children up for a fun day without having to worry about coming in to a medical facility to get a concussion, strain, sprain, or fracture looked at.