Summertime is the perfect time for children to play outside on bicycles, scooters and other wheeled items. A helmet is the single most important thing you can do to prevent and reduce the severity of a head injury. For safety, it’s important to make sure your child has a helmet that fits correctly. Before your child pedals off, make sure to check the following items:
- The front of the helmet should be no higher than two finger widths above the eyebrow line.
- The chin strap should be tightened so you can get a finger underneath it, but tight enough that if your child shakes their head, it won’t move forward or back and forth.
- One crash and it’s trash! If your child falls and their helmet hits the ground, it’s time to buy a new helmet: Even if it doesn’t look damaged, it can have hairline cracks that make it unsafe for future use.
For more information, check out these resources:
By Barbara Bryant, CCC-SLP
