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Helmet Hair

Sorry for the silence. Do you know how many bank holidays they have in the months of April and May in the UK? And you know what a bank holiday means in terms of finding time (and freedom) to work, don’t you? But on a good note, it also means lots of playtime with the girls. The weather here has been gorgeous lately and we’ve been taking advantage of every second. Which means using our new bikes. And that means, yes you know it, our new bike helmets.

I am fully aware that it is moderately insane to think that two toddlers could actually fall off their little riding toys and sustain a serious head injury. But with their new Easter bikes came two cute little pink helmets. Because at this point, it’s not as much about protection is it is about the message: want to sit on wheels? Then there is a helmet on your head. I’m trying to instill good habits here, not prevent an acute subdural bleed. And it’s not like Zoe has enough hair to worry about what it will do to her coif.

Yes, this does mean that people look at my funny when we’re at the park. Especially when they spend as much time off their bikes as on them. Or the fact that they love their helmets so much (and who wouldn’t?) that they often insist on keeping them on, even in the stroller. (Which makes me look really paranoid.)

But the best comment I got was actually on my personal Facebook page. I’m going to repost the photo on my Lara Zibners, MD fan page. Because in it, Zoe is wearing her helmet in the park, no bike in sight. And I captioned it, explaining that there was a new bike, hence the new helmet. And one of my friends left a comment: “thanks for explaining that. I thought that now we were supposed to make them wear helmets all the time, even when playing in a fountain.”

So yes, Dr. Zibners is a crazy lady who forces her toddlers to wear bike helmets when sitting on 8 inch high riding toys. But no, you don’t need to protect their heads when they are playing on the grass. That would be insane. Even for me.

Dr. Lara Zibners, May 02, 2011

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