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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Permission Form for Trampoline?
DaisyMamma 07:42 AM 03-29-2012
We just got a 14' trampoline with a safety net for my own kids. Its in our backyard, where daycare kids currently do not go. We might move it to the front and have parents sign a permission form for use.
Thoughts?
Does anyone allow dck use of a trampoline? What is your policy? (only 1 or 2 at a time, etc) and do you have a permission form you can share?
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saved4always 08:02 AM 03-29-2012
If we had one, I personally would not allow daycare children on it. Too easy to get hurt and I would be afraid about the liability. You might want to check your homeowners/daycare insurance, too. Insurance companies may frown on trampolines.
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MrsB 08:06 AM 03-29-2012
Our state doesnt allow them at daycares. If they did, I would say NOOOO way. I have seen way too many kiddos get hurt. I dont want the liability! You can get permission from the parents that they can do it but it doesnt stop them from sueing you if they get hurt. I have many other activities that they can do besides the trampoline.
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wahmof3 08:10 AM 03-29-2012
Originally Posted by MrsB:
Our state doesnt allow them at daycares. If they did, I would say NOOOO way. I have seen way too many kiddos get hurt. I dont want the liability! You can get permission from the parents that they can do it but it doesnt stop them from sueing you if they get hurt. I have many other activities that they can do besides the trampoline.
My state is the same way- not allowed for daycare use
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sharlan 08:32 AM 03-29-2012
Definitly not allowed here. I wouldn't allow neighbor kids on it either, too much of a liablility.
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Heidi 08:33 AM 03-29-2012
Not allowed in WI either....
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Breezy 08:37 AM 03-29-2012
My DH broke his wrist really bad on one when he was in highschool. Still has really bad issues with it hirting all the time. Ive never been on a trampoline as I wasnt allowed on them when I was younger. I would say too big of liability for DC kids
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Soccermom 08:50 AM 03-29-2012
Originally Posted by lymemomma:
We just got a 14' trampoline with a safety net for my own kids. Its in our backyard, where daycare kids currently do not go. We might move it to the front and have parents sign a permission form for use.
Thoughts?
Does anyone allow dck use of a trampoline? What is your policy? (only 1 or 2 at a time, etc) and do you have a permission form you can share?
I took apart my trampoline last year because of the danger to the dck. Even with 2 kids on it, it is dangerous and no amount of paperwork would ever relieve the pain I would have if one of my dck was to be seriously injured on it. Last summer a little girl in our area broke her neck on her friend's trampoline. They are great fun but not worth the risk. I would suggest getting a bunch of little trampolines so each kids has one to jump on. They are fun too and way cheaper My kids and dck also get a kick out of pogo sticks. They jump all over the place with them.
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GrannyJ 08:50 AM 03-29-2012
State made me take mine down and my home owners insurance threaten to cancel if I didn't take it down. That tells you that they are a risk to the kids. The kids loved it. It had the safety net and was well supervised. We would do circle time sitting on it and roll balls back and forth. My daughter had a sleep over, they took their sleeping bags and slept on the trampoline. We used it for a lot more then just jumping. It was sad to have to get rid of it.
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Blackcat31 09:03 AM 03-29-2012
Here is an older thread about trampolines
https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...ht=trampolines
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nannyde 09:04 AM 03-29-2012
We can have them but I wouldn't. I don't think my insurance covers that.

I don't think there is really any permission slip that's going to stop a parent from suing you for an injury. Supervision is always going to be a concern when there is an injury. You also have the liklihood that the decision to go after you for the cost of the injury may not be up to the parent. It may be their insurerers that want you to pay.

One of my daycare parents years ago let her school aged daughter go over to a neighbors to jump trampoline. The parents told her to go home and get a note from the Mom giving permission. My friend wrote a note giving permission. Little bit later the parents call and tell the Mom she has fallend off. She broke her arm.

The DCMom asked the parents to pay for the medical bill. The way she saw it was that it happened on their property and their homeowners would cover it. It did but surely at a heck of a price. The way the Mom looked at it was she gave permission for her to play on it but not to get hurt on it.

No matter what... even with them agreeing to take liability you can be on the hot seat for supervision or negligence with an injury.

I don't like my kids feet to be above ground unless they are horizontal in bed.
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countrymom 11:11 AM 03-29-2012
I have one, and since everyone posted such negative things about them, I will say, that its rare that children hurt themselves on it when properly supervised. I have no netting on mine so they all know that they can't bounce off the sides and act dumb because many think the netting will save them. I know a girl who broke her arm because she was climbing in one and her foot got tangled, she didn't even get to jump on it. Second, only allow one child at a time, I sit and watch them. I have also banned children from mine too because they act silly. I do have a form I found on thedaycarelady. It makes no difference if they were jumping on the trampoline or jumping in the driveway, both can cause accidents. Oh dcg broke her arm last year because she fell off of the ottomon, flukey accident but you never know.
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SunshineMama 11:14 AM 03-29-2012
Originally Posted by lymemomma:
We just got a 14' trampoline with a safety net for my own kids. Its in our backyard, where daycare kids currently do not go. We might move it to the front and have parents sign a permission form for use.
Thoughts?
Does anyone allow dck use of a trampoline? What is your policy? (only 1 or 2 at a time, etc) and do you have a permission form you can share?
Do not allow the daycare kids to use it!!!! Too much liability and stress.

IF you do, make a super legal permission slip and have the parents notarize it, waiving you from any and all liability under any circumstances, and put that they acknowledge that trampolines can be dangerous and they give their permission anyway knowing so.

Goodness- dont let them use it though! That's a broken arm etc, waiting to happen.
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mema 11:20 AM 03-29-2012
My own kids realllly want one, but I still don't know if I would let them use it! I definately wouldn't let dck's use it. Way too much liability. I have ones that trip over their own feet
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wdmmom 11:31 AM 03-29-2012
I have one and I considered allowing the kids to play on it but after speaking to my insurance rep, it was not a good idea.

It doesn't matter what kind of paper you write up, parent's have the right to sue you regardless. What my insurance agent said was that they could use the permission slip as permission for that day only with certain restrictions attached to it and even if they didn't disclose those restrictions to you, they can still hold you liable.

No thanks. I don't want the liability.

Be careful though. I was interviewing a family and the kids seen it outside. The DCM said, "I'm sure you can play on it next week when you come." I corrected her and said it was off limits to daycare kids. Her response was, "Well, we have one at home and they play on it all the time so they can play on yours."

My response was, "Our day consists of plenty of other activities. I'm sure they can get plenty of jumping in when they go home."
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Meyou 12:26 PM 03-29-2012
I'm the poster of the original trampoline thread blackcat linked to. We decided to not get one after thinking about the thread and the liability. When we refence our yard this year we're going to add a separate fenced section for a pool and trampoline for our kids so they don't miss out due to the daycare. But we felt it was too great a risk without a fence to keep the DCK's away.
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DCBlessings27 12:39 PM 03-29-2012
KS used to avoid the issue. They have officially said now that we could have one--BUT not in use during daycare hours. The steps would need to be removed, enclosure locked, completely inaccessible to daycare children.

Personally, I would not have one because of the risks. A state employee in charge of our daycares told us once that pediatric docs think trampolines are awful for children. I never looked up if that was true.
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Daycare Diva 06:10 AM 03-30-2012
I have one for my kids but I am not allowed to let the daycare kids use it. It is against the rules. I also have to make sure it is secured so that they are unable to climb onto it.
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3girls 06:58 PM 04-01-2012
In my state they aren't allowed, even the little bitty rebounder ones you'd use for exercise. If you have one for your own children they require you fence it off from the daycare play area.
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LittleD 06:03 PM 04-02-2012
Yes kids can get injured, and the older they are the more likely it is to happen. We got one last year and it was the best thing I did! I had kids 7mths to 4yrs, and I let them ALL on it! (one at a time) In order for me to be allowed to have one, it had to have an enclosure. (which it does, with a zipper door) The older kids, I would allow on 2 at a time after they got all their "jumpies" out, lol. I would give them a ball, and they would kick it back and forth.
We had rules, one of them being to stay off the netting.(didn't want the netting getting wrecked because they couldn't use it if it was) Also only jump in the middle, because if they WERE to jump hard enough, their foot could get caught in the apron by the springs, causing injury, but they aren't that heavy. As well as NO FLIPS!!! Jumping, jumping jacks and if they had good muscle control, jumping and landing on their butt. Anyone not following the rules was immediately taken of the trampoline for the rest of the day. Didn't happen often!
Even the babies had fun on it, the youngest would go on it for maybe 2 mins, then want off, but the 18mth old would run in circles, and was even jumping like the big kids so cute. We had one injury, the oldest bent his big toe back, was fine in 5 minutes.
Super great exercise for them. I would even get on with them hold their hands and jump them high, they loved it! But if you have one, there needs to be constant supervision. If you can't separate the yard, you have to watch the littles don't climb under it while someone is jumping. So even not having the kids on it can still be fun, cuz they like to make a little fort underneath
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bice99 08:28 PM 04-02-2012
Originally Posted by MrsB:
Our state doesnt allow them at daycares. If they did, I would say NOOOO way. I have seen way too many kiddos get hurt. I dont want the liability! You can get permission from the parents that they can do it but it doesnt stop them from sueing you if they get hurt. I have many other activities that they can do besides the trampoline.
Yep - not allowed. Same as a pool - as in, high fence with a locked gate surrounding the entire thing.
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DaisyMamma 03:44 AM 04-03-2012
I decided to have it in our fenced backyard where the DCK aren't allowed

Thanks for all the advice!
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JJPlaycare 07:06 AM 04-03-2012
I have seen them inground, looks awsome and would prevent falls. We have been debating about doing this for quite some time, but I am just so undecided about it. Inground prevents kids from falling off, but alot of injuries happen just jumping is my debate currently with my husband who is completely game for it!! If we did get one it would just be for my children and they probably wouldn't be allowed to use it while daycare is here. Are you going to let your kids use it while daycare is there, or does anyone who has one do this? Just wondering because I am not sure my daycare parents would go for that and I don't think that is very fare.... I don't know, but Good luck to you and keep us posted on how it all works out!
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Countrygal 02:04 PM 04-03-2012
One reason I have never considered buying a trampoline, even with a net, is because of the extremely high liability involved with one. I wouldn't let anyone else use it except my own family. They are an insurance nightmare....
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