A Trampoline | Hacker News Reader

A Trampoline

dogdogfish.com

120 pointsmatthewsharpe374 comments

I went on a backyard trampoline once as a kid and it ended with the entire neighbourhood searching for me. I just couldn’t stop playing with my friends and was hours late for curfew. I had forgotten to tell anyone where I was.

Fortunately, I integer overflowed my mom’s level of worry and she was too glad to have me back to be angry. Though, seeing her unwind from genuine terror was more effective than any level of scolding and I never again forgot to tell them where I was going.

Trampolines, man.

    …I integer overflowed my mom’s level of worry and she was too glad to have me back to be angry.

I had a childhood acquaintance who was lost in the forest for half a day, and was found by a search and rescue in perfect shape, minus a missing shoe. His mom had that same reaction.

> seeing her unwind from genuine terror was more effective than any level of scolding

That's what every parent needs to understand. Learn your children to empathise with you and parenting will be a lot easier than Mr. and Mrs. Hothead want you to believe.

I saw a kid crying in the middle of an elevator, she was twice the size of a step. And then the parents were angry at the kid as if that would make them appear as responsible parents. It doesn't.

Did you quietly bounce? ...sorry

>A reminder to buy the kids things they say they desperately want.

If I were to follow this, I'd be spending half my days driving to stores to buy the thing my kids happen to "desperately" want today :)

Also a reminder that you're not obliged to _buy_ everything. Its kind of amazing how ingrained this is into a large amount of peoples' heads. You can get a lot of things for free or secondhand. I got my kids' large trampoline for free.

You could also... just... not get them anything unless they earned it according to rules that they agree with and believe in.

Of course that would require a lot more parenting than buying things.

I think the previous comment was more about second hand, and free options compare to running out to buy them new from a store; not if the parent should/shouldn't get them anything.

I knew what I was commenting on. I see that HN continues to be salty about anything that doesn't support their entitled worldview.

The broader thread was commenting about the dangers of trampolines and I was simply suggesting how to sidestep an entire category of suffering.

If they insist on wanting a trampoline and actually do yard work for it or whatever, then the pain won't be wasted. It may not even be remembered as trauma, but as the moment they learned to think a little harder about what they want. This is really basic parenting.

I would elaborate on what I mean by "entitled" as applied to the adults on here pushing their own ideas/products/etc., but I think it's clear enough where my train of thought is going.

That was somewhat my first point - kids, especially younger, want things all the time. Its fine to ignore most of it. Catering to every wish of a toddler is silly. Unfortunately it seems a lot of parents tend to do more of that than seems healthy.

> I see that HN continues to be salty about anything that doesn't support their entitled worldview

Read their comment again, and discover that the salt exists only in your imagination

We bought a trampoline when our oldest was five. He didn't ask for it, we were just guessing. We got a good deal on one from Craigslist or similar that was brand new, still in the box, so probably like $50 or something.

He loved it and many years later he still uses it, pretty much every day that it's not raining. He's well past the age where I would have thought he would still be interested. We've replaced the mat and all the springs to keep it going.

Point being, sometimes you just don't know what kids will like.

I've jumped on a trampoline effectively every day for the last decade.

I find it very relaxing it helps me de-stress and think about things deeper than I would sitting in front of a computer.

I sweated the years we had a trampoline. It was visible from the street so anyone could have jumped on it and broke their neck. One of my children's friends did get hurt but fortunately, not enough to become an issue. They're a huge liability and not sure insurance covers them.

Insurance does not cover them and if they find out you have one they are likely to cancel your coverage.

I'm not sure why "you can lose your home insurance for having one of these" isn't being brought up more.

It gets worse - if you make an unrelated insurance claim while owning an undisclosed trampoline then insurance company can deny your claim due to having the trampoline even if the claim has nothing to do with the trampoline.

Not sure how common that is, but it's definitely a possibility. My cousin is an insurance adjuster and he said he denies claims for misrepresentation all the time.

So all you trampoline owners I hope you're renters or have disclosed your trampoline to your homeowners insurance.

> ...while owning an undisclosed trampoline...

This is the weirdest combination of words I have seen this week. If I own a trampoline, why would my insurance company care? And if they care, why doesn't the market fix this, parents with trampolines would certainly choose other companies.

They care because trampolines have a very high rate of injury. If you throw a birthday party at your house and one of your neighbors kids breaks their arm or worse, neighbor might decide to sue you. That then puts your insurance company on the hook. Even if your policy forbids trampolines you can often plausibly argue you weren't aware, and they end up having to pay out. Insurance companies refuse to cover things all the time and trampolines are apparently a big problem for them (just talked to our insurance broker a few weeks ago about this as my family is pushing to get one and I'm having to push back.)

Insurance… lawyers… No wonder most kids these days are glued to screens: liability free!

Went to an “amusement” park the other day (US). Throughput of people going down a waterslide at about 2 kids per minute. Insane. Wavepool? Cleared out every 15 minutes or so. Non-stop whistling by an army of lifeguards. Insane. A kid got whistled at because they had a kid on their shoulder. Okay… At least the cop walking around the park (in uniform) all day was nice and handed out stickers. That’s right, a cop at an amusement park. No wonder these places are dying and being turned into warehouses or what have you.

I ended up finding an insurance plan which explicitly covers trampolines. I now basically pay for the cost of the trampoline each year. Insane.

What a time to be alive as a kid in America.

I was at a trampoline park last weekend (regular kind of place, everything padded for safety, as you'd imagine).

A ten year old kid left in an ambulance, neck injury, one side of the body paralyzed at the time of the event.

I really hope the kid recovers... but I don't think I'll ever forget that image.

Yes, everything in life has risks, but I don't even want to imagine how I'd feel if my kid, or my kids' friend had a life-changing injury on a trampoline at my home.

Would you feel better if their life-changing event came from a car wreck? Tragic things are unfortunately part of life.

In most of the USA getting around by car is mandatory. Trampolines are optional.

Trampolines are one of the top avoidable causes of ER visits.

There are many other factors to consider however. Such as time spent with friends, doing something physical, etc. Plus, there’s a spectrum of ways to use trampolines. You’re still allowed to parent…

How did this common-sense-defeating liability culture actually start in the US? From a European perspective it is really strange to be liable in situations like this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attractive_nuisance_doctrine

Wait it only applies in 14 states? Why do people act like it’s true of the entire country?

I find most of the CYA/liability things around childcare in modern west to be stupid (or amusing), but having nearly drowned in an abandoned pool as a young teenager, after wandering into it alone and getting stuck underwater for a moment throughout my own stupidity, I very much appreciate the idea described here, and think it's good.

I had a trampoline as a preteen, they are loads of fun for pretty much all ages. Kids and adults of all ages had fun on them. However, I would never in a million years own one or allow one on my property as an adult, because they are humongous liability and most insurance companies won't cover you if you own one. At some point my parents insurance company did some reconnaissance, saw the trampoline, and immediately cancelled their policy on the spot. They are also considered an attractive nuance, legally, so if someone breaks into your yard and breaks their neck on it you're considered legally liable.

As much as I like them, nothing is worth that kinda risk.

We only had one because my parents were extremely irresponsible people. (In other ways too)

I had exactly the same thoughts when I had my arm twisted to buy one for my 6 year old son.

10 years later, it’s still out there, netting ripped, legs all rusty, plastic getting brittle. And my 16 year old son still loves to bounce around on it with his 9 year old brother.

You can buy parts to make it as new again

The hidden costs are in the ER visits

Almost everyone I knew who broke a bone growing up broke them on a trampoline. As an adult, every story I've heard involving someone's kids and a trampoline ended up involving a cast at best.

... And yet. I wonder. I can remember the feeling of freedom and joy in my body as a child, joy in movement itself that I have never recaptured in any meaningful way no matter how I ever tried to motivate myself to exercise...

Swimming is also dangerous, but is considered a very healthy and useful activity and skill. I could see a similar cost/benefit analysis for trampolines and other gymnastic equipment.

Backyard trampolines without nets are particularly dangerous. A gymnasium or trampoline park with in-ground trampolines are my go-to if someone wants to learn how to do tricks.

Have you tried lifting weights? That freedom of movement is what it feels like to have a higher strength-to-weight ratio.

You can get there surprisingly quickly and casually if you haven't lifted weights in a long time or ever.

Came here to say something similar.

I'm someone who suffers from major reluctance to exercise. To be more specific - the first thirty minutes of exercise are hell, always. Doesn't matter how long I've been doing an activity. It feels like the first time. Exhaustion, fatigue whatever.

This basically means stuff like jogging is out, since it takes so long to get over the hump each time my motivation to do it can't be maintained.

Recently (in my late forties), inspired by some friends who go regularly, I've started attending a weight lifting centred gym near my house.

The cardio I do at the beginning and end of each workout is still hell. But the weight lifting itself really is quite freeing, and it's wonderful to see your strength go (gradually up). It's great also to discover my legs are much stronger than I'd have expected (after years of riding a fixie), despite my arms being flimsy noodles.

Eh, I knew kids (including myself) who broke bones in all sorts of other ways besides trampolines.

However, everyone I know who had a trampoline did break a bone on it.

Some of those ended in permanent, life long injuries. It isn't always just a few months in a cast.

Swimming has more deaths than trampolines do, but not nearly as many serious injuries.

You can take trampolining lessons and to experience that feeling in a much safer environment. Much more expensive though.

Any sort of gymnastics practice, even without a trampoline, gives you a very similar feeling.

Swimming is not dangerous. Not being able to swim or being a weak swimmer is dangerous. Open water is also more dangerous in various different ways.

Or your home insurance company dropping your coverage because you didn't declare the trampoline yet they found it while surveying aerial imagery

That's the absolute best possible outcome... The more severe risk is where a neighborhood child gets severely injured and then the liability policy/coverage you were relying on as a homeowner is invalidated because you failed to disclose the trampoline (which is one of the things they typically ask for). Now you are stuck with legal + medical bills which will likely bankrupt you and/or cost you that house.

Same with pitbulls. Like "neat you hid it from your insurance company, boy you sure showed them!" They are going to be so super sad to cash all of your premium checks for years and THEN pay out $0 on the liability claim when fido rips a kids face off.

My parents dug a hole in the ground for a trampoline, so it was flush with the ground. It was great because you couldn't accidentally fall off, and it was safer than doing any given stunt on regular ground.

A great idea but it's not the main cause of kids at ER because of trampolines: the main issue is two kids hitting each other, not one kid falling of the trampoline. Say the head of one kid hitting the jaw of the other kid. That's the main issue (my source is a doctor friend who worked at ER and refused to have a trampoline for his kids).

So I came up with a very simple rule: one kid at a time in the trampoline and I were to see two, I'd disassemble the trampoline (and as the kid saw me assembling it, she knew I meant business).

But yup a hole in the ground to lower it sounds like a good idea too: that and a rule of one kid at a time.

A trampoline can be endless fun for kids. I got one for free from my neighbor (who was very happy to get rid of it) and a few years later I ended up giving it away when I moved.

That's why I compared it to a similar stunt on regular ground. That kind of horseplay wasn't allowed in my household, or really anything we were into as children, so my parents could let several of us play on the trampoline at a time, although they had to be more careful if we had someone over.

hmmm... that reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend about pools.

I thought "don't get a pool because kids drown in them all the time."

My friend told me that kids actually drown in the grandparents' pool, not their home pool.

(?)

Interesting. It's probably why every single trampoline my wife and myself ever saw (and she previously worked in a place that, every May, pivoted from their furniture business to importing and selling trampolines for the May break seasons), had a label saying only one kid is allowed at a time.

Though obviously this is CYA, because same label exists on trampolines sized for 1 kid and those sized for 10 kids.

Also honestly jumping alone is not as fun as jumping in a group.

How did it not flood?

The lot was graded in 70's or 80's, which was late enough to have modern drainage as part of the design. In their neighborhood, most houses are graded at several feet higher than the sidewalk gutter, so the trampoline just needed a regular drain pipe to bring the storm runoff to the front of the property.

They did later add a sump pump, because most of the years rain happens over a small number of very wet storms, and it can take a while to gravity drain out several inches of rain we'll often get in a single storm. (Our record from before they had the trampoline was 12 inches of rain in just over 24 hours, but that was an especially strong El Niño year, but we'll probably be getting another one soon.)

Maybe they live in a place with little rain?

Work in ER, can confirm

I bought a medium sized above ground pool that the kids rarely used. More work than it was worth.

Next I bought a nice trampoline for the kids and the second it showed up at my door my dad commented that he thinks it was a waste of my money and that the kids don't even use the pool and the same would be true for the trampoline.

Well he has since apologized many times over after realizing my kids would put about 6 hours a day on the thing in the summer and even on some of the less then optimal weather days put in some time. My dad now keeps talking about the cost per hour the trampoline has gotten ($500 trampoline - 500 hours use = 1$/hr), well now I think he calculates it by the cents per hour no longer dollars.

I just took down part of our trampoline this morning, and it gave me the sads, because our kids have used the heck out of it over the years. When they were smaller they'd ask me to 'bounce' them, and they'd scream happy screams as they flew into the air. I was wondering myself if it'd end up being one of those things they used for a week and grew bored of, but they enjoyed it for years.

I had no problem treating raising kids as throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks—and to be sure, a lot of stuff did not stick.

Of course I had the financial means, which my mother did not. And so I was raised playing with typing paper and a few office supplies that she could "bring home" from work (as a secretary).

In the end it's hard for me to know if perhaps that wouldn't have been the better strategy: let kids learn to be creative with the most meager of playthings.

Me and my family we live in a 60 square meter flat. I bought a trampoline for my kid. We used it like 3 or 4 times. I store it in a basement, thanks god I have relatively big basement.

Reminds me think of this youth, bouncing on one[0].

[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trampoline

I see a dark pattern in suburban France. Every house with kids has its trampoline, and often a play-frame and a pool too. Now, kids play with those a bit from time to time, but they rarely go to a friend's house, because they have their own thing there. So if there is a park, a pool or a trampoline in a park nearby, I would rather use them. I believe it is better for social and environmental reasons.

It's not just France. This is the standard pattern of suburbs, even if you don't have these things at your house.

I see the opposite pattern here (Pittsburgh, PA). The homes with trampolines that I have seen end up being a magnet for the neighborhood kids and become a social scene of sorts.

When our children were younger, every day they'd end up playing on the trampoline with some different subset of the dozen or so other neighborhood children (who didn't own a trampoline). There was tons of laughter, some tears and conflict - and overall an amazing way for these children to spend time together as they grew up.

Our kids have aged out of the trampoline now. But I was just driving through our neighborhood yesterday and I saw two other homes with trampolines, both filled with five or six kids, rolling around, playing, bouncing - exactly how the OP described and exactly what we saw in our own backyard.

Trampolines are great. They're also super cheap!

One of my favorite trampoline hacks is to rip the legs off and use them as a giant tree swing, or portaledge when tree climbing.

The hoop is immensely lightweight, strong, and doesn't care if it's being supported by legs in compression, or by lines in (equal) tension. They break down and transport super easy.

But don't jump.

If I was their mischievous uncle, I would get them a full feature drum set, maybe with extra percussion instruments. Hopefully the kids will show the same enthusiasm for it, before the parents let them play the drums in the bath or the rain, in a deliberate effort to get the kids to destroy the drum set.

Best I heard was someone who taught their "friend's" young child to screech like a cockatoo [1]. You can take a drum kit away, but you can't take a cockatoo screech away. The recording doesn't give true justice to the volume.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAJ75uECWHw

I loved our trampoline as a kid. I went on it nearly every day and I'd go on it to dry after baths. It was a big deal buying a trampoline for my kids - they used it once and I have to force them to use it again.

Somehow, my wife's co-workers managed to sneak a full size trampoline (with netting) into their Rental's living room; somehow the landlord is fine with the arrangement, having seen it in person.

The next lease/rental agreement/insurance they sign will have a Trampoline Addendum

"Ceiling dents are not wear and tear."

oh my god, tramapoline, trambapoline!!!

You just keep right on driving...

haha. this made me laugh.

I didn't want a trampoline either and later realised that it was the best investment of my life. Do not buy the play-frame though - that's a waste of money.

Trampolines are not just a product, they are a platform.

i thought it would be the nth metaphor for LLMs: you can jump high with it but not really move forward and on your own you're still at ground level

but then i read the article and it's about things we believe would be great to have until we have them and they're so costly and big that we keep them...

maybe it was really the nth metaphor for LLMs after all

Over the years, I have noticed there are two specific places where my kids ALWAYS smile ALL the time. 1. Trampoline. 2. Pool.

Trampolines are awesome, not just for kids. Best thing I bought (long before I had own kids). I recovered my knee after an operation with it - the "professional" reha I got before was close to useless.

Because you cannot just mind and recklessly jump on it - you have a generic flat/bouncy ground to do all kinds of soft movements, you can do slow or fast. So recovering I did not by jumping yet, but by roling and softly bouncing up and down. First while lying, then standing ... then finally jumping again.

Now many years later, I bought a second, connected them and can do longer jumps and tricks between them.

Oh yes, and the children now love it since they could crawl in it. (Except with strong sun, my older boy is strongly afraid of the static electricity that builds up, that can result in discharges strong enough to hurt, which my daughter uses intentionally to shock him).

Of course it helps, that the Trampolin is hidden from view, not sure if I would have as much fun it it, if everybody from the street could watch. If you have that, or don't care, - go wild in it. Extremely rewarding sport for me. I never hurt myself in it, but that can of course happen, if you overdo it, but compared to the accidents I had in all those other sports that not happen on a soft ground ...

They're great fun to bounce on tbh

Even the mini ones (rebounders) but in a different way

I literally filled the pool and concreted it over.

At my nieces birthday party she had a new trampoline, but didn't know what it was, as my bothers were assembling it for her. She kept asking and they kept deliberately evading.

Then suddenly she realised what it was.

"It's a bounce-a-trine" she announced. It rather stuck with the family, that one did.

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