3 year old riding an ATV?

Question

My husband is making me feel like I am overreacting. Knowing me, it's very possible so I'm just wanting others opinions.

If you walked outside and your 3 year old was riding on a 4-Wheeler with your spouse, would you be upset?

To those who would be upset, would you demand that he/she stop and then take your child off?

Answer 1

Tell him he could have asked you first and should have bought a helmet for your child.However this was a one off I take it so chill out a bit.I would probably told my husband to stop and put a helmet on our little boy but I don't think there is a problem him giving him a ride at all as long as he has a helmet on.

Answer 2

ALWAYS insist on a helmet!!! I have 3 boys. 19, 7 and 5. The two younger ones both ride their own ATV's. The 7 year old started on a gas powered VERY SMALL 50cc with a speed regulator at 2 and a half. The 5 year old the same thing. They have always had helmets and chest protectors. When they were really little, and we would ride them on our bigger ATV's they had the same thing...safety gear ALWAYS. They now ride 90's with the regulators on and are very safe and have a love of the sport. The only thing I would have freaked about is the no helmet thing. HUGE mistake on your husbands part. God forbid the baby fell off!! He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something did happen no matter how skilled of a rider he is.

Answer 3

good teach the little runt a lesson and have him fall off

he'll never want to ride again

Answer 4

umm.. no.. aslong as threaks and stuffe lady controls the b

Answer 5

Well, my husband has been riding my daughter on his 4-wheeler for quite some time. It's only around the yard, very slowly and he's always holding onto her. His is an automatic, so it's easier to control with only one hand. I see no problem with it, unless he was drinking at the time or going fast. Which he knows better to do.

The thing that I have a problem with is them riding them on their own. I remember seeing my husband's niece riding her father's 4-wheeler at the age of 5, with no helmet, going extremely fast. I was appalled. This was no kids ATV, it was huge. Even bigger than my husband's. And to let your 5 year old on that by herself, is just plain stupid.

Answer 6

Why wouldn't he put a helmet on the kid's head?!  That I would have flipped out over! When there isn't one there, you don't put the kid on the ATV....ughhh

I wouldn't have made a big deal out of it if he was driving slow and my son had a helmet on, but in your case, I would have been annoyed. I'm all for giving your kid lots of experiences, but do it safely. I have had to go through 2 head injuries with my 16yr son and 1 with my 18yr and they're not fun the least bit. IT DOESNT MATTER HOW CAREFUL YOU ARE, things happen.

Answer 7

if he was just taking him/her around the yard no harm done as long as hes going slow and holding on 2 the baby  

Answer 8

My neice rides around on a 4-wheeler with her grandpa all the time and loves it. She turned 1 yesterday. my daughter is 5 months and will be doing the same when she can walk. dad is as much as a parent as you. how would u feel if he yelled at you for doing something you thought would be fun with your child.  

Answer 9

No actually i wouldnt be upset. I would require my child to be wearing a helmet however. But my children have ridden on ATVS and snowmobiles since roughly age 2. At a sedate speed on level ground it is still dangerous but it is also a memory a child will cherish. If we restrict our children from every doing something that might get them hurt we may as well not have children. Your spouse has every right to decide how he wants to parent and what he feels the child should be allowed to do. Being a mom doesnt automatically mean your 100% correct and get to make all the decisions. Sometimes you have to let the Dad be a Dad. And Dads are notorious for not doing right and for having fun.

Answer 10

I would raise h**l.  That's putting your child in danger.   It doesn't matter how slow and safe your spouse is driving.  Seems like every week there is a new story of some child getting seriously injured or killed riding those things.  

Answer 11

Your husband should be much more embarrassed by having his own child on an ATV without a helmet than by your justified reaction to his dangerous actions. He is acting like a teenager that has been scolded in public by their parent.

News Flash to Dad!! He is the parent now and he should know better than to put his own child in harm's way. His ego and his priorities are wa-a-a-ay off.

You were right to be alarmed. If Dad remains in a childish pout over this, have him talk to an emergency room doctor and ask their opinion about his actions!! : o

From a study of ATV injuries: "About 14% of ATV riders are children, but they account for 37% of all ATV-related injuries and 38% of all ATV-related deaths.".

"We were seeing so many injuries that were horrifying -- kids coming in with partial amputated limbs, severe head injuries, deaths -- that we wanted to document the extent of the problem."

Answer 12

Not saying it’s okay, but men are really good at these types of things. They want to show their boys the “cool” stuff while Mommy’s panic over the “safety” issues.

My husband would have done exactly what your husband did. I would have panicked and wanted them to stop immediately. Or at least compromise. I think regardless of speed, that 3 yr old should have had a helmet on. Your husband should have enforced it. Period! No helmet, no ride!

I think if a person is going to teach kids how to play on these types of toys, they need to teach safety first. It’s KEY! And your husband should create a list of rules before the kids can play. And you two should discuss this between yourselves and come up with a plan. And stick with it every time!

I’d say that you two call it even right now. And start over. I would really suggest coming up with the rules and explaining safety to the kids. That way if you two are on the same page, there’s no insulting of intelligence or being offended that Mommy’s opinion didn’t matter. From THIS point on, figure out the rules and set them straight.

Best of luck!

Answer 13

I wouldn't like it at all.  Kids are killed every year riding those things.  Even if your husband was with him it still isn't safe, kids can squirm suddenly and those things can easily tips over, more easily than people think.  I wouldn't let him ride one till he was much older.  I would have definitly demanded that he take the child off.  

Answer 14

My son was riding horses with me and 4 wheelers with his dad and me at 2 years old. He is now 5 and has his own 4 wheeler, he wears a helmet. He also has his own horse. He is not permitted to ride either without adult supervision.  Your child could just as easily fall down in the bath tub and hurt himself as he could riding a ATV with a parent. God Bless!