does anyone have a scooter policy??

[marnieb]

As the title says, really!!

As my mindees are getting older the big ones have scooters at home & want to bring them here for school runs. I have talked to parents and said theoreticaly yes, so I was going to do a policy for each of them to sign.

I have already:

I am happy for your child to bring their scooters to my setting.

They will only be allowed on the scooter if they have a helmet and long trousers on.

Whilst on the scooter, your child is to remain within arms reach of me at all times, if they disobey and scoot off then they will walk beside me for the remainder of the outing.

Whilst the scooters are at my setting they will be placed in the shed while not in use.





Anything to add?????

[karen m]

Well firstly you are very brave to allow them scooters ,i state no scooters /bikes . What happens if you say have 3 with scooters then they go to far ahead of you ,you take scooter of all 3 how do you manage to carry them and keep lo safe. I have scooters in my garden for them to use if only have 1 older child and going to the park.

[samb]

I have a "ride on's" section to my health and safety policy and procedures. I introduced it after my own daughter fell head first over her scooter handle bars and needed stitches in her forehead!

It states that I have ride on toys available for toddlers to use and am happy for older children to bring their own scooter from home with a helmet. If I consider the scooter to be unsafe or no helmet/ill fitting helmet then I may refuse use whilst at my house. I do not allow children to bring bicycles as I do not have the space.

I only have my children as older ones for school runs and another 6 year old in holiday times so we would only use them when I have planned to anyway not on school runs etc.

[The Juggler]

i have a non-written one - i.e. no scooters! I don't feel I can keep them safe if they are scooting miles ahead and I'm with a buggy. Also hate umbrellas. When you are walkign with lots of children its impossible if they all have umbrellas.:p

I wil relent on the odd occasion if I 'm buggy free and only say have 2 older children but other than that - no way :panic:

[caz3007]

I had a mindie who was about 9 at the time and she broke her arm falling off her scooter, luckily at home, but just something to bear in mind.

I have never been asked if someone can bring one, but if they did the answer would be no

[blue bear]

Mine bring nothing from home, no toys, ds, scooters anything. Way too complicated. What happens if another child breaks something a child has brought from home? No thanks.

[Bridey]

I walk 7 children to two different schools in the morning and we have roads to cross. Absolutely no scooters for me.

[Kimmy050983]

I wouldn't allow scooters either..
It's sometimes hard for my own ds as he loves to ride his like-a-bike but when I have mindees here he can ride it in the woods with me but not on the pathway... :)

[miffy]

No scooters allowed here either, bikes allowed when needs be (doing road safety training at school or such like).

Miffy xx

[MAWI]

I used to allow scooters. I had 3 four year olds that had them and I thought it would be ok because it was easier for them on school run, plus parents used to drop them off to me at school, already on them!!

One day, 1 child fell off and although wasn't hurt, refused to scoot afterwards which had a knock on affect on the other 2 and took forever to get them home.

So now, I only Allow the older children a scooter but they have to have a helmet. Seeing as 8 year old boys I care for think that that is 'uncool' they don't bring them because they don't like my rules.

For me, the bottom line is its just not worth the hassle. If they are over 8 and want to wear a helmet and scoot that's fine.

[bunyip]

I don't allow them, though I've been under some parental pressure to relent.

I just think scooters are a whole bundle of trouble. Mums think they're great, "they're just fun - what's the worst that could happen?" It all goes quiet when I point out that, in my last job, I witnessed scooter riders being hit by trains.

As for parks and pavements, you're teaching children to take what is technically a vehicle onto a pedestrian footpath. So when do you tell them it's not OK to cycle on the pavement and scare all the pedestrians?

When your mindee eventually sends someone sprawling after a collision, will your insurance policy cover the potentially unlimited liabilty fine for personal injury?

[rickysmiths]

I would not allow them at all.

The thought of walking to school with a child in a buggy, walking toddlers and then ones on scooters as well is a recipe for disaster. Also what do you do with the scooters on the way home????

I wouldn't even let my own children scoot to school because I couldn't control them, it was dangerous especially near school with everyone else on the pavements and lots of cars and there was no way I would or could carry them a mile home with a buggy and minded toddlers.

Lots of our schools have banned them anyway, good job to it was to dangerous, especially as a lot of parents did not control their children.

[rickysmiths]

No scooters allowed here either, bikes allowed when needs be (doing road safety training at school or such like).


Miffy xx


:eek: Sorry but I wouldn't allow bikes either what a nightmare on the school run and would your insurance cover you if there were an accident?

No the parents would have to drop the bike to school.

[samb]

Wow I do see why you all might not like scooters from a safety/speed point of view or having to carry them if children have a tantrum and throw them to the floor etc on a school run but what about just to use in the holidays?

As my dd fell off her scooter badly I really had to think about what to do. Luckily I only look after 1 school age child, the rest are 3 and under. The schoolies I only have 2 days a week in the holidays. There is a park at the end of my relatively flat road and I let them ride their scooters to the park. I expect if a child has taken their scooter that they will either ride on or push along, I will not carry.

I am just interested if you just say no to scooters at all or if you decide to allow occasionally if less children/for certain activities etc? If you say no to scooters do you have young children too and what do they think?

I decided that if I was to say no to scooters I would also have to not allow my children to use their scooters. I didn't want to do that and so came up with my policy. I haven't had a problem with it so far. My children take scooters on school runs if I have either children in buggy or up to 1 toddler walking. Any more and they don't use them.

I don't want my children to miss out on things because I am working and so I have thought hard about what things I will and will not allow to keep a balance. I am still learning and will still change my opinions and actions where I need to.

[md0u0131]

I don't allow them to bring scooters/bikes to use on the way to school/outings from a safety or supervision POV.

I do need a toys from home policy though as the younger ones are starting to sneak toys into their bags and I'm fed up of the daily hunt to find them just before hometime!

There are a couple who have special toys for sleeping with though so not sure how to get round this.

[rickysmiths]

I don't allow them to bring scooters/bikes to use on the way to school/outings from a safety or supervision POV.

I do need a toys from home policy though as the younger ones are starting to sneak toys into their bags and I'm fed up of the daily hunt to find them just before hometime!

There are a couple who have special toys for sleeping with though so not sure how to get round this.


I keep sleeping toys in the childs drawer and they only come out for sleeping and go back afterwards. I train the child to put it in the drawer in the morning, get it out for sleep and put it back afterwards. It often cures them of needing a toy because they forget its there :thumbsup:

[Zoomie]

I allow scooters :eek::eek:

I also have two bicycles in the garage, but haven't really had the opportunity to use them, apart from 2x4y and that was on a footpath with no vehicular access.

Anyway, just a thing to add for those who do allow scooters, I recently had an issue where mindee was instructed by parents to hold onto an adult's hand when crossing the road (shock horror, we do this as well). This was a minor problem because I can't always hold mindee's hand, but my big issue was that mindee then pushed or dragged the scooter across the road, and this caused them to fall / trip. So now they have to ride (within an arm's reach of me) when road crossing, but the rest of the time, they can go from telephone pole to pole or x house number, whatever form my instructions take.

[bunyip]

I agree that a lot depends on the child and whether they follow instructions every time. My experience is that children in my care just forget themselves and get carried away with enthusiasm when on scooters.

My view is that it will only take one little lapse of concentration to lose control or swerve to avoid something unexpected and I'm left looking at a road accident or a flattened pedestrian. I know some children are more responsible than others, and I generally don't 'wrap them in cotton wool', but I won't take chances on this one. I've seen too many scooter accidents in my last job, where parents had refused to make their little one dismount, claiming vehemently (and often rudely) that they were under perfect control.

On top of that, I don't fancy trying to explain to parent 'A' why their little one isn't ready to use a scooter whilst child 'B' is ready. It smacks of unfavourable treatment and comparisons.

Finally, I realise that letting them ride scooters on the pavements will evolve into them riding bikes on the pavements. I don't fancy then making them unlearn what I taught them as they get big enough and fast enough to become a terror to pedestrians.

[md0u0131]

I keep sleeping toys in the childs drawer and they only come out for sleeping and go back afterwards. I train the child to put it in the drawer in the morning, get it out for sleep and put it back afterwards. It often cures them of needing a toy because they forget its there :thumbsup:

ooo yes good idea!

[barbarella68]

I allow scooters and have had no problems.:)

[bunyip]

Ok, maybe I'm beginning to sound paranoid here but, hey, just 'cause you aren't paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Am I the only one who thinks that "everything's fine because nothing's gone wrong yet" doesn't constitute the best form of risk assessment?

The following all had no problems:-
- the Titanic
- space shuttle Columbia
- the economies of Greece, Spain, Irish Republic
- the little chap on a scooter which was about to come into contact with a train seconds after his mum told me he was in complete control
until.......

I'm not saying mine is the only view, or necessarily the correct one. But have those CMs who allow scooters because they've had no problems yet actually checked out the big "what if?" Are you covered by your insurance? Even if you are covered, are you happy with the prospect of a higher premium after they've paid out?

Some one please enlighten us?

[miffy]

:eek: Sorry but I wouldn't allow bikes either what a nightmare on the school run and would your insurance cover you if there were an accident?

No the parents would have to drop the bike to school.

I'll qualify that - bikes allowed when necessary but are pushed (not ridden) to school which is under a 5 minute walk away with no roads to cross. The children doing road safety are year 6 and I think it's important they do this training so yes I support parents and allow bikes on those occasions.

Think we'll just have to differ on this one RS

Miffy xx