Disclosure :: Yes, this title makes me sound rude and judgmental. In reality, I am a mom who is desperately trying to keep her own kid safe. My husband and I both have a background in medicine and we know that the stats are sobering.
Hot Take :: Electric Scooters Are a Disaster Waiting to Happen
I rounded the corner after a quick grocery run and there you were. I knew from a quick glimpse that it was you – MY KID. On an electric scooter, at sunset, in sandals with no helmet. I waved you over. You put down the scooter, ran over to my car sheepishly because you knew you were wrong (based on past conversations) and I whispered “What the actual fuck, dude?”
We had a long talk about scooter injuries, but it still did not really seem to sink in. So I asked, “Do you understand why I am so worried? Do you understand what is at stake? Do you see why I am worried?” You responded candidly sharing your belief that everyone has one, and you don’t really get it.
To which I responded, “If their parents gave them an electric scooter, then they don’t love them.”
Perhaps this statement is BOLD and societally unacceptable (and a bit of a stretch even for an incised mom like me) because I do believe at my core that all parents love their children. But do you love them enough to draw a line in the sand? To keep them safe(r)? To protect their brains until they are old enough to understand deeply and candidly that these “toys” (which are actually motorized vehicles, if we are being honest) are fallible and capable of destruction?
Before I share the ugly truth about these scooters, let me also acknowledge that this defiance by my son is … age appropriate. His desire to push boundaries, question rules and exert his independence is absolutely developmentally appropriate. As parents we make rules, and GASP – just like we did as teens – kids break them. So my story is one of “yep, totally normal and age appropriate limit testing,” but also one of “I love you SO much that if I lose you to a risk I could see coming … I would never be okay!” We cannot protect our kids from everything, nor predict every catastrophe. But the electric scooter issue is a parenting hill I am willing to proverbially die on. I NEED my kids to understand just how darn dangerous this decision is.
Let’s review the stats and some stories about electric scooters ::
- In 2022, there were 56,847 injuries from electric scooters, resulting in 6,317 hospitalizations.
- Head injuries are the most common accident-related injury, accounting for 45% of all injuries.
- Think it’s just young irresponsible kids? Think again. What a terrible loss of, what is by all accounts, an amazing student / young adult.
So where did I start with my child regarding electric scooters and e-bikes?
- I drew a line in the sand. If I hear of or see him on an electric bike or scooter, there will be FIRM consequences. He now knows what those will be and spoiler alert – it will not be pretty.
- I sat down and pulled up numerous videos and stories of traumatic brain injuries. Stories of survival, pain and also of defeat and death. The life long consequences are shocking and maybe beyond comprehension to a 12 year old brain unless you see it laid out in story form on YouTube. Tua, the Miami Dolphins Quarterback, has made concussions a BIG conversation, but the kids also see him return to the game, play, and go on. This is just another instance of how real consequences may not be as understood or palpable.
- I also really tried to explain to him how MUCH I love him. How I am not mad (or hungry or tired or overstimulated), but rather I am desperately trying to keep him safe and on a path to somewhere in the world he wants to go.
