This was a small outdoor rink on a mild wintery day (low 40s) which was probably the last day of the winter holiday break for many people and though picturesque - was probably NOT the best place to ease our children into their first experience on skates. I took M out onto the ice and after a while she got the hang of it and I had enough resources leftover (after managing the pains in my calves, hips, and back from supporting her around the rink) to notice the 100+ other people on the ice.
What I saw was a lot of other parents with kids, and a lot of these kids were wearing helmets. Yes, helmets. - and enough padding in the form of ski-pants to survive a head on collision with a linebacker unscathed. I also noticed a lot of these kids were bigger than M and was really glad I was supporting the weight of a 5 year old and NOT a middle schooler.
Now, M was afraid to fall. I remember being a late bloomer to skating myself and was still hugging the wall when my friends would go skating by me. I took a couple of lessons and could then out-skate them all but the thing that had the biggest impact on me from those 5 or 6 lessons was what the teacher said on the first day when she had us lined up perilously far from the wall. She asked us "what is the worst thing that could happen?" "I slip and fall down" was the general answer to which she said "so what!" And she was totally right. M is 42lbs or so, she is also under 4ft tall. That is not far to fall. She is not traveling at great speed in fact any speed at all would have been something to rejoice over. She is wearing a sweater, a coat, a knitted wool hat, and snow gloves which was more than enough. Also, I am right next to/behind her. So I ask you all....Helmets? Really?
What do these parents think their precious little darlings are going to encounter as they inch their way around the ice that requires riot gear?!?
Today there were lots of people falling down. As I said the rink was small, it was packed, and there were lots of gouges and tons of snow kicked up from fifty 12 yr old boys showing off their "hockey stops". Whenever I saw people go down I pointed it out to M and showed her how they were laughing. After a while she wasn't so scared and every time she slipped and I caught her she was laughing too. I gave myself a little pat on the back for being the Mom I always want to be.
Then M said she wanted to come back a lot but that if she was going to do that she needed a helmet.
oye!
