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TxTrish
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Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Dec 15 2009 at 7:29pm | IP Logged
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We have a trampoline - it was actually dh's in highschool he was a gymnast. It has been through 6 nieces and nephews before making it's way to us.
I must say - this is the one item that is played with EVERY day. They are always on it and we joke that the kids have springs in their fanny's. We are about to have another new mat made for it.
The kids love it, their friends love it, and they jump, jump, jump, jump. I have held mom's meetings at my house, made it clear that we have a trampoline, and rules to go along with it. I am not nice, and I am not kidding. Other peoples children get one chance - period. If you break our rules you are NEVER allowed on my trampoline again. There is one child we know who has never been allowed on our trampoline and won't be.
We do have a big swing, tree house, climbing playset thing hubby and pawpaw made the kids. It is great to have and they do play on it. But it is way way way second fiddle to the trampoline.
I hear all the objections. On a somewhat regular basis.
Our family is also involved in martial arts - considered dangerous by some.
I'd still rather have a child who broke their arm falling out of a tree than a child who never climbed a tree.
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Maddie
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| Posted: Dec 15 2009 at 7:39pm | IP Logged
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TxTrish wrote:
I'd still rather have a child who broke their arm falling out of a tree than a child who never climbed a tree.
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Love it. 
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LisaR
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| Posted: Dec 15 2009 at 9:26pm | IP Logged
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TxTrish wrote:
I have held mom's meetings at my house, made it clear that we have a trampoline, and rules to go along with it. I am not nice, and I am not kidding. Other peoples children get one chance - period. If you break our rules you are NEVER allowed on my trampoline again. There is one child we know who has never been allowed on our trampoline and won't be.
I hear all the objections. On a somewhat regular basis.
Our family is also involved in martial arts - considered dangerous by some.
I'd still rather have a child who broke their arm falling out of a tree than a child who never climbed a tree.
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See, this has been my problem. I have rules similar to yours, but what if all the tramp-owning moms don't? this has been really frustrating to me when I establish rules for my kids, and they end up with broken glasses, ER visits, etc., because the mom did not respect my wishes of one kid at a time, etc. Oh, and most of the people we know have no nets.
Yeah, my kids play football, wrestle year round, and play rugby 
they also climb LOTS of trees.
It just seems like the way many people use trampolines are not the way they were intended.
Kind of like an illegal tackle in football.
I'm sure your dh would understand, being a gymnast!!! cool!!!
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Karen T
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| Posted: Dec 16 2009 at 8:56pm | IP Logged
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At our old house, we had one of those really nice cedar playsets with a fort on top and swings, slide etc. The younger kids did play on it, but they were still 5 and 7 when we moved. Here, for the first time we have a level-enough yard for a trampoline and we did get one. It gets WAY more use than the (much more $$) playset ever did. At this point I have a 16, 10 and 8 yo and they are on there multiple times a day when the weather is good, and continue using it well after cold weather hits. I had heard all the negative things about injuries and we did our homework and bought a very sturdy one with really heavy frame and heavy duty mat, net enclosure and spring covers. I would never have without the enclosure either.
One of our neighbors has a flimsier tramp, the kind you find at the sporting goods stores about $200-300, no net or spring covers, etc. We had a rain storm last spring with high winds and it was lifted up and the frame twisted and bent (yes, they are still using it  while ours didn't budge an inch. I think ours was closer to $900 two years ago (family Christmas present that year). So I would suggest researching them and getting a heavier one.
Personally I think a playhouse would not get nearly as much use except for younger kids. Raise it up into a tree, though, and you've got a whole different aspect
 A swing set would be nice but probably still not used as much as a trampoline. We do have a tireswing and the kids use it but not every day like the trampoline.
Karen T
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: trampoline or playhouse?
