An electric ride-on motorcycle can be a lot of fun for your child, but you will feel better as a parent if they do it safely. One way to keep your child safe is by giving them a helmet to wear as they ride. However, sometimes children can be reluctant to follow these rules. If you are trying to get your kid to put a helmet on, you can make it easier by learning these 10 ways to encourage your child to wear a helmet.
Give Your Child a Helmet Early On
You can encourage your child to wear a helmet by giving it to them when they first start riding. You may even want to do this before they start riding their ride-on motorcycle toy. Instead, you can start even younger when they are riding a tricycle around your house.
If you introduce helmet-wearing to them early, you will have a better chance of it becoming a habit with them. They may even carry this practice into their adulthood. However, if they are already riding and you have not yet introduced a helmet, there is still time to do so.
Let Them Choose Their Helmet
Another way to encourage your child to wear a helmet is to let them pick it out themselves. When you give them the ability to be part of the decision, it will make them feel like they have some control over the situation.
This feeling of control will make them far more agreeable when it comes to wearing the helmet. You can also turn the experience of shopping for a helmet into a special event, making the process far more exciting for them.
Allow Your Child To Decorate the Helmet
You can also give your child a sense of control by allowing them to decorate their helmet. Kids love the idea of expressing themselves, so encouraging them to personalize their helmet will make it fun, and they’ll get more enjoyment when they wear it outside of the house.
As they decorate their helmet, they can add stickers or paint their favorite colors on the outside. They may even decide to etch their name into their helmet.
Lead by Example
A fourth way to encourage your child to wear a helmet is to lead by example and wear one yourself. After all, your child sees you as a role model and often learns by watching and imitating what you do.
When your child sees you wearing a helmet as you ride your bike, they will realize how you value your safety as much as theirs. This will make them want to put their helmets on, too, when they go for a ride.
Tell Their Friends To Wear Helmets
Another way you can encourage your child to wear helmets when they ride is by telling their friends to wear them as well. If their friends start wearing them, your child might feel peer pressure to put theirs on, too. Their desire to achieve social validation with their friends will play a part in keeping them safe.
Talk to Your Child About Safety
You may also need to take a moment to sit your child down and talk to them about why wearing a helmet on their electric motorcycle is so essential. Explain to your kid that you love them and have concerns about their welfare, which is why you want them to wear one.
During this conversation, you should also explain the harsh realities of what can happen if they do not wear a helmet while riding. For example, if they get into an accident and hurt their heads, it can permanently affect their brains.
Point Out Others Wearing Helmets
You can also reinforce helmet-wearing by pointing out other people who wear them. For example, if you are sitting and watching sports with your child, watch for any athletes wearing helmets. When they appear on your screen, draw your kid’s attention to how they wear them.
This will be especially beneficial if your child is a fan of the athlete who is wearing that helmet. Your child will see them as a role model who keeps themselves safe and ultimately may decide to emulate that behavior.
Reward Your Child for Wearing One
If you see your child wearing a helmet while riding their electric motorcycle, consider rewarding them for their excellent choice. This reward may be a special treat or privilege that you provide them with. Ultimately, your kid will appreciate your approval.
Don't Let Them Ride Without Their Helmet
Another way to encourage helmet use is not to let your child go riding without one. If you have allowed them to ride without one in the past, you may have opened yourself up to a situation where they do not believe that helmets are essential to their safety.
Instead, put your foot down and say that they cannot ride their electric motorcycle without wearing their helmet. They will then realize the importance of putting one on and doing what you say before they go riding.
Teach Them About Safe Riding
You can also reinforce the importance of wearing a helmet by teaching your child a safe riding lesson. Having it in the context of this lesson will help them better understand why it is important instead of just requiring that they wear it. Their added understanding will allow you to be more convincing and achieve your goal of keeping them out of harm.
These strategies will allow you to better keep your child safe and cooperative when it comes to following your rules. If you are looking for quality ride-on motorcycles for them to use while staying safe, contact Elegant Electronix. We are ready to help you find the right 12- or 24-volt electric motorcycle with state-of-the-art safety features for your kid.