Children carried on their dad's shoulders.

Whoops that should have read "does anyone" - I type too fast.

I suppose it depends how big the child is.

We were mean and never carried our children after they were passed toddler stage and even then very rarely

Dads have always done it, so I don't see them stopping. It is sort of symbolic of the father/child relationship.

It is not a good idea from the children's point of view either - if he trips, they could fall quite a long way.

When DH are I were students (ahh those were the days, my friend) we once went with a few friends to the beach. The boys took the girls up on their shoulders and inevitably it ended up as a race. DH stumbled and I shot forwards off his shoulders and landedi n a heap. Luckily it was on soft sand, so no damage, but he was mortified. Later, he never carried our children on his shoulders - always piggy-back.

My DS does this with substantial 20 month old DGS! Think it's prob ok for short spells but they also have an all singing/dancing back pack carrier with rain hood etc as they are hill walkers.

MY SIL carried GS everywhere on his shoulders until he was quite large both loved it and no-one came to any harm.

This has always happened my dad used to lift my twin brother to watch football matches & sports when they went to the park so he could see over other spectators heads,it is no different to men weight training in gyms they lift weights far heavier than a small child,obviously you have to be aware of the safety aspect but the bonding between dad & son is invaluable.

One of my GC sitting on his dad's shoulders, was nearly hit in the head by the moving blade of a ceiling fan. If I hadn't been there just at the right time and saw what was about to happen...

Faye

That is not an unrealistic prospect.

I admit to finding this is one of my room 101 topics.

I can't remember who was on the tele recently talking about A&E problems and he said the last time he wentwent to A&E it was because he was carrying his daughter on his shoulders and she fell and cracked her head on the floor. I will keep thinking who said it, within the last 3 days.

I had a cousin who had a very nasty incident when my uncle was carrying her on his shoulders and he walked her smack into a shop sign. Dads forget the extra heigt he is carrying and it only takes a stumble for a serious injury to happen.

When I worked on a market stall every now and again you would hear a thud and a child cry. This was due to the parent loading the push chair with bags over the handle and the weight imbalance inevitably made the push chair topple backwards and the child smacks its head on the ground.

I am not being a party pooper but I had a very serious problem as a child due to wearing my sisters stiletto shoes and falling down the stairs. Accidents are what they are accidental but it is devistating for an adult to have caused their child an injury and for my mind it is better not to put yourself in the possible position of doing so.

[miserableoldgitmiserableoldgit]

Elegran that happened to me too, two fellows my friend and I were going out with decided to have a race across a field with us on their shoulders. Mine fell and I was concussed, my calf swelled to double and ended up in an enormous bruise from knee to toes.
However, I didn't marry him!
I do think of that when I see one of the DGDs on DS's shoulders.

Accidents do happen, though, POGS. I fell down the stairs when I caught my foot in my MIL's zimmer frame and had a badly sprained ankle.

My OH was once carrying our DD in a back carrier - he tripped and she sailed through the air and landed in a bog about 2" from a large rock - lucky girl. I always think about that when I see children on their parents' shoulders.

dads can get very physical with their children - I have to leave the room when my SILs start chucking their children around - just can't bear it. The children of course love it!

DH and his much younger brother used to have play fights, scrapping and rolling around the room. I must admit, coming from a family who did not, I didn't like it one bit and had to leave the room.

DH and I watched in horror as a dad carrying his DC in a forward facing sling thing tripped up the kerb and just fell forward, somehow the dad managed to land on his knees and no harm came to his DC. It could have been very different though.

roseq



I agree , I thought my last sentence covered that point.

Dads have always carried kids on their shoulders I can remember my own Dad doing it donkeys years ago, it might be a recipe for disaster but apart from banning all things dangerous how would anyone suggest its stopped?

POGS when I re-read my post I realised the intonation in the written word doesn't come across as it should.

We can be careful, but accidents will happen sometimes. The fear of what could go wrong shouldn't stop us enjoying life! (although I must say I seem to see more danger in situations than my DC do, even though I didn't see my MIL's zimmer frame!)

I did see a child fall onto his head from the dad's shoulders onto a hard floor. The child looked in a bad way and later I saw them rushing towards an ambulance. Ever since then I've thought it was a very bad idea to carry children this way.

I had a baby sling way back in the 70s and people used to give me funny looks but I always kept one hand around the back of the baby's head and was very careful when walking with the sling. I was very sure footed in those days, I don't think I would do it now.

You probably hit the nail on the head in one way roseqq.

It could well be a subject viewed differently by generations. I give an example of when I was younger I loved fairground rides. Now, I say you must be joking.

There is a ride called the Mouse, I think that's what it's called. in Blackpool. When I was a kid I made a bee line for it. When we took my daughter some 30 odd years ago her dad took her on it and all I could think was, hell this ruddy thing is poitively ancient, the bolts mustmust be rusty and could sheer off any minute.

It makes my stomach turn over when I see tiny children carried like this. It's not so bad when they can have a firm grasp of dad's ears/hair but some are far too young.
A great many accidents can be avoided by a bit of forethought. We spent a summer with DH nagging me as he thought I was being over protective. We were sitting in a cafe and I stifled the urge to tell DS1 to put his glass further on the table, the next moment the glass was on the floor broken and he was having a plaster put on his cut leg. Not serious but I know I could have avoided it.

A small child was sick on my husband whilst being carried on her dad's shoulders. They carried on walking without knlowing anything about it. We were on holiday in Scotland. In a caravan. With not much in the way of washing facilities.

Can't see any harm in it though. The worst that could happen is that the child could go down backwards with the dad hanging onto to its knees! Never seen it happen though.

The funniest thing I've seen in a long time was DGD practicing getting up on her dad's shoulders for a Mumford and Sons concert he'd promised to take her to for her 16th birthday. She doesn't weigh a lot but he is very tall.

No, jings, when the horse man is going forwards, the child is leaning forwards for balance, so if he trips forwards, that is the direction the child goes. That is how I went when my DH stumbled with me on his shoulders - I landed a couple of yards ahead of him.

The child will instinctively grab at his father's head to save himself, so may not have those hands ready to land on, and so his head could make contact first.

Gordon Bennett! The things some folk worry about!

My DH has carried five children (at different times) on his shoulders now, without any mishaps. The kids love it.

Good for him! No-one is saying that A&E is packed out with Dads bringing in children with cracked skulls, just that it is POSSIBLE that falling with child up high on your shoulders could result in the child getting hurt.

Gordon Bennet, you can't say anything on here without someone thinking you are talking a load of . . . . . PCness.