Jump, Jump, Jump Real High, Jump Real High Together

I am going to 'fess up now and admit to a deep weakness that I have. I'm very impulsive. I also have little self control and a constant need for instant gratification. That's ADHD for you. It translates into every are of my life, and it also greatly affects how I deal with Dovi. On one hand, I'm driven and ambitious and constantly researching, networking, burning the wires finding out about new advances, resources, innovations, products, and such. The downside, though, is that when I find out that Dovi likes something, I immediately try to figure out how to get one for home use. Most of the time, these gizmos and gadget end up being dust collectors and money not well spent. Sometimes, I do hit the jackpot and our lives change drastically for the better - such as with the harness, or the bed tent, for example. One major instance of a road paved with good intentions but an ultimate waste of time and money was the Trampoline Craze.

As I mentioned, Dovi simply couldn't get enough of the trampoline in the bungalow colony. He was on it day and night. His social horizons expanded as well; he began to mimic what the other children were doing. It also taught him how to jump up with both feet. When we came home from the country and his vestibular needs could no longer be met with the wide open spaces, I began considering getting a trampoline for the house.



It wasn't such a simple matter though. In the colony, the trampoline was 12 feet in diameter. Of course, that wasn't feasible on our 6 foot wide porch. I sat on Amazon and researched and researched. I thought of getting a Jump-o-Lene instead, but worried that it would deflate easily. I borrowed a neighbor's 36" trampoline, but it just didn't do. I knew that I wanted an enclosure, of course, so that Dovi couldn't jump off the trampoline and hurt himself. Finally, after a lot of research, I settled on the Bazoongi Kids 55"  Trampoline and Enclosure. It was extremely reasonably priced; only $150.

When it came to assembling it, however, it was nearly Mission Impossible. I needed help. Before long, I had a massive Trampoline Brigade mobbing my porch. Every backyard kid wanted to lend a hand. The chief assembly officer of the brigade was an absolutely precious, lovely 12 1/2 year old handy boy. Within two days, the trampoline was assembled.

Unfortunately, that also gave the backyardigans carte blanche to camp out on our porch, vying for a turn on the trampoline. I ended up being Chief Referee, interrupted from my Rosh Hashana cooking every two minutes with complaints. "He's jumping for five minutes already!" "He was there twice already!" Oh my gosh. Instead of Dovi quietly enjoying the trampoline, maybe with Chaim, it became the backyard attraction. My porch was full of kids, litter, and noise. I reached for my extra strength Tylenol.

Of course, Dovi loved it... when he actually had the chance to use it undisturbed.

My porch, and by default my house, had become Trampoline Central. Kids were traipsing in and out, up and down, not giving me a moment of peace. After a few days of this I finally had enough. I brought the trampoline into the house, parking it in a corner of Dovi's room.

Where it proceeded to gather dust for the next 12 months.

Occasionally, Dovi would go inside and jump a little bit. Sometimes, he would lay down with his bottle and use it as a cozy little nest. Sometimes, Chaim went inside to jump. Occasionally, a neighbor still asked for permission to use it. But by and large, it remained a massive eyesore and space-stealer.

I don't know why Dovi took a dislike to the trampoline once it was in his room. Maybe it was too small and stifling for him. Maybe he wanted to share it with other kids. Or perhaps he didn't like to spend much time in his room. Whatever the case was, the trampoline now became our own de-facto treadmill; a clothes rack. Not quite - it was usually empty - but it was just a big ol' lump, sitting there quietly and robbing us of useful room space.

Oh, how I tried to sell this thing. I advertised it week after week. I sent around pictures to the enquirers. I was ready to sell it for $75.00. But ultimately there were no takers. The size was a big disadvantage; it was too small for a backyard and too large for an apartment. Finally, five months ago  we decided that Dovi was old enough to transition from a crib to a bed. My husband bought a bed for Dovi, and the guys who assembled the bed dismanteled the trampoline. It was taken down to the trash... and within five minutes it was gone, snapped up by some passing forager.

Thus came an ignonimous end to the trampoline I had put so much energy and effort into.

Because truthfully, there is no need for Dovi to have a trampoline in the house. If I had a big empty basement with a sensory gym set up there, it would make sense. For now, he uses the beds of the house as a trampoline. Now that he has his amazing, incredible Pedicraft bed, he has his very own enclosed trampoline. :-)

So I learned my lesson. No more hare-brained impulse purchases. They just end up taking away one's energy, space, and time....

The Bazoongi trampoline is no longer available on Amazon, but I found several similar trampolines - which look much better made than that initial version - which I would buy instead if I were currently on the market for a trampoline:


             


A word of warning: Trampolines can be very dangerous. Buy and use at your own discretion. Be careful.

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Forgive me for doing this, but from this point on, I will be posting the Donate button in every post. Please, if you can, make a small donation to Dovi's Educational Fund. At this point we are barely at the quarter mark for his lawyer's retainer - nevermind the actual costs of his tuition. We need tens of thousands of dollars!!!