Families warned to think before joining their babies or toddlers on slides for this unexpected reason

Families are being warned to think before they join their babies or toddlers on slides for this unexpected reason.

As the summer holidays get into full swing, families will be looking for things to do with the kids or searching for the best toys to play with - heading to a park or playground is likely to be on their list.

But aside from the usual hidden dangers to children that playing on swings and slides poses, parents are being warned against accompanying their baby or toddler down the slide for an unexpected reason.

You might think that sitting the youngster on your knee and holding on to them tightly as you slide down the tall structure is a safer way to play but actually, experts have warned that this method could be putting the child at greater risk of injury than if they were to ride solo.

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The team at  Baby Photo App Honeycomb has issued the warning by sharing a video of a dad taking a baby down the slide - a thing most parents don't think twice about during a visit to the park.

But they also highlight how easy it is for the child's leg to get injured despite placing the baby on his lap, holding him with both hands as he slides down with the toddler who appears to be enjoying the thrilling ride.

The warning says "NEW DADS!!! It is NOT safe to let the baby go down the slide on your lap..."

As the man slides down, viewers are urged to watch the position of the baby's leg, which has fallen between the dad's legs.

The warning explained, "Dad's weight can crush and break baby's leg if it gets caught on the slide.

"Counterintuitively, it is safer for baby to go down alone with supervision. Dad's weight adds more force and velocity that increases the risk of injuries!"

But dad's aren't the only ones who love to go down a slide - Kate Middleton went down a slide solo during a royal engagement while Chrissy Teigen was slammed for sharing a snap of her going down a slide with daughter Luna.

And TikTok users have been reacting to the warning. One follower wrote, "Every time I’ve heard of a baby having a broken leg it’s been from this."

Another user put, "This happened to me when I was a baby… two broken ankles, 27 years later still problems with it cause it never healed properly."

A third TikTok user shared, "I hold babies with an arm around the waist and the other lifting their legs off the slide for this exact reason!"

And while some parents might not see any danger - having previously done it many times without experiencing any harm - Stephanie Lowe, mum to Ted, five, and family editor at goodto.com she'd rather be aware of the risks than unintentionally put her child in more danger. 

She said, "I know it feels like 'I did it and my kids were fine' and that safety police are killing everything... but even if one kid was hurt and someone learned something from it, I'd rather know than be the one to break my own child's leg."

Meanwhile, Heidi Scrimgeour, deputy editor of Goodto.com is mum to three children aged between nine and 18 years old. And she is more relaxed when it comes to the dangers of sharing slides after her daughter broke her leg, aged two, just stepping into the garden. 

She recalled, "I had no idea that toddlers could break bones doing something so normal and routine, but the hospital said it was a very common injury nicknamed "a toddler fracture" because of the force with which children of that age tend to land on their own legs when they stumble. 

"Obviously it was a horrible experience all-round but I was amazed at how quickly my daughter adapted - she was soon running around as normal despite being in a full thigh-to-toe cast. She mended well, thankfully, and the experience made me think differently about taking risks. 

"She didn’t let the break hold her back so I want to encourage her to climb high and push her limits. After all, the most ‘dangerous’ thing she’s ever done turned out to be stepping into the garden.”