Lifestyle

Amanda Miller from Royalhammockheadquarters: How to Guarantee Hammock Safety for Your Kids?

Published

5 years ago

April 2, 2020

Hello, I’m Amanda miller from Royalhammockheadquarters.com, which I run with my husband Jared. I would like to give some caution to the subject of safety in regards to hammock use. If you have a hammock, you know that’s fun for both you and your kids. Your children probably love climbing out and in the hammock. However, while your kids may really enjoy your hammock, they’ve got to be safe with it.

As a parent, you have to make your kids really enjoy the hammock while staying safe. Here are several things you’ve got to know about hammock safety. This includes safety tips and rules that every parent and kid should follow.

Dependable Child-Friendly Hammocks for the Entire Family

Durable and solid hammocks are ideal for families. This includes Brazilian and nylon hammocks. They do not have loops, holes, netting, or cords that can risk the legs, arms, toes, and fingers for your kids to get stuck in. They’re durable and built to endure even the most energetic kid.

In addition to that, these hammocks do not need the use of spreader bars. For those who don’t know, spreader-bar hammocks are tighter. Thus, they have higher possibilities of flipping over if your kid isn’t cautious. It can also be tricky for kids if the hammock has netting. It can present a safety threat if they’re roughly playing in this form of a hammock.

You should only use netting if you’re hammock camping with your children and they require a mosquito net to protect them from insects at night. Else, it is ideal not to utilize the netting if you’ve got your hammock hung up in the backyard and your children will not be spending the night in the hammock. (Here are another 7 great tips to do with your family on a budget)

How to Teach Your Children About Hammock Safety?

You should teach your kids these hammock safety rules to help them safely utilize hammocks.

Do not bounce or jump in the hammock.
Do not stand in the hammock
Do not get in the hammock feet first. They should rather slowly sit in the hammock and shift and even out their body’s weight.
Do not jump out and in of a hammock. They have to slowly get out and in.
Do not use the hammock alone. They’ve got to ensure you’re close by.

Should You Allow Your Kids to Play in a Hammock?

Toddlers shouldn’t play in hammocks. Older kids with established motor skills can utilize hammocks. However, they have to:

Not use hammocks without adults close by.
Know the hammock safety rules mentioned above.
Know how to safely get out and in of the hammock.

How to Safely Use a Hammock

For kids, you should not hang the hammock more than 2 feet above the ground. You should also not hang it above hazardous objects or terrain. This includes bodies of water, rocks, and slopes. You need to hang the hammock low to the flat ground to lower the dangers of injury from falls.
You’ve got to ensure you hang securely the hammock from sound and strong materials that can bear easily you and your kids’ weight in the hammock. This is particularly true if your kids are bouncing and playing around.
To ensure it can support your weight and your kids’ weight, examine the weight limit of the hammock.
Read the safety tips carefully and set up instructions before doing it if you have never set up your hammock before. Also, you have to check always your hammock and hanging gear for damage. This includes weakness, UV fading, fraying, holes, and tears. Patch tears and holes whenever you find them and replace weakened or damaged parts.
Every time you utilize the hammock, you have to examine the hanging points for stability and strength. For a simple and secure hanging technique that will not damage trees, you need to utilize tree-hugger straps. You’ve got to ensure they’re fixed properly to the trees and the carabiners are clipped securely.
Thin and young trees risk bend under the hammocks’ weight. On the other hand, dead trees can break easily. In addition to that, a dead tree has branches that can fall. Thus, you should always check the branches as well when selecting trees.
You should try wrapping your hands around the trunk to look for a durable tree with an appropriate width to hang a hammock. The tree is typically an excellent width if you can’t wrap your hands around it.
A durable and properly-assembled hammock stand on a flat surface will hold your hammock well if you are hanging a hammock in your yard. Else, you can search for durable trees when you want to hang your hammock outside. As we’ve mentioned, don’t hang your hammock from saplings, thin trees, or dead trees. The reason is that they aren’t strong enough to support pressure from the weight.
Think about securing the hammock to a ridgeline using a rope and a harness if you are worried about your kids falling out of the hammock.

Common Injuries and Risks of Hammocks

The most common hammock risks include injuries from falling out of hammocks. It is extremely dangerous if you install hammocks too high above the ground.

You have to install hammocks low enough to the ground. With this, people will not get hurt if someone falls out. In addition to that, hammock also has to be attached securely to strong anchor points. This will stop the hammock from dislodging and falling to the ground.

The tautness of the hammock can also define safety. Hammocks with more sag are safer to get out and in of. On the other hand, taut hammocks have higher possibilities of flipping over. It is ideal to let your children utilize hammocks without spreader bards. This includes Brazilian or nylon hammocks.

Don’t Leave Your Kids Alone

Never leaving your kids unsupervised around hammocks is probably the most vital hammock safety rule. While you might be in the vicinity or room, that is not enough.

Guardians or parents have to be alert when kids are playing around or in hammocks. Though it might interfere with your current task, it is well worth that you know that your kids are safely playing around it. Store the hammock away if you don’t want your kids to play around it.

Lifestyle

The Missing Piece in Self-Help? Why This Book is Changing the Wellness Game

Published

10 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Michelle Langton

Self-help shelves are full of advice — some of it helpful, some of it recycled, and most of it focused on “mindset.” But Rebecca Kase, LCSW and founder of the Trauma Therapist Institute, is offering something different: a science-backed, body-first approach that explains why so many people feel struck, overwhelmed, or burned out — and what they can actually do about it.

A seasoned therapist and business leader, Kase has spent nearly two decades teaching others how to navigate life through the lens of the nervous system. Her newest book, “The Polyvagal Solution,” set to release in May 2025, aims to shake up the wellness space by shifting the focus away from willpower and onto biology. If success has felt out of reach — or if healing has always seemed like a vague concept — this book may be the missing link.

A new way to understand stress and healing

At the heart of Kase’s approach is polyvagal theory, a neuroscience-based framework that helps explain how our bodies respond to safety and threat. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory has transformed the way many therapists understand trauma, but Kase is bringing this knowledge to a much wider audience.

“The body always tells the truth,” Kase says. “If you’re anxious, exhausted, or always in overdrive, your nervous system is asking for support, not more discipline.”

“The Polyvagal Solution” makes this complex theory digestible and actionable. Instead of promising quick fixes, Kase offers strategies for regulating the nervous system over time, including breathwork, movement, boundaries, and daily practices that better align with how the human body functions. It’s less about pushing through discomfort and more about learning to tune in to what the body needs.

From clinical expertise to business insight

What sets Kase apart isn’t just her deep understanding of trauma but how she blends that knowledge with real-world experience as a business owner and leader. As the founder of the Trauma Therapist Institute, she scaled her work into a thriving company, all while staying rooted in the values she teaches.

Kase has coached therapists, executives, and entrepreneurs who struggle with burnout, anxiety, or feeling disconnected from their work. Regardless of who she works with, though, her message remains consistent: the problem isn’t always mindset — it’s often regulation.

“Success that drains you isn’t success. It’s survival mode in disguise,” Kase explains. Her coaching programs go beyond traditional leadership training by teaching high achievers how to calm their nervous systems, enabling them to lead from a grounded place, not just grit.

Making the science personal

For all her clinical knowledge, Kase keeps things human. Her work doesn’t sound like a lecture but rather like a conversation with someone who gets it. That’s because she’s been through it herself: the long hours as a therapist, the emotional toll of supporting others, the realities of building a business while managing her own well-being.

That lived experience informs everything she does. Whether she’s speaking on stage, running a retreat, or sharing an anecdote on her podcast, Kase has a way of weaving humor and honesty into even the heaviest topics. Her ability to balance evidence-based practice with practical advice is part of what makes her voice so compelling.

Kase’s previous book, “Polyvagal-Informed EMDR,” earned respect from clinicians across the country. But “The Polyvagal Solution” reaches beyond the therapy community to anyone ready to understand how their body is shaping their behavior and how to create real, sustainable change.

Why this message matters

We’re in a moment where burnout is common and overwhelm feels normal. People are looking for answers, but many of the tools out there don’t address the deeper cause of those feelings.

That’s where Kase’s work lands differently. Instead of telling people to “think positive” or “try harder,” she teaches them how to regulate their own biology. And in doing so, she opens the door for deeper connection, better decision-making, and more energy for the things that matter.

As more workplaces begin to embrace trauma-informed leadership, more individuals are seeking solutions that go beyond talk therapy and motivational content. Kase meets that need with clarity, compassion, and a toolkit rooted in both science and humanity.

A grounded approach to lasting change

What makes “The Polyvagal Solution” stand out is its realism. It doesn’t ask readers to overhaul their lives but instead asks them to listen — to pay attention to how their bodies feel, how their stress patterns manifest, and how even small shifts in awareness can lead to significant results over time. Whether you’re a therapist, a team leader, or someone trying to feel more at ease in your own skin, this book offers a way forward that feels both grounded and achievable.

Rebecca Kase isn’t just adding another title to the self-help genre. She’s redefining it by reminding us that we don’t have to muscle our way through life. We just have to learn how to work with, not against, ourselves.

And maybe that’s the real game-changer we’ve been waiting for.