healies - Page 2

[Christi]

I used to work in a restaurant. I had a kid ram into me with a tray of food in my hands. Luckily I was close enough to a table I just kind of set the tray down hard. I only spilled some of the drinks.: the parents didn't even say anything: : I was so angry. Now my former employer doesn't allow them in the restaurant.

[Stinkerbell]

I dont think they are anything like skates. They are one wheel embedded halfway into a whole sole. Much much easier to balance and to recover from a mistake.

Yes, they are dangerous. But I dont think they are less of a risk than, say, trampolines, with proper rules. It also depends on the kid. My very athletic and agile hockey player does phenomenal in them.

As for ankle and arch support? yeah, thats bad. They are not sneakers, perse, they are toys. And should be worn as such.

[gsd1amommy]

And I was knocked ass over appetite when I came to the end of the aisle of the dollar store by a kid wearing these. Lucky for him my 12 week old was sleeping at home, in grandma's arms and didn't come with me. I would have been holding my baby. The kid's grandma was like, " he's just not very good with those yet." I was floored and said, "ya think!" I was pissed.

[loriforeman]

i can't stand them.

of course, i couldn't use them if i tried...it's impossible for me to lift my toes off of the floor that way. i roller skate with the best of them...regularly...but somehow, throwing all one's weight on the heel and forcing the toes up just doesn't seem to me to be healthy for the feet.

[JessicaS]

I hate those, dd asked for some and I said no.

I see kids with them on at all sorts of places, at the store and such. It's ridiculous.

[lucky_mia]

One of my students was hit by a car and killed while wearing them. They said it was just and accident and the shoes were not to blame but I don't think they really know that the shoes did not play a role. Even before that incident the students (middle schoolers) were not allowed to use them at school.

[funkygranolamama]

Originally Posted by abimommy

I hate those, dd asked for some and I said no.

I see kids with them on at all sorts of places, at the store and such. It's ridiculous.

good for you!

[InaX5]

My children loved them (I found a cheaper brand), they have had a great time & they don't drag along slowly on the walk to school. I had them practice in the house until they got a hang of it. they fell a bit, but not much. Maybe because they all skateboard (yep even my youngest) they adjusted well to the heelies, just guessing. Kids get injured walking, you teach them safe behaviour & that's the best you can do. Sometimes I think todays parents are to overprotective. I had one stranger tell me off as she walked by my yard because the children were climbing a tree. This used to be a normal thing to do. I'd rather my children play hard & scrape a knee then sit & watch t.v all day
As for kids bumping into others in a store or resturant, well that's just bad parenting, I make them pop the heels in if we are in a store or something.

[kblackstone444]

Originally Posted by lucky_mia

One of my students was hit by a car and killed while wearing them. They said it was just and accident and the shoes were not to blame but I don't think they really know that the shoes did not play a role. Even before that incident the students (middle schoolers) were not allowed to use them at school.

Originally Posted by InaX5

Sometimes I think todays parents are to overprotective.

I bet that child's parents wish that they were more overprotective.

[Nature]

I am not overprotective. However, I looked at the shoe. I looked at the warnings. I looked at the ratio of injuries that have already occurred from wearing them. And I decided the risk of having the "cool" shoes everyone else had was not worth it. I told my daughter no.

Her bio dad bought her not one, but TWO pair for christmas that year.:

She wore them to my house once, and put them on without me knowing. Then she went to take out the trash and fell down the third floor stairs. 18 steps of head over feet. She was not allowed to wear them over here again. I don't even want to look at them.

[Onemagicmummy]

my DS1 is 5 and has not asked for any but if he does he not getting em. im sick of getting bumped into by kids in heelys. a few days ago i was walking past a family group with 3 girls all in heelys and i was almsot wacked in the bump by all 3 as they "heeled" off down the street. if they had of hit me i would have had summat to say about that.

i heard a while back (xmas i think) a kid ended up in a coma from falling while using heelys. he toppled backwards and hit his head.

might be wrong tho

Kiz

[1xmom]

Originally Posted by InaX5

Kids get injured walking, you teach them safe behaviour & that's the best you can do. Sometimes I think todays parents are to overprotective.

The problem I see though is that there are too many kids who are not using them safely and "whizzing around" in stores and such. Look how many people have said they've been bumped into and such. Some parents may seem overprotective, but apparently not enough parents are teaching their children to wear them responsibly.

[kblackstone444]

Originally Posted by Onemagicmummy

i heard a while back (xmas i think) a kid ended up in a coma from falling while using heelys. he toppled backwards and hit his head.

It was on the news about two weeks before my stepdaughter's Mother got her hers. I remember it because I used it as an example when I blew up about it!

[littleteapot]

I wouldn't let my kid Rollerblade or skateboard inside a store, restaurant, mall and especially without safety gear.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND what makes parents think it's okay to let their kids use these things without proper gear. Because other people do it?....

Sure my kids could have them -- if they wore safety gear just like with ANY OTHER wheeled personal transportation.

[prairiemommy]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

They were banned from Michael's school because the manufacturer's recommendation is that you always wear a helmet with them. Michael asked once, I said no, and he didn't pursue it, thank goodness.

Yup they've been banned most public places here too.

I also remember reading an article that they are very bad for the developing foot b/c of the way it has to be flexed (toes pointed up). It's just not a natural position to hold for so long. Wish I had the link still.

ETA - not the original article that I read but still mentions it:

Dr. Dominic Catanese, a foot specialist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, said balancing on heels can strain feet and Achilles tendons. He has treated several Heelys-related ankle injuries and won't let his 7-year-old daughter have the shoes.

Rest of the article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/paren...ers/index.html

[hubris]

Heelys bring out the 80-year-old curmudgeon in me. Any time my path is crossed in the grocery store by a rolling pre-adolescent I feel like growling about how "back in MY day..." and "I would never allow MY children..." etc etc!

Just the other day I was asking my DH if my feelings about them are logical, or just a knee-jerk silly thing. I don't mind outdoor use but they seem unsafe to other shoppers when used inside stores, and as somebody has already mentioned, if roller blading/skating isn't allowed inside grocery stores, why is Healy use ok?

[becoming]

We saw a kid wearing them in a restaurant this afternoon. I was talking to my husband about how dangerous they looked, and about that time, he fell and hit his head on a chair. He looked to be about 7 or 8 years old.

[LynnS6]

Ok, I get why they're dangerous in stores or indoors, but I have a hard time getting upset about them outside.

Luckily our ds thinks they're scary (he's got lousy coordination) and doesn't want a pair. I don't think he ever will. We'll cross the road with dd when we get to it.