To think DD aged 5 is too young for Heelys?

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

DDs have been given some Easter money by Dh's mum and he wants to take them to buy some Heelys.

Neither of them have ever asked for these....they are 8 and 5.

I don't want them to be on Heelys and think the 5 year old is too young. DD1 is old enoug at 8 but she's not that physical a kid...she'd rather spend it on Lego or something I think....she's remaining open minded.

Im irritated at DH (who I think wants the bloody Heelys himself tbh) as he's just foisting his own ideas on the kids' Easter money!

Now...DD at 5 is gangly and skinny...I don't like the idea of her staggering around on wheels!

Plus the knee and elbow pads and helmet we'll need are going to need more money!

[CocoNutter]

Yanbu. Why on earth does your DH want them to have them if even they don't?!

[HollyBerryBush]

I want heelys!

I think it depends on balance, the wheel is only in the heel, so they have total control - I think they are fun - but only you know whether your children have balance or not I don't have any natural grace or balance

[Catbiscuit]

My brothers friend at school didn't stop on his heelys and we t into the road in front if a car. Dangerous things!

[SecretLindtBunny]

I hate Heelys.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been barged by a child using them.

I honestly think they are dangerous.

[almostanotherday]

My DS broke his wrist on heeleys

[almostanotherday]

Heelys

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

My friend's 8 yo DS broke his leg really badly wearing Heeleys. (At the Eden Project.) I think they can be more dangerous than roller skates.

[frogspoon]

Out of interest, for those of you know someone who did injure themselves, what protection were they wearing at the time? I don't think Heelys are any more dangerous than normal roller skates when worn with the correct safety protection (helmet, knee, elbow, wrist).

The problem is that they are designed as everyday trainers, and you wouldn't wear that kind of protection for everyday walking. Kids also treat them like everyday shoes. If you were wearing roller skates, you definitely would not wear them inside, and would probably only wear them in the garden or at the park. Certainly not by a busy road with cars.

However OPs post is irrelevant, if your DCs don't want Heelys they probably won't really wear them and they will be a waste of money.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

I don't think the 8yo was wearing any protective gear. I think they had fallen into that trap of thinking the Heelys were just glorified trainers. But, TBH, knees pads wouldn't have saved his broken leg. All wheeled toys come with risks, but Heelys seem much harder to control than proper skates.

[almostanotherday]

My DS was using them for walking but one of his shoes caught the heal/wheel on un flattered paving and he just fell back and landed with hands down as you do. I'm guessing the wheel did not go back into place properly.

[CocoNutter]

Surely they're less stable than roller skates, just because the child's body weight will need to be be slightly backwards in order for the roller heel bits to work, whereas on roller skates / roller blades the weight is forward?

[thegreylady]

heelys are dangerous lots of documented accidents :(

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

In order to walk in Heelies you put your forefoot down first , so you aren't properly using the heel, achilles tendon or calf muscles. It's a stamping, equinus gait (like a horse)

Try walking about like this a while and see just how unstable and uncomfortable it is.

And a boy crossing the road was killed because he panicked and tried to walk normally and couldn't.
Poor lad

[YouTheCat]

Heelys are dangerous and bloody annoying in supermarkets/shops/busy areas.

Get some lego. Lego is only dangerous if you stand on it.

[InvaderZim]

I hate them. They were ostensibly banned at the primary school I worked at, but kids would wear them or change into them after school hours. And nearly run into things all the time. Hate. Them.

[AnameIcouldnotthinkof]

My DN (7) broke his leg very badly whilst on Heelys. He had knee pads on but it wasn't enough.
He was avoiding someone coming the other way and he just lost his balance and landed badly on his leg. It was in plaster for 5 months all together.
They are very dangerous and I wouldn't buy them for my DCs.

[frogspoon]

Would you also not let them go ice skating, roller skating, skateboarding, scootering, skiing or snowboarding? I don't think any of these activities are any less dangerous, the only difference is that people think of them as activities in which you need to be careful. Whereas people regard Heelys as regular trainers which just happen to have wheels on the back.

I know several people who have had accidents doing one of the above activities. Most had fairly minor injuries, but some were just unlucky (like your DN) and had much more serious injuries that required surgery and months to recover. I also have a friend who slipped on a spilt drink and broke her leg so badly she suffered nerve damage, however this will not stop her from ever stepping foot in a bar again, it was a freak accident!

[Fraggle3112]

I worked in a costa coffee shop when heeleys first became popular, the number of times a child wearing the bloody things ran into me whilst carrying a tray of hot coffees its a wonder no one got hurt! We banned them in the end it was just too dangerous! Ever since then I've hated them!

[piprabbit]

Not only are they uncomfortable and dangerous, they are also an outdated fad which has long been replaced by other trends.
There is not one child in our area who still uses Heelys, depsite them being popular a couple of years ago.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

The difference is that you probably wouldn't roller skate or scoot around a shop etc. People don't take heely safety seriously.

[Facebaffle]

Both my Dd's have had Heeleys in the past and loved then. Neither has been involved in any sort of accident and they didn't war knee pass etc. We were sensible in where they were allowed to wear them.

That said, I don't see the point in buying them If they've never expressed an interest.