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Original poster

Heelys for five year old good or bad idea ?

43 replies

LilyLoo · 04/03/2007 11:08

Just wondered if anyone's dc's got them. Are they easy enough for five year old or am i in danger of making numerous visits to a+e. Just that my DS really wants some after seeing older friends cousins with them. But been reading some negative reports.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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misdee · 04/03/2007 11:09

no no way for 5 year olds. get the ones that strap on.

loads cheaper.

dinny · 04/03/2007 11:09

oooh, want to get dd some for her 5th birthday, watching this thread with interest.

dinny · 04/03/2007 11:11

link, please, Misdee

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

5 year olds Behaviour & development General parenting
VioletBaudelaire · 04/03/2007 11:12

They take a while to get used to, and I think a 5 yo would struggle, tbh.
I would recommend ordinary skates or inlines before tackling heelies!

Original poster
LilyLoo · 04/03/2007 11:16

Already has ordinary skates and to be fair he can't do them thought these might be slightly easier?

OP posts:
emat · 04/03/2007 11:16

dd got them the summer she turned 6. They took her 3 days to get the hang of. I'd say that if your ds has good balance he should be ok but better to wait a little and avoid too many falls.

TinyGang · 04/03/2007 11:16

My dd(8) tried some on in a shop at christmas.

She immediately fell flat on her back in the shop and nearly had a Christmas display over. That told me all I needed to know

Decided to give them a miss. I have five year olds too and they fall over too often as it is!

emat · 04/03/2007 11:17

dd was completely rubbish on her ordinary skates. Couldn't do them at all but these are much easier because you can stop very quickly without falling.

RustyBear · 04/03/2007 11:17

I'd think 5 is too young - many of the children at our junior school have trouble with them - they're not allowed during school, but lots of mums bring them for them to go home in. One Y3 recently came down pretty hard zooming round the playground while waiting for his older brother.He came in for first aid & his mum was sitting there watching me patch him up & saying "oooh I think they are so dangerous" She then let him go out still wearing them.....

hercules1 · 04/03/2007 11:17

Never. Seen too pmany kids using them and they look really hard to walk on and would much rather my child be getting some exercise by walking around.
Nothing wrong with roller skates though.

Original poster
LilyLoo · 04/03/2007 11:34

Agree not suitable for school and he loves football so don't think he would wear them all the time when he playing out r/e exercise. Am i right in thinking there different ones ie two or four wheels?

OP posts:
Original poster
LilyLoo · 07/03/2007 10:50

Anyone else any advice. Especially from anyone whose DC'S have them at this age? Thanks for other comments

OP posts:
katelyle · 07/03/2007 11:08

My dd(11) and my ds(6) both have them and they love them. DS was 5.5 when he got his, and took a couple of days to get used to them, and he's not a child with particulaly good balance. They don't wear them if they are going to be doing a lot of walking and they are no use if they are not on pavements or hard surfaces, but I think they are brilliant. I'm much more worried about DS on his scooter - he's lethal on that! DD wears hers practically all the time - ds doesn't because you can't play football in them!

Nbg · 07/03/2007 11:09

Don't know about them but they're in Netto this week for £19.99 if your interested.

Piffle · 07/03/2007 11:09

a lad got run over with them a few weeks ago

Twiglett · 07/03/2007 11:10

I thought that they were bad for children of any age in terms of bad posture needed to move them putting strain on soft tissues and lack of control

I wouldn't even contemplate them

dejags · 07/03/2007 11:11

numerous visits to a&e.

these things are the bane of my existence.

Enid · 07/03/2007 11:12

I think they look great fun but my sporty 7 year old had trouble with them

wouldnt contemplate them for a 5 year old

dejags · 07/03/2007 11:12

Our doctor's surgery actually has a notice asking parents not to buy them for their children because they cause so many injuries.

They are also banned in a lot of shopping centres in South Africa.

Enid · 07/03/2007 11:13

ours says that about trampolines

dejags · 07/03/2007 11:16

eek Enid. We have a trampoline. Our DS1 is ok but it's a deathtrap for DS2 and hardly gets used as a result.

At 7 months pregnant, I think I exceed the weight limitation , so I have an excuse not to go on with him. Hardly been used for the last six months as a result.

Twiglett · 07/03/2007 11:17

puts undue stress on back according to this specialist akin to ladies in high heels

Twiglett · 07/03/2007 11:21

not to mention the appalling misuse of the rules of making a singular into a plural when it ends in a 'y' .. which for me would be more than enough reason to avoid them like the feckin' plague

Soapbox · 07/03/2007 11:21

They are fun, not much different to roller skates or going ice skating. There can lead to injury but so do a lot of exciting things in life and I'm not about to stop my children doing exciting things on the off chance they might get hurt (within reason of course)

dejags · 07/03/2007 11:27

Agree Soapbox about the fun factor.

However, it seems that they cause a lot more injuries than regular rollerskates (perhaps because one wouldn't be tempted to rollerskate on a busy street/shopping arcade or whatever).