Heelys / Roller Shoes - Yes or No??

[Miss Jasmine]

Lucky for you, not so lucky for me. The only injury I ever got at WDW was caused by a kid with heel wheels.


Respect for others be damned, give what your kids what you think is best.

With the shoes come rules. Parents can parent.

 

[Mike.Wazowski]

I agree with Boo's Mom, and I don't think it's necessary to call people "stupid."

I read that she reffered to the STATEMENT as stupid -
not the person -
please don't twist words to be mean.

 

[mom23boys]

My DS (7) has them. He rolls all over with them. I do tell him when not to, like if there are too many people or in crowds. But he wears them all the time.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

If God wanted you to roll from place to place, he'd have given you wheels instead of feet.
I find them obnoxious!

If God wanted us to drive, he would have given us built in wheels. If God wanted us to fly, he would have given us wings. If God wanted kids to play baseball, he would have made their arms shaped like bats and their arms like gloves. If God had of wanted us to go to Disneyland or Disney World, he would have created the castle instead of having a day of rest.

Instead, I'm under the impression that we have brains so that we can think up these clever (or not so clever, depending on your view) inventions.

Buy them for your kids if you want., If not, don't. But I don't think that God (for those that believe in God) not giving us wheels instead of feet has anything to do with it. And for the record--my kids don't have them. Not saying they won't ever, but they don't yet.

 

[Honu]

The Heelys fad is pretty much over here, thank goodness. Sorry, but I agree with the obnoxious statement. When they were big, I saw very few kids that used them responsibly. They are banned from most schools here too.

 

[bananiem]

Ok, did anybody else just notice the 4 ads at the top of this page for Heely's?

 

[bananiem]

Lucky for you, not so lucky for me. The only injury I ever got at WDW was caused by a kid with heel wheels.


Respect for others be damned, give what your kids what you think is best.

Oh for pete's sake! I got my toe run over by a stroller once that an older sibling was pushing. BAN ALL STROLLERS!
A foul ball hit me at a baseball game. BAN BASEBALL!
I opened the bathroom door to quickly at the clinic yesterday and hit somebody on their way in. NO MORE BATHROOM DOORS!

 

[CheshireVal]

I hate the darn things. Kids don't pay attention where they're going, they start gliding along too quickly... right into someone else.

Irritates the heck out of me when I have to constantly dodge these kids at the mall, Disney, or anywhere else.

 

[janey99]

These are prohibited at DS's grammar school, and my ped. was quizzing me last week about my "position" on heelies (I can't stand them). According to her, she has seen a huge increase in broken wrists and dislocated elbows in the under-14 set from wearing these shoes and falling down.

Even if you or your kids are NOT the ones wearing them, they are annoying - I've been shopping many times where some kid with no skills is careening around smashing into people - they're a menace!

 

[PghLybrt]

Kids wear them into my stores all the time...Please leave them at home! Its already hard enough on us waiting on the customer. Now we have this to worry about. I already ran into one kid and spilled what I was carrying all over myself. You can't bring your skateboard, bike or scooter into stores then why on earth would people assume that these are acceptable? You have to take responsibility as to what might happen to other people.

Now for at home, at the park or on the sidewalk...no problem.

 

[Southern4sure]

Life is like a game of dodge ball, your bound to get hit eventually.

I'd rather get hit by a Heely kid then by a Mack truck.

 

[debster812]

Well, the Heeleys have been banned around here from:

Schools
Church (for CCD)
Indoor soccer facility
YMCA

So I'm not really sure where you could use them, except at the mall, grocery store, etc, where they are TRULY annoying.

Added to that, earlier this year, there was a tragedy in my town. A 12 year old was getting his mail from his mailbox, was struck and killed by a passing car. He was wearing Heelys. Now, it was deemed 'inconclusive' as to whether the Heelys contributed or not but we won't be getting them for DS any time soon.

 

[Feralpeg]

I don't like them but it is because I've seen them worn in places they shouldn't be worn by kids who don't care about their effect on others.

I see them all the time at DTD and WDW. Even though they are not supposed to be worn there, no one stops them. I've seen numerous accidents because of them. I had a kid hit me and knock a drink out of my hand. I was lucky I didn't end up on the ground.

I don't blame the shoes. I blame the parents who don't supervise how their children behave wearing them.

 

[MoniqueU]

My oldest daughter has had like 3 pair. She is a whiz on them but she annoys me with them and always sneaks them on when we are going to the store. I bought some for my youngest daughter, she never could get the hang of it and took the wheels out. They are the best darn sneakers she owns though. Really rugged.

 

[JerseyJanice]

My 9 yo son is on his second pair, and so far--knock wood--we haven't have any visits to the Emergency Room because of them.

When he first wanted a pair, I was freaking. He broke an arm in gym when he was 7, and I was fearing the worst with him having wheels on his feet at all times. He kept asking for them, I saw other kids in them, and I thought they were an accident waiting to happen.

He continued to insist on getting a pair, and it got hard to say no watching him day after day on his in-line skates, bike, scooter, and skateboard, so what could I say? He's an athletic kid so I hoped for the best.

He does not walk around most of the time with protective gear on. Heelies are sneakers when the wheels aren't out, so wearing protective gear is a tough thing to enforce.

FWIW, he's been wearing them for almost two years now without incident. Best of luck that your kids experience the same OP.

 

[Nancy]

So some me of the kids are really good at using them. So what? It doesn't help the folks they dart around in crowded places where they have no business riding them. Most kids do not have the maturity to know when NOT to use them.

The parents need to teach the kids where to use them. I personally am tired of telling kids they can't skate up and down the front end of the store just because it has lots of room and it's fun!

I do know if my kids were younger and wanted them, they would not be worn to stores or school, they would be used as skates for fun and recreation.

Case in point: my last trip to Toronto we were in a nice rest. Kid was zipping around in the place while his parents said nothing. The waitress said to him (after almost tripping over him) "Oh you were here yesterday, I remember those sneakers). Parents just smiled.

Edited to add: "what ads? I don't have any ads at the top of my pages.

 

[Daxx]

I blame the parents who don't supervise how their children behave wearing them.

Thank you from a parent who does supervise her heely'd son! Thank you for recognizing that it's the parents responsibility to control their childrens actions!!!!

Daxx and I control WHERE and WHEN our kid heelys. He knows when it's allowable and when it isn't. He knows that he cannot heely in Wal-Mart or Target just as he knows he cannot heely in a crowded area. He mainly heelys up to the mall (from the parking lot) and back to the car. He knows he can heely in my school (after hours, when students are gone) and he knows he can heely when Mom and Dad say it's OK. He knows to ask before he heelys around.

And, yes ... he's always w/an adult, so he has to get approval from them. Our malls do not allow kids to wander around w/o parental supervision.

Don't blame all kids w/heelys ... blame the parents who don't control where/when they heely. Some of us parents DO care about the rest of you!!!!

BTW -- I've told him that heely's have been banned at WDW and he's not allowed to have them there.

I could say a WHOLE lot about you parents with out-of-control stroller habits, but I'll refrain.

 

[Hockeymommy]

Another hockey parent here. Both my son and daughter play and both have a pair. I'm sure they are more proficient on the Heelys than their own bare feet. I do think it's easier for kids that already skate to get used to them. My daughters friend tried them for a couple of hours and never got them.

I too see kids all the time being reckless with them. However, I have to say it's all up to the parents to make and enforce the rules!!!

As for the earlier poster that stated if God wanted us to roll he would have given us rollers instead of feet ( or something to that effect). All I can say to that is : How do you get to WDW? Do you fly or drive? I don't think God gave you wings or wheels; did he? Just remember that there are many different ways to get around and if kids want to roll with some Heelys then so be it. At least they are getting some physical exercise instead of sitting in front of some video game for hours on end!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I want a pair. I believe kids can be taught when it is proper to use them. I have seen many kids with Heelys and I have never had a bad experience with any of them (including at WDW).

Anyway, as parents it is up to us to determine what is best for our children.

A women truly after my heart... I want a pair, but my DH might disown me. I figure if this is my midlife crisis, so be it. Of course it may land me in the hospital.

I do solemnly swear, on my DISboard addiction, that if I ever get Heely's I will not use them in crowded places.

 

[auntpolly]

I saw so many at WDW last weekend! All over the place.

Not really a problem - didn't get bumped into once - it's just kind of funny to me when people flaunt the rules like that . But no skin off my nose, as they say, and as long as it's literally no skin off my nose I could care less.

I would have bought them for DD had she wanted them - she never was a roller blader or a roller skater so I bet she wouldn't have wanted them.