Twinkle Toe Shoes cause epileptic seizures?

[Wishing on a star]

Good Job OP!!!

However, to handle a complaint about shoes, as a personal complaint against your daughter (while dozens of other kids wear the exact same shoes)..... I have to say, like the above poster, I would probably not be so gracious.

I hope the whole issue is ironed out schoolwide/district wide very soon!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Thanks, I don't want to look like a dork!
My daughter also had the old version of the light up shoes when she was a toddler. When VP said new issue, I think she was referring to how this brand has become really popular this past year & no previous complaint had ever been made until the one my daughter received. These shoes do blink a lot more than the older style light-up shoes. But, I still stand with my opinion that you do not see the lights if you're not looking at the feet (unless you're in the dark).

Even so most schools around here banned lighted shoes 10+ys ago. Honestly, I am surprised your school allows them in the first place.

In order for them to not allow the shoes, it has to be a district wide ban, which honestly is the norm.

So I would expect that to be pushed up on the agenda shorty.

 

[jrmasm]

Even so most schools around here banned lighted shoes 10+ys ago. Honestly, I am surprised your school allows them in the first place.

In order for them to not allow the shoes, it has to be a district wide ban, which honestly is the norm.

So I would expect that to be pushed up on the agenda shorty.

Not banned here. And Silly Bandz were banned on a school by school basis in our district last year. I guess it all depends were you live.

OP, I would have been really ticked by the story the VP told you. Your daughter and only your daughter is banned from wearing the shoes because someone said they might cause a problem? Surely I misunderstood because that's ridiculous. I can see banning them because they're a distraction but not for that line of crap you were fed.

 

[smb6]

I would have been upset also. Light up shoes are allowed here and they should be clear if they are going to ban something like that.
As a parent of a child who was diagnosed with epilepsy and has done a fair amount of research- suggesting light up shoes would cause a seizure is highly unlikely. A teacher flickering the light switch to quiet the kids would be more likely to cause a problem than light up shoes- and that is pretty unlikely too.

 

[mamacatnv]

The VP said she could wear them but try not to every day???
That makes no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[bumbershoot]

To me it sounds even more obvious that it's a student in her classroom. And that's why she is the one receiving the request to not wear them, because they aren't going to cause a problem in the other classrooms.

I also stand by my statement that they are loud and bright and call your attention to them, even when they aren't blinking. So a person whose health cannot handle the blinking is going to have their eyes drawn to the shoes, and then if the shoes start blinking it could be a problem.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Unless the Superintendent gave me an official document, I would ignore their request and thereby forcing the child with the issue to take care of the problem.

If this is a "real issue" for a student then it has to be done anyway. I would just force the issue.

Other kids are going to buy shoes in the class and then next it will be assemblies, field trips, etc...

Everyone knows in the public school it is all or nothing. It is what it is.

 

[Becky2005]

The VP said she could wear them but try not to every day???
That makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Exactly!! Now this makes NO sense whatsoever -- if the original reason given was the reason not to wear the shoes, it would make absolutely NO SENSE to be able to wear them just can't wear them every day.

I'm pretty sure just from reading this thread alone, the seizure and/or migraine issue isn't a "built-up" issue -- that OK...as long as they don't see flashing lights 3 days in a row it's OK but you hit that 3rd day and THEN it will be the trigger.

Sounds to me it should be an all or nothing issue for a medical reason so just by the fact that she said she could still wear them just not every day, makes me think there is definitely some completely different issue with the shoes (i.e. someone is mad that your child is wearing them and theirs isn't!).

Putting it on the same level with peanut bans -- our classrooms that ban peanuts don't say "Oh, you can have peanuts occassionally, just not every day" -- NOPE...not happening. It's you can NOT have them at all, end of discussion.

 

[C.Ann]

Here is what she said:
There had been a complaint about my daughter's shoes because there was concern about epileptic student(s). There was concern a health issue could occur from shoes. The shoes had not caused any health issues when she wore them.
I do not know if complaint was from a parent or a teacher, but it was not from the student.
--------------------------------------------
My DD does Safety Patrol in the morning & afternoon car line where she opens & closes the door for students. I now have the feeling that maybe a parent saw her wearing the shoes in car line last week & complained about them. That would explain why DD is the only student to have received a complaint..

How would a parent know your child's name just by seeing her in a car line?

Sounds as though there is a medical issue in your child's classroom.. For me, that would be enough reason for me to have my child not wear the shoes to school.. Health/safety first..

 

[Wishing on a star]

The SCHOOL is the one responsible for the health and safety of all children.... One individual child should NEVER have the burden of another child's safety placed on their shoulders... NEVER.

And, to ask one individual parent, to deny their child, what dozens of other children do every single day....

The whole idea that they should only protect this other child from one specific pair of twinkle toes... which happen to be your daughters... Totally and completely ridiculous.

I would let my kid wear the shoes loud and proud....
(and my own personal take is that I wouldn't even have bought twinkly shoes to begin with)

The school is making absolutely NO sense with this.
None whatsoever.
I would NOT allow my child to be singled out and to have to accept any tiny burden of blame. No way would I place that weight on any child's shoulders. No way.... No how....

A blanket policy of "These shoes are no longer acceptable, per dress code", that would be wonderful....

But... "so sorry honey, you personally, not anybody else but YOU, can't wear these shoes because they might kill another student..."
There isn't a word or smiley icon strong enough...

Many here know how I feel about this kind of thing...
And this is a very clear example of a school or educator crossing the line and jerking parents and kids around.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Putting it on the same level with peanut bans -- our classrooms that ban peanuts don't say "Oh, you can have peanuts occassionally, just not every day" -- NOPE...not happening. It's you can NOT have them at all, end of discussion.

Exactly.
And, it's not, other kids can have peanut butter and eat it in front of you... but YOU, singularly, alone, have to forego peanut butter, and YOU are responsible for doing this, because YOU singularly are responsible for little Betty Lou's health....

 

[Hannathy]

How would a parent know your child's name just by seeing her in a car line?

Her DD is in 5th grade, by 5th grade you tend to know all the kids and if you don't one of your friends knows who it is if you describe them.

The VP asked her just not to wear them everyday-yeah that sounds like I can't really tell just you not to wear them and I don't feel like just telling the bossy parent I didn't do it so I'm wimping out all around and asking DD "not to wear them everyday" so I can go back to bossy parent and say I asked her......

 

[C.Ann]

Her DD is in 5th grade, by 5th grade you tend to know all the kids and if you don't one of your friends knows who it is if you describe them.

The VP asked her just not to wear them everyday-yeah that sounds like I can't really tell just you not to wear them and I don't feel like just telling the bossy parent I didn't do it so I'm wimping out all around and asking DD "not to wear them everyday" so I can go back to bossy parent and say I asked her......

Could be.. But - when it comes to kids, I'm a sucker.. Can't help it.. It's not a hill I would choose to die on when it comes to school..
Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion - that just happens to be mine..

Maybe by next year they'll have a school-wide policy in place.. As evidenced by teachers on this thread, they definitely seem to fall into the category of a "distraction"..

 

[mickeysgal]

The VP asked her just not to wear them everyday-yeah that sounds like I can't really tell just you not to wear them and I don't feel like just telling the bossy parent I didn't do it so I'm wimping out all around and asking DD "not to wear them everyday" so I can go back to bossy parent and say I asked her......

That's exactly what it sounds like. He/she's trying to sit on the fence and trying to keep both sides happy.

How is it ok to wear them sometimes, not just everyday? That's a half answer that doesn't make any sense at all. Either it is a health threat or it isn't. My view on this whole issue changed on that comment alone.

It's starting to sound to me like it's really a distraction to someone (students, teacher, etc) and they thought it would be easier to get immediate compliance if they just label it a health-threat.

 

[monsterkitty]

I can see that this did start in the school pick-up/drop-off lane. A parent sees your daughter's shoes and contacts the office worried about the effects of the lights on his or her child. The administration looks to see which child has the shoes in question and asks the school nurse for clarity. The school nurse then contacts the OP.

I also think that the assistant principal is not buying that the shoes can trigger a migraine or seizure, so to pacify both sides until a district-wide ruling can be made, asks the OP to not let her daughter wear the shoes every day.

I do not see this as an attack on the OP's daughter, but rather one parent saw the shoes and panicked. It is quite possible that once the parent saw the shoes on the OP's daughter, the tunnel vision came out and they focused only on these shoes, not others who were wearing them. Maybe it is a child who is newly diagnosed with seizures and the parents are over-reacting at this point. I do not believe that the OP's daughter is being singled out as an attack. She must be a very good student and a leader or she would not be helping with the drop-off/pick-up lanes.

OP, who handled this whole thing with grace and calmness. The teachers, staff, and administrators respect you for this.

 

[onescgirl]

How would a parent know your child's name just by seeing her in a car line?

Sounds as though there is a medical issue in your child's classroom.. For me, that would be enough reason for me to have my child not wear the shoes to school.. Health/safety first..

A parent would not have to know my child's name to make a complaint. Say if parent did see DD in car line. All parent has to do is go in school (or call) and tell nurse, I saw a Safety Patrol wearing light up shoes & describe DD. With only 3 girl SP, it would not be hard to figure out.
Car line or not, someone saw my DD's shoes somewhere & complained.

I can see that this did start in the school pick-up/drop-off lane. A parent sees your daughter's shoes and contacts the office worried about the effects of the lights on his or her child. The administration looks to see which child has the shoes in question and asks the school nurse for clarity. The school nurse then contacts the OP.

I also think that the assistant principal is not buying that the shoes can trigger a migraine or seizure, so to pacify both sides until a district-wide ruling can be made, asks the OP to not let her daughter wear the shoes every day.

I do not see this as an attack on the OP's daughter, but rather one parent saw the shoes and panicked. It is quite possible that once the parent saw the shoes on the OP's daughter, the tunnel vision came out and they focused only on these shoes, not others who were wearing them. Maybe it is a child who is newly diagnosed with seizures and the parents are over-reacting at this point. I do not believe that the OP's daughter is being singled out as an attack. She must be a very good student and a leader or she would not be helping with the drop-off/pick-up lanes.

OP, who handled this whole thing with grace and calmness. The teachers, staff, and administrators respect you for this.

My thoughts EXACTLY!!! Thank-you!!!

 

[Melisande]

Twinkle toes do not trigger my migraines but the lights on cop cars, fire trucks ,etc do trigger migraines. I often wonder how they affect seizure patients with the way they affect my migraines. However I am pretty sure the EMS crew is not going to change things for me.

That being said I say let her wear them and tell the school since there is not a shoe light ban you dont see the issue so they can officially ban all light up shoes or stop showing prejudice to your child. These shoes barely light up and other shoes light up much more.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Edit: Going to read more of the thread before I post.

 

[SandrA9810]

Edit: Going to read more of the thread before I post.

Good Luck on that, it took me a while just to catch up 20 pages ago.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Warning- this is a vent!

This is our 1st week back to school (5th grade)
I received a phone call yesterday from our school nurse asking me to bring another pair of shoes to school for my daughter because there was a complaint about her Twinkle Toe Shoes bothering them.
She said the lights on her shoes could cause migraines or epileptic seizures in a a child that has epilepsy.
I said, I wish I knew that before I bought them. These are the shoes that my daughter wanted for the new school year & they cost $43.
The more I thought about it, the more upset I was because she's worn them several times, I don't have my receipt to return them, and I now have to buy a new pair of shoes.
I told the nurse that I don't want to put any child in harm. Was the complaint legit from someone in her class or is it just a child passing her walking down the hallway. Because in a lighted area, you only notice the lights if you're looking at her feet. I couldn't understand if a child is just passing her to just look ahead & not at her feet.
The nurse said she couldn't give how the complaint came about or any information.
I have a hard time imagining another child complaining about lights on a shoe. But, then, I don't know much about migraines or epilepsy. I'm wondering if it was bothering the teacher & not child?
My question is, do any of you have children that this would bother or know someone that it would.
I'm trying to figure out if it could be legit & I need to be more compassionate instead of mad that I have to go spend more $ on shoes.
Here is the picture of her shoes if you don't know what Twinkle Toe shoes are. They are the "it" shoes for girls this year. I took this picture on my kids 1st day of school. They have lights on them that flash when walking.

Whether it is a child or an adult, those shoes 100% could trigger a migraine. Severe migraine can leave a person in terrible agony, including temporary blindness, vomiting, and excruciating pain. This can last more than 24 hours even after a hospital visit. I do not know if your case was precautionary or due to an existing issue. Hopefully you will know that soon.

(To all the teachers out there, I really feel sorry for you having to teach in a class with these type of shoes. Perhaps you could send those children home with a nice gift, such as an air horn.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGp21uw77c0 Twinkle toe shoes on you tube.