Chirp!:

    Wednesday, November 15, 2006

    Loosey Goosey

    What a FABULOUS experience at the Physio yesterday - I learned so much !!
    They were specialist Paediatric Physio's and they were just wonderful.

    Soooo .. nothing wrong with Master B. She measured him all up - legs the same length, hips even, gait good etc. Turns out all kids will have a limp at one stage or another ( or more often ).
    Muscles growing faster than ligaments .. all sorts of stuff like that ...

    His knock-knees are also normal for toddlerhood, and as your muscles tighten in your bottom and etc, your legs and hips push forward and out, thus creating a 'normal' stance. This usually sorts itself out by about 4yrs of age.

    She also showed me how to choose a good shoe ( Blunnies are OUT, peoples !! - no elastic sided shoes for the growing foot !! ). Also, the common-held theory that Clarks are the be-all and end-all is NOT true. Here are the 3 things to look for:

    - fixed firm closures ( velcros, laces, buckles, straps ). No elastic that allows the foot to slip'n'slide and do whatever the hell it wants..

    - Bend the shoe in your hand. It should bend well at the toe, and not be rigid and unflexible. It should also not bend in the middle, near the arch ( basically collapsing in your hand )

    - A closed heel should be firm and have a good degree of rigidity.

    - An internal shaped arch is fine if all other criteria above is met, but not essential. Studies/research shows that you are either born to have a flat foot or an arch, and that's about all there is to it.

    So hopefully that's all helpful to others. I found it all pretty interesting.


    My son also has a genetic condition known as 'Loosey Goosey'. Well, not really, but that's what the Physio called him :) He's really, really flexible, and while she was rabbiting on about how most people can only bend their this&that to this degree, loosey gooseys can do stuff to a more extreme degree, I lapsed into daydreamy state .. my son was ... like me ....

    I am so proud.

    I love the fact my husband ( from listening to her, I surmised he was at the other end of the Loosey Goosey scale .. a real tighty .. whitie !??!? ) will exercise and stretch and limber up, and can barely cross his legs, and I will do NOTHING and flip my legs into a full-lotus. I can also bend my thumb back to my wrist and a whole heap of other uninteresting party tricks that thrill only me.

    Hey - I was never good at sports or stuff, being bendy was pretty important to me !!

    She also gave me practical advice on toy-buying and activities. I really can't tell you how much I got out of this appt - I was almost transfixed. Climbing is good, Soccer is good ( kicking a ball using alternate feet build up even leg/foot strength etc ), bare feet are good ( yay - I rarely wear shoes unless going out, and thus, my son is the same ).

    So i'm really happy. I went there half-expecting to be told to get over myself and stop being so ridiculous, there's nothing wrong with my son ...

    I hate feeling like one of the hand-wringing worrisome mothers that I so often roll my eyes at myself ... ;)

    22 comments:

    Stomper Girl said...

    Thanks for sharing that shoe info, I am just about to get some more for my Big-Foot-Boy. Last lot of Clarks' shoes we bought fell apart: I'm wondering if they've been living off a reputation they no longer deserve?
    I always thought being a Loosey-Goosey would be cool. I'm not too bad, but I have to work at it.

    Michelle said...

    Thanks for the info - interesting.

    meggie said...

    Great info.
    Also good to know your son is quite OK!!

    As to the Clarks- I think they are made off shore somewhere & are now *crap*.

    LBA said...

    Loosey Goosey can also be bad apparently - like people without nerve endings burning their hands on the stove, 'Looseys" can also push the envelope and hurt themselves where other people have normal limits to stop such sillyness.

    Clarks aren't BAD, you just need to assess each shoe by these guidelines - some Clarks are good, others not so ... same with your Target cheapies, and your Designer Baby footwear.

    Glad to pass on some useful info !

    Anonymous said...

    That's awesome that your darling son is okay. It sounds like the Physio was awesome! It's so great to find someone who actually gives you good info instead of making fun of you.

    Anonymous said...

    So is "loosey goosey" another way of saying "low muscle tone" (as opposed to having tight muscles)? My daughter is low muscle tone and is extremely flexible..

    LBA said...

    Hi Em, no, not low muscle tone .. he's quite strong, and physically very active/toned for his age group.

    It's just a genetic thing that really means nothing except we are really flexible for no reason. Like some people are 'double-jointed' and etc, and some people are always going to be stiff and inflexible no matter what.

    It's more along the lines of eye colour and the ability to curl your tongue, fixed earlobes .. that kind of thing. Interesting, but that's about it ;)

    nutmeg said...

    What a great post. Thanks for all that shoe info, it is certainly a help. It sounds like Master B is definitely loose, but certainly not a goose :-)

    Anonymous said...

    Yes, being a bonafide loosey goosey myself, to an almost extreme degree, you'd think I'd be good at yoga. Actually, I often injured myself; they call it 'over-extension'. I had to give it up, and eventually took up weights, instead, to tighten the muscles a little.

    Also a problem in pregnancy, due to further ligament softening, I was kept under close scrutiny, they were convinced my hips were going to dislocate (which I was born with).

    But I am bendy, baby, and, like you, proud of it.

    Hey, the shoe info was illuminating.

    My float said...

    Such good news about master loosey goosey.

    I have never had any trouble with Clarks, to be honest. I bought the boots and they've been brilliant. Also a pair of Osh Kosh which are much loved, Nikes and Adidas. Did she recommend any particular brands? Or did she say just to look at those components and find the shoe that fit them, rather than the brand? (Complicated question, I know!)

    I wish I was a bit loosey goosey, let me tell you. I'm in the middle, not too lose, not too tight. So to speak!

    caramaena said...

    Thanks for the shoe info. I immediately went and had a look at my son's new summer sandals ($20 from Big W or Target, I can't recall exactly). Anyway, they fit the bill according to your list - phew!

    I've tended to go for the Grosby kids range. They appear a little more sturdy than some of the others in the cheaper range, but have that sueded leather on the insole (so I'm hoping they're comfy too). Shame to hear about the blunnies though, I was kinda hoping to get him a pair next winter. Oh well...

    I used to be quite flexible - I used to be able to sit down and flip my ankle around my neck. I've lost that flexibility now, but I can still do the lotus position quite easily though.

    caramaena said...

    heh, pushed publish too quickly.

    I also meant to say - I'm glad to hear the limp is nothing!

    Anonymous said...

    I also have had a fair bit of experience with pead.physios and you are right they are so informative.Wonderful news about your son - that is great and thank you for the feedback on the shoes. Unfortunately my 13 mth old isnt even crawling (hence visits to the pysio)so by the time she walks Im sure I won't give a damn what shoes she wears!!! She is also incredibly flexible!!Congratulations on your little loosey goosey!

    muser said...

    Thanks for the shoe news. we're blunnies people here because of the snakes. Perhaps I should look at the alternatives.

    Anonymous said...

    Hi there, glad everything is okay, it's difficult not to worry about our little ones. My kids always wore Start Rite , don't know if they are available to you but I know that at least some of the styles comply with the those recommendations

    Bec said...

    The fact that you can even recognise a hand-wringing worrisome mother persona while still "only" on your first child speaks volumes for your good sense!

    I don't think I really got it until much, much later!!

    Bec said...

    ps - I'm bendy too. and I love it for exactly the same reasons you do!!!

    Gina said...

    Good on you for going with your instincts. Never hurts to check. I learned that one early. Interesting on the Clark's thing. My hubby, being English, swears by them. And hey, I'd take a loosey goosey over a tighty whitey any day.

    Damselfly said...

    Thanks for the shoe tips.

    Loosey goosey is the preferred medical term, right? :) My pedi used the term "cutie patootie," or however you spell it.

    Anonymous said...

    I've just discovered Bett's Kids shoe shop and love their shoes. Fit all your mentioned requirements, are far more stylish than the old Clarke's, and are a reasonable price. My girls both had clicky hips so we went through lots of those visits and braces and stuff and now, you would never have any idea!

    Pendullum said...

    Could maybe helpful for my sister in law who wears her 6 inch high heels on the beach...
    as my daughter is nine and fully into sesible shoes... unlike my sister in law...

    Wes said...

    I am, unfortunately, a Tighty Whitey as well. That is so cool that he is so flexible!

    We had to have a physio for our first kid when he was young as well. I'm glad that it wasn't the drama you thought it might have been!

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