Re: Toddler Is Rejecting FAB -- Won't Sleep -- Need Help!!!

[Guest guest]

t, the only thing that I can think of that may explain his

sudden refusal to wear the FAB is the width - have you recently

checked that the width is still okay for him? The inside edges of

the shoes (while attached to the bar) should be roughly equal to his

outside shoulder width. I know that when Owen begins to get restless

with his FAB, it's usually time to widen his bar.

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/04 (until age 4)

>

>

> Hi folks. Our son Max has been a great patient up until recently.

>

> Now he is walking/running and very active -- and has just begun

> fighting us when we put the FAB on -- crying, pulling his feet out,

> kicking, pushing, you name it. Once they are (finally) on, he just

> won't settle into sleep. Last night it was from 8 p.m. till 11:30

> p.m. of tantrum like behavior. We finally just took them off --

and

> he slept beautifully the rest of the night. This is the second

time

> in 2 weeks we have had to resort to removal. And . . . he has been

> very wakeful for the last few weeks (up 3-4 times per night).

>

> We will schedule a fitting to be sure we are okay with the size,

but

> I strongly suspect this is about not wanting to be restricted.

>

> Any good suggestions from experienced parents out there?

>

> Our prior routine was storytime while putting them on -- my DH

would

> read while I put them on. Max has a mild case of bilateral CF and

> never required a tenotomy. Still, we are really worried that if he

> continues on this we will not be able to comply with the treatment -

-

> and we hate to risk it.

>

>

> Thanks for your suggestions!!

>

> t

> Mom to Max (almost 15 months old -- and expressing his opinion very

> well)

[Guest guest]

I would definitely check and make sure everything is fitting okay.

will sometimes get fussy about his shoes and it's usually due

to the shoes getting too small, the bar getting too short, etc.

Occasionally though, he is just testing us. You cannot give into

him. Even at this young of an age he will realize that he can be the

one in charge of shoe wear. You have to make sure he realizes YOU

are the one in control! is 3 years and 2 months. He can pull

his feet out of his shoes anytime he wants to, but he doesn't unless

he's in the middle of a tantrum and wants to prove a point of

something. But then they go back on a few minutes later after he's

had a chance to calm down. He is also rather strong willed. My

first child was the easy going one. But it's something we have never

allowed him to rule. If he won't cooperate he loses something that

really means something to him like his blankey goes up in the closet,

he doesn't get to go do something that he has been looking forward

to. We also had to make him a believer to be able to use these

tactics. Never make threats you can't or won't keep. I have left

restaurants due to behavior, etc. He knows if I say it and he

doesn't follow it will happen. I have also talked to him showing him

pictures of what his feet used to look like and how they will look

that way again if he doesn't wear his shoes. And if that happens he

won't be able to be down playing during the day and he would have to

ride in a stroller all the time, etc. Be strong and he will come

around to realize. In 3 years and 2 months we have never missed one

night in the shoes (Mabybe a few hours here or there just not a full

night). Good luck, I know it can be very difficult sometimes.

Pam and (8-12-01)

>

>

> Hi folks. Our son Max has been a great patient up until recently.

>

> Now he is walking/running and very active -- and has just begun

> fighting us when we put the FAB on -- crying, pulling his feet out,

> kicking, pushing, you name it. Once they are (finally) on, he just

> won't settle into sleep. Last night it was from 8 p.m. till 11:30

> p.m. of tantrum like behavior. We finally just took them off --

and

> he slept beautifully the rest of the night. This is the second

time

> in 2 weeks we have had to resort to removal. And . . . he has been

> very wakeful for the last few weeks (up 3-4 times per night).

>

> We will schedule a fitting to be sure we are okay with the size,

but

> I strongly suspect this is about not wanting to be restricted.

>

> Any good suggestions from experienced parents out there?

>

> Our prior routine was storytime while putting them on -- my DH

would

> read while I put them on. Max has a mild case of bilateral CF and

> never required a tenotomy. Still, we are really worried that if he

> continues on this we will not be able to comply with the treatment -

-

> and we hate to risk it.

>

>

> Thanks for your suggestions!!

>

> t

> Mom to Max (almost 15 months old -- and expressing his opinion very

> well)

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your suggestions!

> >

> >

> > Hi folks. Our son Max has been a great patient up until

recently.

> >

> > Now he is walking/running and very active -- and has just begun

> > fighting us when we put the FAB on -- crying, pulling his feet

out,

> > kicking, pushing, you name it. Once they are (finally) on, he

just

> > won't settle into sleep. Last night it was from 8 p.m. till

11:30

> > p.m. of tantrum like behavior. We finally just took them off --

> and

> > he slept beautifully the rest of the night. This is the second

> time

> > in 2 weeks we have had to resort to removal. And . . . he has

been

> > very wakeful for the last few weeks (up 3-4 times per night).

> >

> > We will schedule a fitting to be sure we are okay with the size,

> but

> > I strongly suspect this is about not wanting to be restricted.

> >

> > Any good suggestions from experienced parents out there?

> >

> > Our prior routine was storytime while putting them on -- my DH

> would

> > read while I put them on. Max has a mild case of bilateral CF

and

> > never required a tenotomy. Still, we are really worried that if

he

> > continues on this we will not be able to comply with the

treatment -

> -

> > and we hate to risk it.

> >

> >

> > Thanks for your suggestions!!

> >

> > t

> > Mom to Max (almost 15 months old -- and expressing his opinion

very

> > well)

[Guest guest]

t--

We recently went through a similar period with our son Jonah, 16 months. He

suddenly began really fighting having his shoes put on, would push at the bar

and say: " I want my walks off! No walks! " over and over and over and cry(he

calls all shoes " walks " ). It was really very heart-wrenching. Even though he

speaks very well, he doesn't understand yet, but we kept telling him that he has

to wear his shoes to help keep his feet straight. After a few nights of the

crying--and winding up crying with him--I started not putting them on him until

he had fallen asleep. This worked very well for us, I don't know if it would

for you too. He did wake up wimpering a few time about his walks, but didn't

seem any more restless than ever.

After about a week of waiting for him to go to sleep first, we reintroduced the

FAB along with his pajamas and talked about how neat it is and how much it is

helping his feet and that wearing it is non-negotiable. Also, I have been

having him wear it for a couple of hours during the day when he is up and about

and playing so that he is more used to the sensation of moving around with it

on. So far he has been fine and has started to call the FAB his " straight feet

walks " .

Hope some of this helps you too.

Best,

Naomi

The Family

Naomi Hannah Jonah(06/20/03, bilateral clubfoot, FAB 14/7)

strangefruitblues strangefruitblues@...> wrote:

Hi folks. Our son Max has been a great patient up until recently.

Now he is walking/running and very active -- and has just begun

fighting us when we put the FAB on -- crying, pulling his feet out,

kicking, pushing, you name it. Once they are (finally) on, he just

won't settle into sleep. Last night it was from 8 p.m. till 11:30

p.m. of tantrum like behavior. We finally just took them off -- and

he slept beautifully the rest of the night. This is the second time

in 2 weeks we have had to resort to removal. And . . . he has been

very wakeful for the last few weeks (up 3-4 times per night).

We will schedule a fitting to be sure we are okay with the size, but

I strongly suspect this is about not wanting to be restricted.

Any good suggestions from experienced parents out there?

Our prior routine was storytime while putting them on -- my DH would

read while I put them on. Max has a mild case of bilateral CF and

never required a tenotomy. Still, we are really worried that if he

continues on this we will not be able to comply with the treatment --

and we hate to risk it.

Thanks for your suggestions!!

t

Mom to Max (almost 15 months old -- and expressing his opinion very

well)