[blparent] Re-Introducing Myself

Tue Oct 27 21:05:56 UTC 2009

I am one of those people who pinned a bell to the back of my daughter's
shirt.  It worked just fine because she couldn't reach it. V

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Melissa Ann Riccobono
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 1:54 PM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Re-Introducing Myself

I'm really glad you find these shoes helpful.  I have never looked at them
for my son because I think the squeaking would drive me crazy.  I also like
to go to a shoe store and make sure the shoes fit Austin correctly;
sometimes, due to different shoe styles, even two shoes that are the same
size don't fit quite the same.  It's really important to have a correct fit,
especially for early walkers.  My husband and I definitely need to keep
track of Austin though, so we attach bells to his shoes instead.  If his
shoes have laces I have bells called Tie Keepers from Stride Right Shoes.
These bells actually have a place to tuck the tied laces and a cap that
screws on.  This way the shoes stay tied, and the bells stay on.  It works
very nicely.  The other thing I've done a lot is to buy shoes with loops in
the back.  I got a bag os small bells from a craft store, and the smallest
Zip Strips I could find.  The Zip Strips are used either to attach tags to
luggage, keep cords from getting tangled, etc.  I simply attach two bells to
the loop on the back of Austin's shoes using a zip strip.  This also works
well, although the strips do not last forever and eventually they break and
the bells fall off.  Usually both sets of bells do not come off at the same
time however, so even if he has one shoe without bells he has another shoe
with bells.  The bells and zip strips are cheap enough that I don't worry if
a zip strip breaks and/or the bells get lost, as they sometimes do.  
	I've also heard of people who put bells around their children's
ankles, pin them to the back of a shirt, etc.  Just thought I'd share
another option than the squeaky shoes.  
	Again, I'm so glad to know that the squeaky shoes work for you, and
a lot of others.  That's the great thing about being a parent--there are
often lots of different ways to do the same thing and if you have other
points of view you can decide what will work best for you and your child.
Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Colleen Kozubowski
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 3:12 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Re-Introducing Myself

They have all different styles and sizes.  I don't know about boots - I've
never looked for those.  But they definitely have dress shoes.

Colleen

From: Nikki Fugett-Dobens <nfugett at cinci.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Re-Introducing Myself
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 11:38 AM

Colleen,
Hi.  It's nice to meet you.  My name is Nikki, and I'm from Ohio.  My
husband and I are both totally blind, and we have a 15 month old daughter
named Mackenzie.  That company sounds like it will be very helpful.  My
daughter is in full running and climbing mode.  She sometimes takes off when
she knows she's done something wrong.  Do you know if they have all
different styles and sizes? For example, soon we'll be looking for winter
boots or like dress shoes for church.  Again, nice to meet you, and thanks
for the tip.
   Nikki
----- Original Message ----- From: "Colleen Kozubowski"
<colleenkoz at yahoo.com>
To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 12:17 PM
Subject: [blparent] Re-Introducing Myself

Hi Everyone,

My name is Colleen and I'm a blind mom from Chicago. I was on this list
awhile back when I was pregnant and trying to plan. Then I fell off for
awhile. Now I hope to be back to stay. My daughter Claire is 18 months old
and her vision is normal, as is my husband's. My blindness is caused by LCA.

I hope to get advice from parents whose kids are older than mine and I'm
happy to offer 18 months worth of advice to those of you with babies. One
recommendation I definitely wanted to put out there is a company called Itzy
Bitzy. For those of you who have not heard of them, this is a company which
sells squeaky shoes for children.

These shoes have been a godsend for me since my daughter started walking.
They have little squeakers built into the heels that sound like dog toys.
They are a fantastic tracking device for busy toddlers. Claire has three
pairs and she wears them all the time. It's a perfect way for me to know
where she is and what she's up to at all times. Plus the shoes are really
cute - my husband has described them to me and people always comment on how
adorable they are.

The company was started by a woman who has a special needs child, so part of
the proceeds from the shoes go to help several foundations for children. You
can see the whole selection of shoes at www.itzybitzy.com.

I do have a question for the list. My daughter is getting to the point where
I need to start teaching her basic recognizable things. Letters, numbers,
animals, colors, shapes, etc. But I'm not sure how to do it. All of these
appear in her children's books, but those are pretty inaccessible to me. Any
suggestions?

Best,
Colleen

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