[blparent] New Member and Question about adapting things

[Melissa Ann Riccobono]

Hello GG,
I know others on this list have used, or still use, different types of
squeaky shoes. I never liked the sounds those made, so I buy regular shoes,
and attach bells to them. I've done this two different ways. For shoes with
laces, I have used Tie Keepers which were sold by Stride Right. I am not
positive they still sell them, as it has been a long time since I've
purchased any. These were bells that had two purposes. First, they were
bells, so I could hear my kids. Second, the laces actually fit inside these
bells, so they keep the shoes tied. They were great.
Of course, a lot of shoes are Velcro now, so the Tie Keepers don't work. For
Velcro shoes, I have purchased bells from Michaels or some other type of
craft store. They sell all different sizes, so you can find the ones you
like best. Then I purchase the smallest zip ties I can. I believe they are
two inches long. These can sometimes be found near luggage, as you can use
them to attach tags to bags. I've had more luck finding them in electronics
or hardware stores though, as they are often used to hold cables and cords
in place. The Zip Ties I get are very thin. I thread one bell through, then
either put the Zip Tie through a loop on the back of the shoe, if there is
one, or attach it to the top of the shoe somehow. This varies depending on
the shoe, but I have rarely found a shoe that I was unable to attach bells
to. I usually put one more bell on the Zip tie after threading it through
the shoe. I've found I can hear two bells more easily than one. Then I zip
the tie closed, cut off the excess end, and the shoe is ready. 
	There are tons of other ways to keep track of kiddos--ankle
bracelets with bells, a bell pinned to the back of the shirt, a full box of
Tictacs in the baby's pocket... And I'm sure others will chime in with other
methods. That's the best part of this list--getting all types of suggestions
and figuring out which ones work best for you. I love having so many tools
in my toolbox!

Oh, BTW, my kids are now 7, 4, and 2.
Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gloria G
via blparent
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2014 10:29 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: [blparent] New Member and Question about adapting things

Hi all,
I am new to this list and am happy to meet some new people. I have a little
girl who just turned 1 year on Saturday. She started walking a couple of
weeks before her first birthday and there are times that I would like to be
able to hear her when she is walking around the room instead of having to
always have my hands on her. I have heard some people talk about different
types of shoes that would make noise so that I would know where she was.
Does anyone have any idea of what these shoes are called and where I could
purchase a pear for my little one? Thank you so much for your help, and any
other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
GG
_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/melissa%40riccobono.us