by Mike Mitrevski
“What challenges do parents have when sending kids with SMOs or AFOs back to school after summer break?”
Three of our Surestep educators—Anne, Camille, and Katie—have decades of combined experience as certified pediatric orthotists, and have helped plenty of parents during summer appointments before school restarts in August or September
To help your family feel prepared for the year ahead, they shared helpful back-to-school tips for you and your kids in six categories. Check them out:
We designed it for your baby’s comfort—and to be easy for parents to use. You can even open and close it with one hand while you’re holding your baby!
An appointment before school starts allows time for your orthotist to:
But schedule it sooner rather than later—even July isn’t too early!
Orthotist offices get busy in August and September. If your child has grown, new braces can take weeks to manufacture.
If your kiddo has worn braces a little less during the summer, what do you do?
In the weeks before school starts, gradually reintroduce braces to your child’s daily routine.
You can dig up the break-in schedule your local orthotist first gave you, if you need to.
Or make your own, starting with these guidelines:
Then, bump the time periods up by an hour each day—or have more short sessions per day—to let their feet adjust.
Be sure to check their skin for irritation or blisters, too. Remember, to protect your child’s skin in general:
Some skin redness is a normal reaction to good, well-fit braces. But if you see a blister, bruises, or red or purple marks, give your child a break and call your orthotist for an adjustment.
If your child is moving into a new classroom or school, make time to talk with their teacher and other caregivers. Here are a few resources and tips you can share:
Be patient! School staff will be on your child’s team for the long-term. They want what’s best for them, and will become more comfortable with AFO or SMO braces over time.
Most kids love recess, and yours might be starting a new gym class too. It may be helpful to talk to the P.E. teacher—or anyone else who needs tips about braces during playtime:
If your kiddo needs any ideas on how to talk to other students who ask questions about braces, focus on what the braces let them do. “I love to run fast, and these help me.” “I love to run and play on the playground, and these braces help me not to fall as much.” Some of our patients have also called them “magic shoes” or “magic boots.”
AFOs and SMOs might be new territory to your child’s educators. So, give them the best ways to reach you if they have any questions, and how soon they can expect an answer.
They’ll want to know what to do when your child has a problem—and how to detect it. The three orthotists told us this:
If your school has a communication app, they can share photos, questions, and other messages with you directly. This will keep all of it in one handy place.
Some parents have written books about their children’s “magic shoes,” or orthotic braces. They’re perfect for helping kids understand braces.
Teachers could even read them in front of the class…or you could be a guest parent who reads a book to your child’s class.
Below are some examples to check out. (These are non-sponsored Amazon links, but feel free to find these in your own search engine.)
The goal of these tips is to empower your kiddo to keep growing and developing. With caring adult helpers and great-fitting SMOs or AFOs, your child will be able to focus on friends, play, and learning.
School staff want to help, but they need knowledge, resources, and your feedback. Be patient with them, and they’ll become a great part of your child’s team!
If you have your own tips, drop by our Facebook or Instagram pages to share them with our Surestep community!
Shop Surestep Shoes for Back to School