How can I help my child with their brace?

How can I help my child with their brace?

Regularly wearing the brace gives your child the best chances for success. But it can be challenging for children to wear the brace for so many hours a day. These tips can help parents ease the process of brace wearing:

• Make it fun: Play with your child when they’re wearing their brace. Do gentle exercises and kicking games. Use the bar to help bend and straighten their knees.
• Make it routine: After the first three months, your child will only need the brace during nighttime and naps. Make the brace part of their sleeping routine. They’ll understand that going to sleep means wearing the brace.
• Add a pad: A soft pad on the metal bar makes the brace more comfortable for your child and yourself. It also has the benefit of protecting furniture and appliances in your house.
• Avoid lotion: Creams or lotions can make skin problems worse. It’s normal if your child’s foot has some redness on it. But blisters may mean the heel is slipping out of the brace. Makes sure to firmly strap on the shoes, so the foot doesn’t slip. And check your child’s foot frequently to make sure blisters aren’t forming.
• Prevent slippage: Sometimes, the foot keeps slipping out of the brace. Make sure the strap is tight. Double socks may also help keep the shoe firmly on the foot. A physical therapist can recommend other steps to make sure the shoe is snug on the foot.