On bowleggedness (because it's come up)

Let me first go on the record as saying that no, I do not think Evangeline is seriously disabledly bowlegged. I'll tentatively agree that she may be more bowlegged than many children her age, but I do not think she's out of the normal range for a group of people (toddlers) that tends towards bowleggedness already. And anyway, neither her parents nor her doctor nor my mother see a problem with this, and I assume the doctor, at least, has seen enough kids to know if there's a problem. Could be wrong there, could be wrong.

But for the curious, here's a list of possible causes for serious (not toddlerhood-induced) bowleggedness:

Genetics - some families tend towards bowed legs. This is mostly harmless and nothing to be done about it.

Rickets. Evangeline gets adaquate calcium and vitamin D. Additionally, she doesn't have any other symptoms.

Blount's disease. I do not believe that the baby suffers from this, but if she did, there presumably would have been nothing we could all have done to prevent it.

Fluoride intoxication (no link). Well, I guess that's possible, but it seems unlikely to me. None of the other symptoms, as near as I can tell from these unreadable sites.

Now you probably know more than you did. I know *I* certainly do!

I suspect that the only reason anybody has brought it up to me at all is because of the fact that Evangeline is up on my back/front/hip a lot. Except that, as I keep pointing out to people, people all over the world, throughout history, carry their babies like this. If being worn were a legitimate cause of bowleggedness, you'd see a heck of a lot more of it.

So, to sum up - I refuse to mention it to her parents until that second birthday. If the kidlet turns two, and she's still got this bowleggedness going on, I'll ask them to ask the doctor about it. Until then, I don't want to hear a word. From anybody.

(But before and after pictures of kids who were bowlegged between their first and second birthdays but aren't now? I'd love that. Just so I can go SEE! SEE! at folks.)

And, for a real child-related-rant....

Folks, let's just ask a simple question.

Let's say that there's someplace you really want to be - a dog park, a playground, a classroom, a bathroom, a fenced yard... whatever. Point is, in order to get inside, you have to open some sort of gate or door. So you open it, and you go inside. Or maybe you're leaving, so you open it and go outside.

When you've done this, do you...

[Poll #992256]

I'm hoping you all answer correctly! Now, let's say you're going in, and the place is just *full* of rambunctious critters who are liable to escape - and you have one too! Assuming you picked anything other than the correct answer before, can I assume that you at least care about your own critter's safety and will properly close the door/gate behind you?

[Poll #992257]

Because we all know that when doors and gates are left open, and dogs and children escape, it's never the fault of the people who kept walking in and out and in and out and re-opening that damn door or gate!!!!!

What should I do when I see this going on?

[Poll #992258]