Ice Hocky

If he truly is pigeon toed when. It in skates, he will not outgrow it at this point. Should have been corrected as a baby.

What does his pediatrician say?

I was born with clubbed feet - turned all the way in and flipped under so my soles faced up, very much like a golf club - and had corrective surgery as an infant to correct it...which it did, but I still turn in a lot as an adult. That said, my surgeon suggested to my parents when I was about 7 that I try skating as physical therapy - because the skating motion forces you to turn out to push off. I ended up skating competitively through high school and coached through college and a few years after. Yes I still turn in when I'm on dry land, but on ice I don't...and maybe I'd be that much worse if I'd never skated.

All that to say that as long as he's wearing skates that fit (don't size up in skates...I know it seems like a waste of money when they grow out of them so fast, but skates should be snug...you're in MN so hopefully there are skate exchanges at your rink) then the basic skating instruction he should be getting in forward and backward sculling (aka "swizzles"), gliding, balance etc will teach him the muscle control needed to get the right turn out to push off the inside edges and skate.

I'm going to guess that not everyone "outgrows" it or we wouldn't see pigeon toed adults walking around, would we?
Mention it to your ped next visit.

they don't always outgrow it. if they were pro-nated in the womb, their feet grow that way and corrective shoeing is needed from birth. my older boy is severely pro-nated, even after intervention, but it hasn't stopped him from playing sports and being very athletic.
what does your pediatrician say?
khairete
S.

Yes.
As kids grow it's common to go back and forth a few times between feet turning in and turning out.
It generally settles down to normal around 8 or so years old.
Most do out grow it - a few don't but you'll notice if there are continuing gait/walking problems - watch him when he walks, runs and jumps.

Is he actually pigeon-toed, or just on skates? If just on skates, he will improve and gain balance straight footed as he practices. It might happen quickly, or take a year or more. He's only 5 after all.

If he is pigeon-toed bare feet and walks that way, it is an orthopedic medical issue that may or may not be corrected. Consulting with doctors is what you need to do in that case.

M.,

I wore braces as an infant and then wore special shoes until I was five or six. It helped but did not entirely resolve the problem. My feet still turn in slightly, and it's more evident when I'm tired.

I was on the ice from a young age, too (not hockey, but figure skating) and also played several sports, participated in gymnastics, and was a cheerleader for 7 years. My feet did not seem to hinder me in this regard.

However, I will say, I am very clumsy in my day to day activities. I'm not sure it's entirely because of the way my feet are, but I've been like this as long as I can remember.

I would not wait to see if he outgrows this, because the longer you wait, it may be more difficult or even impossible to correct. You should definitely talk to his pediatrician and have him evaluated. It may be something minor, but maybe there are things that could be done to improve his situation. There's no way to know until you have him checked.

Good luck with this.

J. F.