keep the babes barefoot!

[judybean]

I feel like I'm always trying to get my friends with younger babes to TAKE OFF THEIR BABY'S SHOES! Little ones Do Not Need shoes! Now booties? that's like a shirt and can be totally, totally cute

But hard-soled shoes!? *especially* for wee ones? That's really one thing that drives me batty.

I came across this link today and loved it Then again, I love being barefoot (and, honestly, I found quite a bit of it fascinating after reading about the foot 'issues' we all have on the 'five things' thread!)

/thus ends soapbox on being barefoot.

[darkpear]

I know! My mom is obsessed with buying baby shoes, too. I tell her we won't use them, but we have a million pairs anyways, and nary a soft sole among them. Moira's only had socks on once or twice, and shoes never, though we do footy PJs at night.

I am curious what die-hard barefooters do about things like hot pavement, glass and fire ants, though.

[mariposita]

Originally Posted by judybean

I came across this link today and loved it Then again, I love being barefoot (and, honestly, I found quite a bit of it fascinating after reading about the foot 'issues' we all have on the 'five things' thread!)

too freakin' weird. i looked at that website today too! i'm als a lover of bare feet.

[Panthira]

I'm beginning to think this DDC is foot obsessed.

Every step is painful for me (not that it stops me!), so I'm ultra sensitive right now. I have tendonitis and plantar faschiitis, or some crap, in my feet. I'm supposed to be binding them up and wearing inserts, but it's hot and the binding makes my feet sweat (yuck!) and it's hot, so I want to wear sandal, not freaking inserts! The foot doctor says going barefoot is the worst thing I can do.

Sorry to hijack the thread!

Kids should definitely not have their feet stuck into hard shoes.

[judybean]

Originally Posted by Panthira

I'm beginning to think this DDC is foot obsessed.

That's really funny.... probably because it seems so true

(and did you know there's a barefoot tribe? ... and yes, that's where I got the link )

For hot sidewalks and other hazards, I make the girls wear shoes. I feel that's far more important in that type of a situation.

... Funny thing with shoes though.... Katherine NEVER wore shoes the first year -- much to the chagrin of well-meaning grandparents who bought matching shoes with various outfits : ... anyway, after that I gave the a-okay for shoes, but only certain ones. My mom found some cute sandals with soft soles for Katherine to match her Easter dress (and match Madeline's shoes) -- and Katherine was TERRIFIED of shoes!! She would seriously start crying even if she just *saw* them!!!

She isn't afraid of shoes now, but still is leary of new shoes

[allnaturalmama]

Yep, this is another one of my baby's health hobby-horses, hence: this guide.


I got some of my info from that link, actually, Judy

[judybean]

Jen -- awesome! I totally thought of your guide while reading that link (maybe because I'd heard it somewhere before... )

The whole article actually got me thinking beyond LuLu's little toes and to the feet of our entire family!!

While it's impossible to not wear shoes during the winter (um, snow! and -50! not condusive to barefootedness), I'm really thinking our house should become shoe-free... but.. maybe that's another post

[oliversmum2000]

oh

i just bought the cutest tiny pair of sof little shoes for sophie - they are soooo cute - really - pleeeeeeeease!!!!

[kofduke]

Luke occasionally wears soft-soled shoes, but that's it! Aaron only wore them until his child-care provider told me that becuase of regs, because he was outside so much, he at least needed regular shoes for that time of day.

[aisraeltax]

i cant stand shoes in the house! i have a sign on our door (coming up from the basement, which is where WE enter, since our garage is attached to our basement). the sign has a pix of our house and a statement "help keep our home clean...please remove your shoes". lol!
granted, this is not on teh front door, but i wish i could bring myself to put one there too! i make all kids take their shoes off but adults...well, i cant even get dh too!!!

i would NEVER put hard soled shoes on E now that i have learned what i read here and in that link. ds2 has inserts in his shoes due to some health issues he has (he has low muscle tone, scoliosis, etc.) and now i am rethinking that. he's had them for years, though, and it seems to hvae helped correct alot of his sciolosis and he seems to run with his feet straighter b/c of it, so im not convinced yet that his inserts are not medically necessary.

i have some really cute shoes that i had for ds1 and ds2 (you know, the stuff you keep when you give everything else away for your kids). i couldnt bring myself to put them on E. i hvae the most adorable pair of Keds that must be size 0...they are about 2 inches long! i tried to put them on him once in the beginning and threw them back in the drawer! im not stuffing his feet in shoes!

luckily, when shooshoos went out of business, i bought a bunch of shoes so he's set for at least 2 years.

[IncaMama]

ava hasn't worn any shoes yet...oh wait i did put on a tiny pair of pink soft soled uggs on her once. : omg cute. but other than that, nothing yet.

[birthjunkie27]

My MIL bought Samara a pair of really thick hard soled gym shoes when she was JUST born! Of course I returned them to the store (she buys everything at WalMart, so I can return stuff even without the reciept ).

I haven't clicked on that link yet to read up on WHY shoes aren't a good idea. I just had a feeling hard gym shoes on a newborn weren't the best idea.

Rach, I am so with you on no shoes in the house thing...but it becomes so hard in the summer with the little ones running in and out all day. Our new carpet is already trashed.

[aisraeltax]

ds2 has shoes with velcro most of the time so its easy for him to take them on/off...and once you implement the rule, kids are really good at following it (even my ds1..at 15 makes HIS FRIENDS take their shoes off). everyone just knows to drop their shoes at the door when they come in. yes, i have shoes at the bottom of my stairs and in the front hallway, but i can sooo tell a difference upstairs when they forget (very rare, but does happen).
of course, dh always wears shoes in the house. but, in light of everything else, thats the least of my problems!!! lol!

[atozmama]

If you like barefeet children, check Parents for Barefoot Children.

I too have the curtest pair of baby sneakers from my parents that will never be worn. My children are barefoot or in socks for warmth until they need protection from rough surfaces. Though sometimes I almost feel guilty or something seeing all the babies out in public dressed down to their shoes, like I am some neglectful parent or something.

[atozmama]

Originally Posted by birthjunkie27

Our new carpet is already trashed.

Ours is too, though I think ours is as much from food and drinks being carried and spilled all over. 2 things for that....My sister is obbsesive about washing feet everytime her kids and mine when they are there come in the house. Mabey a box of mainstream baby wipes by the door would be good for this. Thing 2..My neigbor who has as many kids as I do has really clean carpet. I asked her about it and she vaccuums all the time (that I can hear-we are in townhouses) and every time she does she spays the carpet with Woolite Oxy Deep Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner before vaccuuming. Of course one needs to find the carpet before doing that which is hard to do in our house

[Panthira]

We don't wear shoes in the house. My DH is from Canada and his whole family finds it absolutely disgusting to wear shoes in the house. I kind of do too, unless your feet are dirty, then I would rather slippers or socks in the house.
One of my best friends thinks it's gross not to wear shoes in the house. I don't get him on that one, except his feet are NASTY (stinky) and he can wear shoes in my house anytime!

Owen has one pair of hard-soled shoes for hiking. Otherwise I bought Gucios, and Wiggies (I like those best) that have a bottom sole, but are still soft and flexible. What do you do when they grow out of soft-soles? They only go so big...

[PatchPixie]

Ugh! I am not crazy about shoes in the house - but I am not that adamant about it either - we rent and the carpet isn't that great anyhow... HOWEVER my father came over one day this spring to see Fin - and he NEVER takes his shoes off. We are sitting on the couch and I kept smelling gasoline. I asked him if he smelled it and he's like, " Yeah, i was filling the mower and i spilt gas allover my shoes." Um, thanks, Dad.:

[hottmama]

joshoes.com sells soft-soled shoes up to 6 years. My 3.5 yr. old still wears Robeez- he is a 9.5 and wears 2-3 years Robeez. He also wears other shoes- he has some fake Crocs which are very flexible and slip on, and 2 pairs of flip-flops which he loves wearing to be like mommy. In the winter he wore chucks which are pretty flexible but with a rubber sole, and in rain/snow he wears boots but takes them off in favor of bare feet, socks, or robeez when we go inside anywhere.
I like flip-flops and crocs because he takes them off EVERYWHERE in favor of bare feet. In the car, at playgroup, at the park, the pool, even in restaurants and stores. This winter I am going to try and keep both kids in soft-soled shoes as much as possible, as long as it's not wet or icy out.
My partner has flat feet so I am worried more about Luka's feet than Julian's and I have said he will be barefoot/in soft soled shoes exclusively until at LEAST 2, if not 3.

[hottmama]

Oh yeah, and Luka is almost always barefoot or in socks, but he did get a pair of soft-soled shoes as a gift and we put them on him sometimes when they match his outfit and we are going somewhere.

[Turtlemum]

I never knew there was actual evidence to back up the no shoes suggestion for children but I instinctively couldn't bring myself to put shoes on Scarlett unless they were like Robees. My sister recently gave us a hand me down pair of hard soled sandals and they just seem like they would be uncomfortable...especially for crawling around and sitting when their poor little feet get stuck under them etc.

PS Also being from Canada I was shocked when I found out people actually wore shoes in the house (I think I read about it in an Anne Landers colum)! No one where I am from would dream of wearing shoes in anyones house even if it is a 'dress up' party or something...maybe it is because of the snow in the winter?

kelli