Shoes on the Wrong Feet

[ltr]

My DS is three and a few times when I have picked him up from his school, his shoes have been on the opposite feet. Upon arriving every morning, the children change into slippers for the classroom. The last activitiy they do is go outside, so they put their shoes back on for that. I appreciate the independence in having my son put his own shoes on, but I wonder about him tripping and stumbling around on the playground because he put them on the opposite feet. He will occasonally put them on the wrong feet at home, but I point it out to him so he can switch them to be on the correct feet. Should I mention something to his teacher? I know they have 17 other kids, but I also worry that this is a safety issue for my son.

[momto l&a]

My kids walk just fine with their shoes on the wrong feet

Even if i point it out they say its ok and never bother to change them

[Lillianna]

It's funny, even though there is a fifty/fifty chance of getting the shoes on the right feet, some kids always seem to mix them up. I read that the arch is not fixed in the feet until sometime in the 5th year, so the child really doesn't feel the difference. It wouldn't hurt to mention it to the Directress, she can guide him to find the right shoe/foot combo.

[arwenevenstar]

My son used to do exactly that and they wouldn't "correct" him as it kind of defeats the object of him trying for himself. I got over the issue by putting coloured stickers in his shoes. his red sticker was for his right foot and the white for his left. He only then needed to recall from sight which foot he normally put each one on. It seemed to work! Just a thought, that way you are giving independence without too much interference!

[ltr]

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback. I think he gets excited to be going outside and doesn't always pay attention. The sticker idea sounds great.

[Amigos]

mine too!!

Hi, OP, My children have all gone through this too. I have personally decided that childrens feet grow at different rates. Depending onthe shoe the shape may be more comfortable on the wrong feet. That is what my middle child always said. By the time they are 5 or so they outgrow this. But all 4 of mine have done it.

[Ellien C]

Not a Montessori mama, but my 3 yo consistently wears her shoes on the wrong feet. She just seems to think they go that way or they feel better that way. Once I started pointing it out, she became very concerned about the right feet - like asking is this the right foot and you had to turn around a look and she had to SEE you doing it and then she had to ask for the second foot as well, and she had to see you look.

I've stopped correcting her. Maybe we'll try the stickers.

[chekhovgirl]

At our school, where I work, we don't tell them to fix their shoes, but we may say, "Are your shoes comfortable on those feet?" Sometimes they say no and realize that they should fix it and sometimes they say yes and don't think twice. If they're comfortable then we leave them alone!

I did see a child that had a certain brand a shoe where there was a picture of an animal half inside one shoe and half inside the other so when they put them next to each othe the right way they could tell if they had them correct, same idea as having a sticker though!

[smeep]

Ah, the memories of having shoes specifically for class. I love Montessori.