Children’s Shoes – A Key Component Of Your Child’s Physical Growth!

This issue has been on my priority list ever since I became a day care provider. I was truly surprised at the approach parents had toward their child’s footwear. The vast majority of children were wearing hand me downs, with little regard to the affect this was having on their child’s physical growth.

It used to be part of the “mother’s code” to never settle when it came to your child’s footwear during their early formative years. Your child had to be fitted professionally so they had the best support for their correct physical growth.

Properly fitted shoes play an important role in how your child’s walk develops. Your child’s foot bone structure and walking comfort play an important role in the way their body develops.

A child needs

1.Proper support.

2.Adequate growth room

3.A style that is compatible with the width and depth of their foot.

4.Frequent evaluation on size. Their feet tend to grow before the rest of their body. Attention to adequate length should be revisited ever week after the first two months.

Clues your child may give you

1.Refusing to put on their shoes even though they were happy to get dressed.

2.Their visibly pushing the toe of the shoe forward or extending over the sole of their sandals.

3.Throwing their foot to the side of the shoe as a reaction to the lack of space.

4.Because feet can swell as a reaction to heat, they may try to take them off after some time outside, actually stop walking/playing or even cry. We had one child stand in the middle of the play yard refusing to move and crying.

I realize shoes are an expensive part of your child’s wardrobe. They are definitely worth the investment. You can have the rest of your child’s wardrobe as hand me downs, but please, not the shoes.

As the old song goes, “The foot bone connected to the leg bone and leg bone connected to the back bones”.

Healthy foot growth is an important foundation to your child’s future. It is worth the investment.

Good luck!