- School? -- G (Curiosity), 2025-02-18 20:36:30 [3]
In your childhood or your child was 100% (or not so much) barefoot in the school? (primary- secondary-university)
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- history? -- cc (curiosity), 2025-02-15 16:24:55 [5]
Well, I would like to know if you have any anecdotes about how your son/daughter started his/her life barefoot and if he/she goes barefoot 100% of the time.
I wonder if one day, when I have children, I can also give them this lifestyle :)
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- Updates? -- Deodand, 2025-02-13 05:21:26 [3]
In an attempt to keep the spammers away I'd like to ask if there are any updates from those who've managed to keep their children barefoot this winter.
Any challenges or lessons learned? Has anyone made the decision to live barefoot for the rest of their lives?
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- Winter Grime -- Joe, 2025-01-21 08:14:13 [2]
Just a thought I had earlier today as I watched my son walking in front of me and that's the difference in dirty soles grime by season. Here it's winter and the ground especially the asphalt pavement is perpetually damp with a layer of dirt. This makes the soles damp and dirty and that's nicely outlined by pinkish and red tones around the soles.
Quite different from the spring summer dry type black grime that just stubbornly clings onto the soles.
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- Winter Freeze -- Carol, 2025-01-12 00:34:09 [3]
Well we've had negative temperatures here the past seven days and occasionally down as low as -11C on the evenings with highs of -1 during the days.
It all started last Sunday when we woke up to a covering of snow maybe 7 inches deep. Well safe to say my kids couldn't wait to get out and play in the snow, so there they were dressed in wooly hat, leggings, gloves and bare toes. They dashed out the door and played out in the snow for a couple of hours before coming in for some hot cocoa and a gentle warming of their toes.
School has been closed and all that snow rapidly turned to ice! They have been out walking on the snowy ice in bare feet but only for short 10 minutes walks anything longer I've had to insist that they at least wear their wool socks (sometimes even two pairs)
Seems to be warming up today upto 2C so the wool socks will vanish and it's back to completely bare feet for my two.
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- Introduction to partner -- Lucas (happy), 2025-01-01 02:56:21 [3]
How do you introduce the idea of keeping the kids barefoot to your partner? Do you talk about it on the first date or does it come more slowly?
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- Winter -- Deodand, 2024-12-14 01:20:14 [13]
Anita, Carol,
How are you're children handling this winter now that they've had more experience with being barefoot?
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- 5 reasons to let your children go barefoot -- tiptoe, 2020-11-05 09:04:59 [2]
https://redandhoney.com/5-reasons-let-children-go-barefoot/
Just a wonderful article that I found. I agree to all and there are of course even more reasons (most important of all: It's such fun!) not just for children but for the whole family!
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- Rita is two years old -- Daniela, 2024-03-15 13:41:33 [9]
Yay. My daughter Rita made it through winter without solid shoes, now at her 2-year birthday she's running around happily barefoot. My strategy of not even getting her used to shoes seems to pay out, she's sometimes using her hands but doing a great job at navigating all kind of surfaces, she even learned to look where she will go.
For her birthday she received new plush toys, a birthday cake, a cute dress and absolutely no footwear. I love to take her to town, to the park, not for very long walks (we still have a stroller just in case) but her daily distance is increasing, it's incredible how much energy is in a 2 year old girl!
Within the last months her soft chubby little baby feet transformed into something more sturdy with a bit of tough skin on the bottom. And it seems like no surface is painful to walk on ... perhaps being on the slim side for her age helps with that.
The pediatrist is impressed with her development, fortunately she has no health problems to speak of.
Speaking of talking, that's something that develops at a breathtaking pace now, it's truly fascinating!
Oh and she's diaper-free during the day now, another thing she learned naturally.
Cheers from a happy mother!
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- Autumn and Halloween -- Carol, 2024-10-30 07:50:53 [9]
One of my favourite times of year now where the golden leaves fill the woodland trails and pavement and my kids absolutely love the crunchy sound they make as they walk across them in bare feet.
It's also Halloween and as usual my two will be out wandering the streets in spooky costumes with bare toes.
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- Article: Is it okay when children go barefoot in autumn and winter? -- tiptoe, 2024-11-06 01:30:52 [1]
An encouraging article on a German site for parents:
https://www.leben-und-erziehen.de/kind/gesundheit/barfuss-im-herbst-und-winter-18800.html
It's ok to let children go barefoot in autumn and winter, they don't risk getting sick if they are moving enough to keep themselves warm. Walking barefoot is great for motor activity, coordination and perception. There's no risk of hypothermia (body temperature sinking too low) while they are running around and moving.
What it doesn't cover is that children have to learn they might still get numb near the freezing point so they wouldn't notice frostbite when it occurs. I guess that's a bit of a risk when parents wear shoes so they don't have the personal experience of how their barefoot children feel about the temperature. Then again children will say if they get uncomfortably cold and the state of circulation can also be seen by the colour of their toes.
And of course they can wear cozy warm clothes from ankles up while still having their feet bare and free.
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- Do you support your children in all their decisions? -- Anita, 2024-09-06 13:27:23 [6]
I was recently asked that question and I thought some ... my answer was: Yes unless they hurt themselves or others with their decisions. Taking risks is allright as long as they are aware of the risk and how to prevent accidents.
So the decision to walk barefoot anywhere is usually allright and fine, and I'm ready to defend my children against anyone who calls them foolish or irresponsible.
In winter they're all curious about what snow feels like and they will definitely go out on the first day of new snow but I advise them to come back in if they ever start to get numb. Being foolishly heroic would be wrong! I'm glad they're all cautious and don't really like to do things that dont't feel good. So while their toes got pretty red outside they never had any skin peeling or other signs of beginning frost damage.
Something that also prevented them from ever "trying" anything addictive like alcohol, tobacco, drugs ... they stay away from anything with alcohol anyway because they don't like the taste.
So what if they take a decision that's clearly wrong? I talk to them reasonably and explain what's wrong about it. Don't get mad, don't yell, don't punish, just get reasonable and to the point and expect the same from your children. Best way for them to grow up and learn to argue for their case. That's the responsibility of parents, to point out the consequences that a decision will have that children might not initially see.
We're a pretty relaxed and positive family. Tensions are rare and if they occur they're resolved quickly.
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- My son's philosophical moment -- Anita, 2024-09-18 13:21:08 [5]
My youngest son has his philosophical moments and comes up with lovely aphorisms at times.
Today he said: "In a few years I will be grown out of all my clothes ..." then he rubbed his feet and added "but these feet will be the same many years from now and hold up as long as I live!"
He's discovering what really lasts, what really matters in life, the things we are and become, not the things we buy, wear out and throw away.
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- Daughter wants to have no shoes -- Sarah, 2024-10-11 22:04:37 [3]
Hi all! I'm thrilled to find a community of other parents raising barefoot children, it's always nice to know you're not alone. My daughter always hated wearing shoes, and after discovering the health benefits of being barefoot, I decided to let her go without shoes almost everywhere, and even join her occasionally! We're very fortunate to live in sunny California so weather is never an issue, and even more fortunate to have found a K-12 school that allows bare feet. However, the reason I'm writing is that over the past few months my daughter, who is now 12, has repeatedly asked if I would let her get rid of her only pair of shoes and live completely barefoot. I'm not opposed to the idea on principle, but I have a few reservations regarding emergency situations and formal events. The shoes in question are a pair of simple black flip-flops, which look reasonably presentable at formal occasions and provide at least some protection from hazardous ground, if necessary. From what I've read, though, some of your children do indeed own no shoes, and it seems to have worked out quite well in most cases! To that end, I have a few questions for those whose children lead totally barefoot lives: What formal or dangerous situations have your children been in in while barefoot, and how did things go? As my daughter has made it clear that she wants to "never wear shoes ever again", what is the longest period of time your children have remained fully barefoot, without skinners, socks, or any other footwear? And lastly, for my own curiosity, have any of your children ever said why they prefer to not even own any footwear? I've asked my daughter, but her answers are always some variation of "it just feels better", and better understanding her motivation may help me come around to the shoeless side of things.
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- Family visit to Berlin -- Anita, 2024-09-29 03:43:12 [1]
We've spent the last couple of days visiting Berlin, a big city with plenty of attractions. Clean in some places, dirty in others. All three children decided to go barefoot throughout, there's occasional broken glass but they always manage to make a graceful curve around it, no injuries, just some adorably black soles at the end of the day and cheerful faces. As long as your children can see broken glass before they step on it, I can recommend to let them go barefoot even in big cities, public transport included.
Cheers and greetings from a happy family!
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- Encouraging Bare Feet -- Laura, 2024-09-15 03:10:26 [12]
One thing that may seem strange to some is that the local laerskool here in SA encourages pupils to go barefoot and use techniques to encourage those that maybe shy or prefer to be in shoes and socks such as teaching the children that shoes come off once indoors and socks go inside shoes or make a game of going barefoot like bare feet time or tippy happy toes. What do you think about this? Have ever had to encourage bare feet?
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- Barefoot friendly summer camps for kids -- tiptoe, 2021-05-05 03:54:47 [2]
Here is a barefoot friendly summer camp for boys in Vermont/USA (I wonder whether there's the equivalent for girls?)
https://www.nighteaglewilderness.com/
"Although most camps require their campers to wear shoes during the summer, Night Eagle campers choose to “lose their shoes” while they are at camp and try to get closer to the earth by going barefoot. Campers feel that going barefoot gives them a deeper, more respectful relationship with Nature and, from an environmental point of view, lessens the impact they have on the earth itself by hardly disturbing even the most delicate ground cover. When feet are bare, they are also silent, almost whispering to the ground even when running, which seems much more in keeping with the forest around Night Eagle than the sound of shoes."
Here is one for all kids in Austria, offering quality time in nature "offline, without electric power, clocks or mirrors", describing itself as "a place for barefoot walkers, rangers and fire makers".
http://rootscamp.at/en/
Have you come across any others or even have first hand experience?
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- Dirtiest your children’s feet have ever gotten -- Mike, 2024-08-22 22:09:59 [16]
Hello! My eldest child, a 14 year old boy was wondering this day, when was the time he has gotten his soles the most dirtiest, when walking barefoot. He is assuming around the times we’ve visited big cities or the capital where we used the metro. I know my son’s feet get pretty dirty almost every day, but visits like those usually makes them pitch black by the end of the day. Same goes with my 11 year old daughter. My question goes, when has your kid or kids gotten their soles the dirtiest?
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- Parents age -- Lucas (happy), 2024-08-31 22:26:02 [6]
Is it more common for younger parents or older parents to raise their children barefoot? Hard question but what do you think?
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- A bunch of links -- tiptoe, 2024-09-06 08:47:05 [1]
https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/active-families/strong-kid-play-not-compete/ mentions how one child deciding to go on barefoot inspires the others
https://zapatoferoz.es/en/blogs/articulos/por-que-los-ninos-se-quitan-los-zapatos Why do children take off their shoes? (it's from a shoe store, obvious conclusion, don't put them in shoes from the beginning)
https://www.educhildcare.com.au/why-barefoot-is-best-for-babies-and-young-children/ Why barefoot play is best for babies and young children
https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/going-barefoot-10-fun-activities-kids/ 10 fun barefoot activities for kids (I'm sure they will come up with a lot more)
https://www.childrenschiropractic.com.au/blog/3-benefits-on-why-your-child-should-play-barefoot The benefits of playing barefoot (from a chiropractic)
https://www.earlychildhoodoutdoors.org/is-being-barefoot-in-the-early-years-catching-on/ Important point, let children experience the world outside the "safe zones" barefoot
https://www.janetlansbury.com/2014/06/your-babys-call-of-the-wild-guest-post-by-angela-hanscom/ This also makes a point for barefoot outdoor play
https://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/learning-path/articles/let-their-feet-getdirty Let their feet get dirty, it's beneficial.
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- Lord Howe Island -- tiptoe, 2024-08-18 02:14:23 [2]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-16/going-to-school-barefoot-in-an-island-paradise/104227872
Lord Howe Island is located between Australia and New Zealand. The children ride their bikes to school, most of them barefoot, and do so safely because there aren't many cars (not needed, distances aren't long) and the speed restriction is 25 km/h. With the mild maritime climate there it's indeed very easy to live barefoot all around the year, it never gets freezing cold.
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- Proud and impressed -- Anita, 2024-08-06 10:01:56 [10]
My three children went barefoot throughout the summer holidays, in the mountains, rocks, gravel roads, big cities ... without the slightest difficulty, no discomfort, no injury, they didn't even slow down on difficult ground. I'm highly impressed and proud of all of them! Bare feet are strong feet and make you happy!
Sometimes other people are impressed. But when I ask my children they don't choose to go barefoot to impress anyone, they're doing it because it's fun and easy.
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- Barefoot when out side -- Tara Lynn, 2024-08-01 10:30:46 [3]
I go bare foot on our property we live on a farm but do not farm I am 17 but still a kid at heart in Georgia we have warm weather for more of the year I pick flowers giggle and act like a much younger girl
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- Summer holidays -- Anita, 2024-07-18 14:22:36 [4]
We are in the middle of a holiday trip through Scandinavia. We visited various places in Norway, all the way up to the north, and are now spending a few days near a lake in Sweden. My husband and I took sandals along but noticed we don't really need to wear them a lot: Many places are quite pleasant to walk on. Our children have been barefoot most of the year (since the first days without frost) so they don't really have shoes to take along and decided to do it all barefoot, which makes a lot of things easier, less baggage and laundry. Their bare feet are tough and healthy as ever!
We've seen a couple other barefoot children and we can say a lot of places are quite friendly for children around here! Weather has been a bit mixed, sometimes wet but never really cold, and we did see midnight sun up north!
I hope you're all doing fine, best greetings from our family!
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- Shoes are stress, feet want to be free -- Luc, 2024-08-01 00:44:56 [1]
Shoes (no matter what kind) stress out our feet in many ways: They are often too hot (so feet sweat a lot, which is meant to cool by evaporation but in shoes evaporation isn't possible so it just gets uncomfortably damp which leads to bad smells or even fungus), they never fit perfectly (and even "perfectly fitting" shoes restrict the movement of our toes), they often contain harmful chemicals (especially those sneakers made in some far-away countries I assume). And they don't let us use our sense of touch (only feeling the inside of shoes is so boring).
I have always preferred to go barefoot instinctively (it just feels better) but the more I think about it the more logical it gets to me. Feet are meant to be free. Now in summer of course with shorts and a loose fitting T-shirt, but even when it cools down it'll be time for long pants and jackets long before I think of covering my feet.
I'm just 17 and don't have children of my own but if I have children at some point in the future they won't even get used to shoes, they can live barefoot as they're born for as long as they like.
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- Day with my son -- Alice, 2024-07-22 12:19:20 [2]
Hello everyone, I’m new to this forum, I wanted to share my day today for people and found this website, which seems good for this story! I have a 17 year old son, he doesn’t go barefoot that often, but today we went to beach to another city far from ours, he brought flip flops with him, but after swimming he said he doesn’t want to wear them for the rest of the day, because they’re sandy. So I took his flip flops to my bag and we visited some places at the city itself, a mall and some of the streets, stopped to eat and we had overall a good day, my son’s soles had a noticeable black colour to them once we reached home and I told him to show his soles to me. I don’t mind his feet being dirty, as long as he washes them or asks me to wash them, I think it’s actually funny to see my son in that state! Best regards Alice!
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- Comments from others -- Anita, 2024-06-24 01:14:54 [4]
What are the comments from others that you get about your children and their bare feet - or your children get directly?
In our case we've only heard once that we're "irresponsible" ... and once "You'll get sick" (none of us did).
A few say they're brave (especially when it's a bit colder), or just "cool" or "cute". Luckily most reactions are positive. Some children are spontaneous enough to follow along which always brings a lot of joy to all of us!
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- Socks -- Carol, 2024-01-29 11:07:29 [21]
Reading through the messages here it seems a few of others daughters frequently go outside wearing socks only. Isn't this a bit wastful? I assume after a few hours of being out in socks they are completely ruined.
My daughter may occasionally go outside in socks or wear them on her feet inside if it's chilly but she simply hates having anything on her feet at all.
After all one advantage of going barefoot is that feet are easily cleaned
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- A little song: "Babbelbuss" -- tiptoe, 2024-06-22 01:00:52 [1]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52u3crRr1Rw
Ingrid Hofer of Lustenau, Vorarlberg, Austria released a little song featuring plenty of barefoot children ... "babbelbuss" seems to be a silly way of pronouncing "barfuß" (barefoot) maybe related to the local dialect (the song is in standard german).
Now in summer it's quite common to see barefoot children in parks and gardens, though most of them seem to bring along some kind of shoes/sandals when they get away from their home and garden.
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- No shoes! -- Carol, 2024-06-16 00:56:04 [11]
Well its official my kids son and daughter now no longer own a single pair of shoes that fit! They've been barefoot I say for the last two years and yesterday we had a big clear out and got rid of all the clutter (shoes) from their bedrooms.
Of course I reminded them both at any time they feel they need shoes all they have to do is ask and I'll buy them.
I'm thinking of getting some like water shoes for them as a immediately available back up I can keep in a drawer at home.
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- Picnic day -- Emma, 2024-06-05 11:35:10 [4]
The weather has been very warm these past days. So we decided to have a picnic with me my husband and two kids aged 9 and 11, the kids decided to not take their shoes for the trip and went fully barefoot during the walk to the public park. We arrived and put down our stuff and sat down to the grass, the kids played a while on the grass and the pavement of the park. We ate something there and overall had fun, the kids were of course very happy showing off the blackness of their soles while sitting on the grass. I think we did have a good day!
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