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>Hello all, nice little discussion group ... > >We have three children, a girl born 2012 and two boys >born 2010 and 2014, so they are now 4, 6 and 8 years >old. >Living at the edge of a small town, the forest is >nearby. >We like to be barefoot at home and in the garden and >are raising our children mostly barefoot: At home it's >totally normal and their guests also take off their >footwear when they come, all spring/summer/autumn they >also love playing barefoot outside. We have a bucket >and a water hose at the garden entrance to clean muddy >feet before coming in. From ankles up, the clothing we >choose for our children is practical and comfortable: >shorts or jeans, T-shirts and the like. > >I think the "framing" is important: First of all, bare >feet are normal and shoes are protection against the >cold like gloves, scarves, jackets or hats. Then it >won't work to tell your children that wearing certain >shoes may lead to problems later in life - they have >no way to think that far ahead. It's not like we have >to convince them anyway, they all prefer to be >barefoot, though our girl has her moments when she >wants to dress up to be "pretty" perhaps influenced by >the others ... so we tell her how pretty her feet are >and give her cute anklets and nail polish. > >We give our kids arguments for when others ask them >why they are barefoot, or even tell them that barefoot >is stupid or even disgusting: >Your feet are stronger because you get a lot of >exercise. >Other kids would have difficulties walking across a >gravel trail. >Your feet look good and feel good, they aren't hot and >sweaty and smelly. >You don't waste time looking for matching socks, tying >your shoelaces ... (and we don't have the trouble >picking up dirty socks from the floor and washing >them, or scrubbing dirty shoes, feet are so much >easier to clean!) > >That's also the argument we give when we go to town >with our children. Then us parents wear shoes/sandals >and the kids accompany us on their bare feet. Sure >they come home with black soles but it doesn't hurt >them, so why not? > >The most important thing is not to force them. They >are barefoot because they like it, not because want >them to. Sure we encourage them, telling them they're >brave to go barefoot on a mountain hike or on a cold >day ... (In such cases we do take shoes along, just in >case, but rarely need them!) > >Cheers and hugs from our little family, 50 happy toes!

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