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>>Hugo, like you I only really go barefoot myself in >>nice warm weather but I did grow up going barefoot >>from spring to autumn and that's how I raise my son >>and daughter. > >As a child, barefoot was how I spent my summers. I >wore sandals to school though (not sure whether they >had a rule but I have never seen anybody barefoot >there) and was reminded by my mom to put on sensible >shoes once it cools down in fall, or else I would >catch a cold or something (looking at my own children >I know now that such concerns are unfounded, they are >all in excellent health). I don't remember my sister >going barefoot anywhere outside. > >So my parents were indifferent, my mom perhaps a bit >too worried about my feet (though nothing serious ever >happened to them during those barefoot summers). >Her parents (my grandparents) were different though, >for them going barefoot was a thing for boys so they >were delighted when I came visiting them in summer in >shorts and strong suntanned bare feet. Maybe at some >point in the past boys were supposed to be tough and >strong while girls should protect their soft and >tender feet? > >My wife didn't go barefoot outside as a child. When >our first daughter was born we talked a lot about how >we would raise her. We read doctor's recommendations >that children should be barefoot whenever possible and >our wonderful pediatrician confirmed it: babies use >their feet like hands to grab at things and this will >help them later as they start to walk. So I suggested, >don't even get her used to socks and shoes. My wife >agreed and my adorable little baby daughter kept her >toes free; I remember my wife cut the feet off a >footed onesie we received as a gift, replacing them >with elastic cuffs. >At that time my wife also gave up her house slippers >for good and we're all barefoot inside ever since. > >As our girl learned to walk my wife bought her soft >shoes for the city but she rarely wore them, getting >rid of them as soon as she could and merrily toddling >away on the tar and gravel. So we came to the >conclusion that shoes aren't the right thing for her. >Her feet, still baby-soft at that point, got dirty >(black all over the soles since her arches had not >developed yet) but were unharmed. > >And so it continued into autumn, she discovered the >joy of rustling her toes in dry leaves on the ground. >We carefully checked if she's still warm enough and >found she had developed a healthy circulation, her >toes were glowing warm. > >Then our first son came and the baby girl was suddenly >a big sister. Since things had gone so well with her >we didn't bother with any footwear for him or the >other children until the first winter. > >Kindergarten was supportive (they have a 'no street >shoes' rule and were probably glad to have a bit less >chaos with shoes, socks and slippers in the wardrobe >room). And fortunately school as well (we convinced >the class teacher). > >Now we have four barefoot children and the nice thing >is, they all support each other. In a barefoot family >you are never the only one around; once someone starts >on an early spring day with sunlight and some snow >still on the ground, the others quickly follow. And in >fall nobody wants to be the first in shoes. > >Who knows, maybe they will go barefoot through next >winter? Some children seem to do that with no >frostbite (see Sandra's messages further down in this >forum). We leave the decision to our children and make >sure they are dressed cozy in jackets, wool hats and >legwarmers as their naked feet peek out and leave cute >tracks in the snow while us parents go along in our >warm winter shoes. > >But now it's summer, I can't be barefoot in my office >job but in my spare time I take inspiration from my >children and give my feet some freedom!

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