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>>I really like the fact that you don't care about the >>dirt on your feet. Everyone should think like you and >>consider dirt a badge of honor. > >It's a side effect. I find it cute and amusing, the >children like it and I made it clear to them it's >allright with me as long as they don't drag dirt into >the house (so some dark traces are ok but when they >leave dark prints I ask them to wipe the floor). > >>Who in your family has the dirtiest feet? > >That depends on where they've been. My daughter seems >to have very clear preferences now, spending time to >file and polish her toenails, then walking through a >parking garage to get her "sole makeup". The boys are >more like they don't care much, occasionally playing >in the mud getting dirty to the ankles, but it remains >a side effect. I guess the older boy wouldn't consider >it cool to have cheesy white soles ... > >>What's the dirtiest place you've ever walked barefoot? > >There are different kinds of dirt. Big city dust is >dark and requires some scrubbing but goes off, tree >resin is very sticky, same for the slime of slugs as >they might occur on moist days in the garden. Some >city underpasses don't seem to get cleaned regularly, >some dirt gets in over the years but no rain, so there >are corners with an undefinable dark sludge ... or >sidewalks dotted with dog droppings (no, my children >don't step into that on purpose). > >>Does the dirt sometimes persist for several days? > >It's enough to scrub them to the point that they don't >carry dirt around; during dry periods some blackness >will remain on their pads, but during more rainy times >they'll get clean again, also in summer when they go >swimming in the lake. > >>Have you ever gone barefoot in other people's homes? > >Yes, I consider it an act of respect to take off >footwear at the door, and my children make sure to >wipe their feet "clean enough". > >>Who likes having dirty feet the most? > >As said my daughter goes for a specific style, my >older son just doesn't like having all-pale "baby >feet" when among his friends and the younger ... >doesn't care. "Dirt doesn't hurt" he recently told me. > >>Are you, as parents, barefoot and resistant to it? > >I guess I could describe myself as a "nice weather >barefooter": I'm barefoot at home and in the garden >(meanwhile we have an unwritten "bare feet only" rule >for all, with a shelf for regularly used footwear at >the door, nowadays used only by us parents for most of >the year). We aren't picky about it with adult >visitors but my children's friends will all take off >their shoes/socks/sandals at the door when visiting. I >won't bother to put on shoes for quick trips out to >the street in front, I love it in the park, we've all >walked barefoot on grassy sections of our summer hikes. > >But for more dirty or gravelly grounds as well as long >city walks or supermarket shopping I'll put on sandals >in summer, "minimal/barefoot" shoes (Leguano, Zaqq, >Vivo) in winter. I've mostly gotten rid of anything >with a raised heel except for one pair of "gala >sandals" for really fancy occasions; my children >convinced me that more flexible shoes are a lot more >pleasant and healthy. But I wouldn't try to compete >with them in terms of toughness. > >There are occasions though when I enjoy being a >dirty-footed child again, and that's when doing work >in the garden in the summer. It feels great to dig my >toes into the soft earth while taking care of the >plants and it's worth the few minutes of scrubbing to >get rid of the loose soil. I bought a "gardener soap" >for that, which mentions it's specifically for earthy >hands and feet after working in the garden. Those are >fun days because the children love helping as well (no >doubt doing it barefoot makes it more attactive to >them).

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