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>Raising barefoot children has many advantages, as can >be read in this forum and, for example, on: >http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/ > >But how would parents go about this in practice? > >The best is probably if they are barefooters >themselves, which means they don't just go barefoot at >home but also outside for most of their activities. >That way the children learn it's a completely normal >thing and parents know first hand (foot) the potential >risks and difficulties (such as temperatures, surfaces >or things on the ground). >But even parents who can't or don't want to go >barefoot everywhere can allow their children to do so >and encourage them if it does them good. You can make >barefoot living a special personal thing of the whole >family or just of your children. > >It's best if barefoot time isn't just a few >exceptional days per year but becomes the everyday way >of life, so every little walk is further practice for >awareness, muscles, circulation and makes the soles >tougher so the more it's done, the easier it gets. > >Start at the beginning, don't put anything on their >feet inside or outside in summer when they are too >young to walk by themselves. Learning to walk is best >done barefoot, don't even get them used to shoes, >except maybe to get over the coldest days of winter. > >Don't worry too much about temperatures. Instead, >instruct your children to learn the signals, such as >feet going numb when it's too cold, or hot ground >getting painful. They should only go barefoot as long >as it feels good (which, in practice, still covers a >wide range of temperatures). > >Stop worrying about what others think: These are your >children and you have science and experience on your >side. People may think whatever they like; what counts >is that your children stay healthy and enjoy >themselves. > >Children with clean bare feet will usually have no >problem being let into restaurants or shops. If >there's still refusal, you might take light "emergency >shoes/sandals" along. > >There's no universal rule about schools; some have >detailed dress codes, others don't. Some expect >outdoor shoes to be worn inside, some require taking >them off at the door and changing for indoor shoes >(sometimes bare feet are tolerated). If there's no >other way, try finding minimal "barefoot shoes" for >your children that are as light and flexible as >possible while conforming to the school's >expectations, and suggest they do their way to and >from school barefoot when weather allows. > >Then there is the question of attitude. How parents >talk about their children's bare feet influences how >children think about their own feet. >If your children are walking hikes or long city trips >barefoot, if they brave the heat and cold of the day, >if they do barefoot sports, you can praise them for >being tough and strong. Depending on their personality >you may call their bare feet cute, cool or wild and >tough, elegant, stylish or just natural, just don't >call them ugly or smelly. Don't get upset when they >get dirty feet playing outside, it's healthy and part >of outdoor fun, some parents even praise their >children's black soles. > >Asking them to clean their feet when coming in is >certainly good though, and can also increase >acceptance among others. For this you can have a way >of cleaning feet near the door, maybe a doormat and a >way of rinsing and scrubbing feet, or a short way to >the bathroom where such can be done in the shower or >bathtub. > >It's always a good idea to have a small emergency pack >at hand, with plasters, disinfectant and tweezers to >take care of any foreign objects that get stuck in >skin. > >Should you still buy your children shoes? That depends >when they need them, because of rules (such as >school), a specific sport, as protection against the >cold in winter or very unpleasant ground. If there's >no such need it's ok if they go for months without >shoes, but be prepared that they have grown out of >their shoes after that period, so you have to measure >their feet to find out the new size.

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