Name (required):

  Expression ^{(Optional mood/title along with your name) Examples: (happy, sad, The Joyful, etc.) help)}

  E-mail address (optional):

* Type your message here:
>>Anita, that's wonderful that your children now >>officially own no shoes, even if they already hadn't >>fit for months! If they don't end up needing shoes >>over the winter, do you plan on not buying them shoes >>and letting them live totally barefoot? > >Huh, I just realize that's actually true ... funny how >easily they went from "going barefoot on nice days" to >"never needing shoes for anything". > >But of course nobody is forced to anything in our >family (besides the "bare feet only" rule inside the >house that we all wholeheartedly agree on; whenever I >come home my coat, shoes and socks come off at the >door). So I leave it to each one individually. It >would be sad if they stop going out of the house >because it's too cold to go barefoot; I also don't >like the idea of my children risking frostbite while >competing for who can play barefoot in the snow >longest. > >It'll be a lovely morning when snow has fallen >overnight and the first thing the children do is run >out barefoot into the garden for minutes of wild fun >before coming in to warm up. A good snowball fight >requires bare hands and feet! A quick snow romp is >part of the morning wakeup ritual in winter for all >three. > >Spending a sunny, frosty day outside is a different >story though. So I made it clear that it's not a >competition. Everyone is welcome to find their own >limit but we all need to be aware of the warning >signs, when coldness bites or feet go pale and numb >it's time to warm up again. > >So once the need arises I will provide them with all >the protection needed for frosty winter days: Jackets, >hats, gloves, even shoes, but I will make sure they >perfectly fit and they are minimalist and "barefoot" >shoes with thin and flexible sole, enough space for >the toes. It might just be for a few weeks but it's >worth the investment because winter days are a >fantastic thing to experience, as rare as they are. > >We could even go skiing but then we will rent all the >equipment; it's not worth buying that much and just >using it a few times until the kids grow out of it. > >And then on the first mild spring days we will put all >the warm clothes and shoes away and forget about it >for most of the year.

Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.