happy feet

In a world seemingly obsessed with carefulness these days, one of the things I fear is getting lost is the joy of going barefoot, and along with it all the benefits. For little ones, getting and staying in touch with their feet is important.

- Moving Smart

My son is happy to be enjoying a barefoot childhood, and although I often despair at the dirty state of his feet and the shoes that go missing, I'm pretty happy about it too.

At his school, the kids can shed their shoes.   

 

You see, as far as I know, there is no research that says that children learn better when they are wearing socks and black lace up shoes.  I'm pretty sure that kids learn best when they are comfortable, and he is comfortable when his feet are bare.  Of course, common sense does come into play and he is asked to wear shoes when the situation calls for it - on cold days or bush walks for example.

Encouraging kids to walk around barefoot, wherever possible, is the best thing you can do for growing feet. It helps the muscles develop and get stronger and allows air to circulate around the entire foot.

For more on the benefits of a barefoot childhood:

Thoughts on Muddy Feet and Progressive Education
Why Barefoot is Best from Education.Com
Barefootin' from Moving Smart

What do you think?  Would you be happy for your child to be barefoot at school?


Images Courtesy Kinma