Do your children even nap with shoes on?

Question

A good friend of mine has a 3 year old that ALWAYS wears shoes and socks even around the house. I have been over there late at night and he will still be wearing them. The other day I was over at her house. She put him down for his nap shoes and all! I of couse did not ask why because its not my place to question her parenting, but it just seemed odd. I was thinking he maybe likes keeping them on or she does not want to bother having to put them back on. Ever seen this before? I find myself putting shoes on my daughter when I go over there just so I do not look like a poor parent lol.

Answer 1

Well, I don't think that keeping shoes on your child necessarily classifies you as a bad parent. As a matter of fact, its better to keep shoes on your child, especially if you have an active child (this prevents potential injuries from walking on a bare floor...ie glass, splinters, etc.). Also, some children have a problem with arches in their feet, so doctors may recommend special shoes which break in arches into the child's foot so that they won't end up flat-footed. In this special case, the child needs to wear the special shoes quite often. Also, taking a nap with your shoes on is not unusual; they do it all the time in pre-schools and day cares.

Answer 2

I babysit for a kid that hates taking her shoes off. She's 2 1/2. She also ALWAYS has to be wearing socks, especially when she's napping. The parents don't really have a problem with it, although I think that kids napping with shoes on is a little weird... Some people don't even want people to walk past their front door with their shoes on, let alone sleep in the bed with them on! So don't worry, you're not a poor parent, your friend just has a really relaxed attitude towards this or something...

Answer 3

Perhaps her floors are a cold material and she's worried about his feet getting cold? But it isn't OK for a child to have the shoes on ALL the time, but then slippers or something would be better. Even a well fitting shoe holds the foot in one position, and the foot needs some time to move in all different directions for strength and flexibility. Plus the foot needs to "air". Any podiatrist (foot specialist) will tell you that children and adults DO benefit from having their footwear off on occasion - going barefoot.
Obviously when outside, or in public its better to wear shoes to keep the feet safe from injury, but inside the shoes aren't really necessary.
So don't feel that you are a bad parent because your child does go without shoes on occasions.

Answer 4

Yeah I've seen this. I wear shoes around the house as well as to keep my feet from feeling dirty. But too sleep I would think that is uncomfortable unless they're like slippers. I do sleep with slippers sometimes. I'm 17 been doing this since I was little by the way.

Answer 5

Some kids just enjoy having shoes on...my daughter ( 2 yrs)does this occassionally, especially if its a new pair. We went to the Disney Store and purchased her some little mermaid flip flops (she is mermaids #1 FAN!!) . Well, when it was time for bed, I had a hell of a time getting her to take them off lol. So I just let her have them.Couldn't hurt :p
I do not think this is abnormal, and it couldn' hurt to ask your friend :)

Answer 6

Does the 3 year old have really cool shoes with some character on them? If he had say, spiderman shoes, maybe he thinks they are too cool to take off. It is probably just a phase where he is happiest with his shoes on. I wouldn't worry there is anything weird going on.

Answer 7

Shoes? Waht are those? Yuck! I hate putting shoes on myself or my 16 month old we go barefoot every chance we get and I never put him to bed with the shoes on, the rare times he does wear them.

Answer 8

Very funny question! My son wore those rubber snow boots with NO socks for 2 years straight, starting at age 4. Some smelled so bad he could have smoked out Bin Laden with them, lol. But no, he never slept with them on!

Answer 9

I guess it's how you look at it. In our family, it is courtesy to take off your shoes before entering the house. You can wear slippers or "house flip flops" but when laying down or sitting (in some circumstances) you have to remove them. Some of my friend's tell me to "just leave your shoes on" when I pop by to spend time with them and some don't. Basically I'm just playing Follow the Leader, if they take off their shoes, I take off my shoes, if they just leave them on, I leave them on. Sometimes I take off my shoes because of habits and all and they just, in a way, snap at me and tell me to put them on. So I guess it's how you look at things.

Answer 10

My son loves to be barefoot. He never naps with shoes on unless he falls asleep in his car seat. That is just weird! Don't let her make you feel like a poor parent...she is the strange one...let your kid go barefoot!!