11 month old won't keep shoes and socks on!?

Question

My son is not walking yet (still crawling) and in the summer I let him go barefoot as I wanted to give his feet room to grow (there is a history of claw-toe and foot problems in his dad's family and I was worried about this)

Trouble is, now its getting colder he will NOT keep shoes and socks on! He has lost two nice pairs of shoes by pulling them off and throwing them out of the buggy in town when I wasn't looking (I never found them) and numerous socks have gone this way too.

He does the same with hats and gloves. Expensive!

Even in the house, on really cold days he refuses to keep socks on when he's playing and his feet end up really cold.

Any ideas? I'm so worried he's going to catch a cold or something!

Answer 1

He won't catch a cold from having cold feet. My daughter would never keep socks or shoes on either at that age.

Since your son isn't walking yet, there's really no need for shoes. If it's cold, put socks on him, but don't stress about him pulling them off unless he's in danger of frostbite. When he does start walking, try Robeez shoes. They're best for baby's feet, and cute enough that he might want to wear them.

Answer 2

I used to be a chilly-willy, having cold feet a lot, feeling cold all over lots of the time, but when I started to go barefoot everywhere I learned more about how the body keeps itself warm. We keep our vital organs warm -meaning our body and head. When we start to get cold, circulation withdraws from the extremities to preserve the heat, causing the hands and feet to *feel* cold first. But when our vital organs are warm enough, circulation to our extremities increases, and we'll have warm hands and toes even when they are bare.

It's only when our core temperature drops that we're more susceptible to colds, because it stresses our immune system and makes it harder to fight off the cold virus (any stress will do this, mental stress, great exertion, etc too).

So make sure he's dressed warmly on upper body (and head if possible, try a hoodie that he can't toss away!). If it's very cold you can indeed use the kind of pants with footies. I go barefoot year-round and I'm much healthier now; used to have colds all the time and now I'm rarely sick. A small child is more susceptible of course than an adult so I would try to keep him dressed most of the time in winter but neither is it likely to be *that* bad a risk if he kicks off his footwear occasionally, especially indoors. It is indeed better for the development of his foot and for his entire posture to go barefoot or in socks rather than in footwear!

To prevent permanent loss, perhaps you can tie a string from the shoes/socks to his ankles, but don't leave him alone with that 'cause he could get tangled. But it can prevent him from throwing the shoes and socks out of the stroller while you're out walking with him. I see kids with gloves tied to their wrists lots around here, why shouldn't it work for shoes/socks, especially since he's not walking yet and can't trip on the strings.

Answer 3

I run a daycare and have 3 children of my own. I honestly think this is more common than you may realize. The youngest child I watch HATES his shoes he is about 13 months old. Last week I watched an 11 month old baby who did the EXACT same thing, wouldn't keep his socks on for NOTHING! He was an absolute delight, even though his toesies got cold. Maybe you should buy some lace up shoes and tie them the best you can, make it so that he can't get them off. That is what we did for the 13 month old, he has to really concentrate to get them untied and usually only manages to do this in the car.

Answer 4

I read your question and thought - that's about my little girl! She's 11 months and I have lost endless shoes, socks and hats too. I agree it starts getting expensive. I'm currently looking for a nice hat that ties underneath so that hopefully won't get thrown out of the pram somewhere (anyone have any suggestions where to get one please e-mail me) I always use the foot muff/cosy toes thing now so at least if she does decide to lose a shoe it's always found in the bottom of there! It's only 1 foot with her though as it's smaller than the other (according to Clarkes who I'm now on first names terms with all of their shop floor staff) I try and wrap her legs up in a blanket too so at least that would keep her foot warm but she only decides to dangle the shoeless, sockless foot out of the pram - the amount of looks I get from people 'Oh look at that poor baby, her feet must be so cold, can't believe her Mum's not put any socks on her!' I do try and put her in tights as much as possible but it's easier with girls to do that. It's funny watching her trying to pull those off and wondering where her foot disappears to! I sympathise :)

Answer 5

As a podiatrist (foot specialist), I can assure you that a cold is caused by a viral infection entering the body through the mouth &/or nose, NOT by having cold extremities.

It is no surprise that he doesn't want to wear shocks & shoes - he doesn't need shoes as he's not old enough to walk. All-in-ones are all well & good, but I am always concerned that as a baby grows so fast they may end up too short.

Kids are tough little critters, and if he were cold I'm sure he'd let you know! Save your money, you'll need it for shoes when he starts walking!

Answer 6

Shoe stores and baby supply stores should have a device that keeps the laces tied. If he's pulling them off with out undoing the laces I suggest just putting socks on him for now as they are cheaper. I wouldn't worry too much about him getting a cold because if the rest of him is kept warm he should be fine. Also you can try tape masking tape (it comes off pretty easy) on the socks and mittens. These methods worked well for my mom when my sister was little. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Nothing is wrong....it just a personality..

I found this clip Healthy Start, Grow Smart Your 11-Month-Old

http://www.whitehouse.gov/firstlady/ed_11month_text.pdf

What’s It Like To Be 11 Months Old?
• The soft spot on the top of my head is almost closed.
• My legs look bowed when I stand up; my feet look flat.
• My sitting balance is good.
• I like to use my fingers to pick up small things like toys and food.
• I can stack two or three small boxes, and I like to knock them down.
• If you hold my hands, I can walk. I’m almost ready to take my first steps by myself.
• I point to things I want, even if they are far away.
• Tasting and touching are my favorite ways to explore new things.
• I love being the center of attention—and making you smile.
• When you call my name, I look for you.
• I like to imitate sounds like coughing, laughing, lip smacking and tongue clicking.
• I can pull off hats, shoes and socks but need your help getting them back on again.
• I know about getting dressed and usually cooperate when you put on my clothes.

Good reading

Answer 8

This is completely normal. If you have a concerns about his feet getting cold, I would dress him Footie PJ's at home. This way there is nothing to pull off. If you are out, I would try double knotting the shoes and a keen eye. With shoes that are harder to pull off, there is less of a chance he can pull them off without you noticing.

Answer 9

I also hate to ware shoes I will reduce myself to the socks when it is cold. So I'm on the kids side. I hate the darn things....summer, winter, spring or fall....hate them.

And Mom colds are caused by germs not weather. He can pick up some nasty things thru cuts in feet, especially in bathrooms.

Lots of luck. At 11 months, reasoning won't work and they don't even have the capacity to understand NO.

Answer 10

lol there all the same, Buy cheap well fitting shoes and socks which i used to do and you dont bother if he throws them away.

I used to get her ones with tv characters she liked aswell so she would enjoy them on. Or even tights, i know hes a boy but if you got some dark coloured ones which would look like boys socks, it means even if he gets the shoes off he wouldnt get them off and his toes will be still warm.