IS IT OKAY TO LET YOUR KIDS PLAY BAREFOOT?

*This post was sponsored by Vivobarefoot. All opinions are my own.

Do you want to know why I let my children run around barefoot much of the time? Why do I let them climb very tall trees and play in the mud?

From the time they were very little they’ve been taught to trust their own instincts and to take the path that intrigues them most. I encourage my children to test their strengths both physically and emotionally. Children inherently know that nature has a lot to offer them.

Over the years I’ve had quite a few people tell me that they want to allow their children to be more self-directed, but they feel unsure of themselves around other parents. In theory they want to allow their children to go barefoot, play in the mud, and climb up high.

My kids play barefoot in the woods and at the playground. They are just as likely to kick off their shoes at the beach as they are to kick them off for a game of kickball at the park. Do I get raised eyebrows or tsk tsks from other adults? I do. That’s okay because I trust my own parenting skills and I do not need a seal of approval from a stranger.

What do I know they the other adults might not be aware of? I know that my barefoot kids are developing an important relationship between body and ground. I know that climbing and running barefoot improves foot and leg strength and also gives them better control of their own bodies. Going barefoot allows for more natural body movements and it is also provides invaluable sensory stimulation.

When I know that my gleefully barefoot children are getting all that, do you think I mind a little bit of stink eye? I don’t.

Alright, yes, I know they might step on something sharp. They might get a splinter. But we can deal with it and grow from it if they do.

When we practice relying on our own judgment, we learn to care less what others think.

I want my own children to rely on their own judgement, without the noise of others clouding it, so I need to do that too.

With temperatures dipping below the freezing mark here in NJ, the kids are actually wearing shoes. They love their Chelsea Fulham boots from Vivo Barefoot Kids. These shoes are the next best thing to being barefoot. Unlike, most cushioned children’s shoes, these boots are ultra-thin and puncture proof. They actually allow your child’s feet to feel the ground, so they can still develop that important relationship between foot and ground. That means that these boots allow the natural sensory input to come from the ground through the feet and up to those smart little brains!