Is it cruel NOT to buy your child shoes and have him barefoot all the time?

Question

Your Child has been born and you don't have much money to buy much beyond the pure necessities

Is it cruel NOT to buy your child shoes and have him barefoot all the time til he/she starts to walk ?Til she/he is like 1 years old and actually could use the shoes?

Answer 1

My son had them for when we went somewhere special and when it was chilly outside, but to be honest they don't need them until they take those first steps, then you'll want them for outside and public at least.

Until then socks or little booties are ok on their feet. You may want to get a little pair of shoes for fall/winter becasue it will turn chilly outside and they will need them.  Those little feet can get chilly much quicker than an adults.

Answer 2

It is fine until they are walking, once they are walking they should have shoes on their feet when not at home

Answer 3

No, there is no point to buy a small child shoes, until they know how to walk and are walking outside. A one year old doesn't need shoes. It can mess with how they walk, since they are just learning. Plus, they will grow out of them so quick.

Answer 4

I skipped the shoes until they started walking. They just take them off and chew on them anyway. I found them more frustrating than cute.

Answer 5

depends on the circumstances

Answer 6

Both my kids hate wearing shoes!!!  I did not make them wear any until they started walking.  I don't see a problem with that.  I will say once they start walking you do have to buy them shoes, some people see that as neglect.  See a baby in a store without shoes on doesn't make me think anything other than they are a baby and dont need them

Answer 7

I dont think it's cruel at all... if the baby isn't walking they can get away with wearing cute socks until they start walking...

NOw if its cold outside that's a different story. The baby should have shoes on to keep their feet warm....

Answer 8

I haven't put shoes on my 6 month old son yet! If it is cold though, put some socks on the lil one. But as soon as the kid starts walking, make sure there's some shoes on his feet!

Answer 9

They really do not need shoes until it gets cold outside, then yes, they should have shoes on them.  Otherwise, put socks on their feet, so that they are used to having something on their feet, and also so their feet don't get cold.  When they are learning to walk, though, this person should buy one pair of shoes for their child, so that they don't slide around on their socks on linoleum/hard wood floors.

Answer 10

Actually, the exact opposite is true. Shoes are cruel to all feet ecpecially the developing feet of children. Dr. Lynn Staheli, who directed the orthopedics division at the Children's Hospital in Seattle for 15 years, documented that children raised in parts of the world where shoes are rarely worn had better flexibility, mobility, and strength, which resulted in fewer foot-related problems and injuries. In the 1960 classic “Take Off Your Shoes and Walk,” chiropodist Simon Wikler notes that children who go barefoot regularly develop stronger, healthier, and more functional feet than children who are generally shod. (He notes that a “constantly shoe-wearing tenderfoot” is rarely able to comprehend the innate capability of the human foot.) The following site covers such topics as when and when not to let children go barefoot, what doctors think, and parental testimonials. It also features excerpts from “Take Off Your Shoes and Walk.”

http: www.unshod.org/pfbc/index.html

Answer 11

if you cant afford them and the baby is not on his feet yet, i dont think its cruel. Only if the baby walks then you should consider shoes as a necessity

Answer 12

been through the same thing u can just buy one pair like every two - three months just for winter and public but other than that if people dont like it they can kiss you butt lol

Answer 13

My kids didn't get "real" shoes until they were about 2 years old...not because we couldn't afford them but because they didn't need them.