My son has a terrible time giving up his shoes. He is two and a half. He tends to want to wear his old ones which are tight and full of holes. We have to fight him to try new ones. Recently, I took him to the store to pick the shoes. Thinking if he were part of the process, then he'd wear them. No he simply wouldn't agree on any and got tired of trying shoes on. In the end I was able find the same style shoe in a bigger size. He never questioned any differences when I put them on his feet a week later. My question is how do others ho about getting kid shoes and do any of face similar problems with getting young kids to wear something new?
Toddlers get very attached to the shoes they regularly wear [literally]. When my niece stayed with me for over a year, I remember that there was one pair of shoes she favored. Anytime someone wanted to get her in shoes, she'd find her favorite pair and suggest that she should wear them. In time they got to be too small but she'd try to squeeze into them anyway. The easiest way to get the kid to wear new shoes is by hiding or simply getting rid of the pair that is worn out.
When my kids were small they wore no shoes when inside the house and when outside we had the luck to have plenty of shoes from their cousins and they adapted to it fairly fast, no attachments luckily.
Oh yes, I have a barefoot baby too. No shoes unless we are going out. Lately he seems to like wearing his sandals but I got them "lost" so he needs to choose between the others ones. LOL You've got to trick them as they grow. LOLOL
Yes, I've heard about the bidding or simply getting rid of the shoes before. When we tried it, he whined and threw such a fit, my husband gave him the shoes back. One time my husband said that if he wants to go ser the construction site he must wear the new shoes. My son left him put the shoes on, but then he whined once he was in car. Kept saying he wanted his "broken shoes". Those she's were so tight. Anyway, I think I will try the idea of simply making the old shoes disappear and just put the new shoes on one morning when we ate going somewhere he wants to go. Most of the time he is inside with stockings.
My son (who is 2.5 and my 3rd child) is the only kid I've had who has been weird about shoes, and honestly, I think he just doesn't like the feeling of something new on his feet. He fights a lot every time we get new shoes. I guess I just push past it and make him wear the shoes. I'm not big on "picking the battles" thing. I just don't let my kids throw temper tantrums. I tend to think of most things as power struggles. The sooner I assert my power, the faster they give it up. That said, I do believe that if the tantrum really doesn't die down, it is likely because the shoes don't fit right. So I've worked pretty hard to find shoes that fit. My son has FAT FEET and his main issue isn't with the length, it is with the tightness. He tends to do better in shoes that have some give.
Wow. Seems to be VERY attached. If the attachment is that much don't make them disappear. Maybe get the same shoes in his new size. Or even better get him a buddy. Tell him that his new buddy needs shoes, too. Maybe you can convince him to gift his old shoes to his buddy and for him to wear his new ones. Some kids have blankies, it seems he has his shoes.
One of my three children was like your son and wouldn't give up his shoes no matter what. I used to take him to the store for him to pick out a reasonable priced shoes and just bought one pair extra with a larger size for later, and one he can wear straight away. So it seemed to solve the problem for a while until he got older, and no long attached to just shoes.
I think that most pediatricians recommend that babies start walking with no shoes because it's better for the development of the foot. When wearing shoes nothing like orthopedic ones to start with, it's a really important part of the body.
