Children’s Feet and Footwear
At face value, the title here might not seem to be one that’s destined to capture immediate rapt attention!
Yet children’s feet and footwear are important health-related subjects which might, at times, arise in Jarrahdale Daycare Centres.
The daycare centre and children’s feet/shoes
During the days of our grandparents and before, only the wealthiest families could easily afford regular new shoes for their children as they grew. Many, perhaps most, extended families tended to recycle shoes between generations. As a result, many children tended to wear the hand-downs of other children.
That could and did cause health problems for some of the children concerned.
Why footwear matter
Most medical advice suggests toddlers, when first learning to walk, should do so barefoot and on carpets. Where shoes are essential, they should be very soft-soled and flexible. That allows children to fully feel their feet and toes making contact with a floor’s surface, which develops their muscles and sense of balance accordingly.
Once their walking has developed and they start walking on surfaces where shoes are necessary for foot protection, they must have good-fitting shoes, purchased only after the child’s foot size and shape have been professionally assessed by a trained shoe fitter. Most shoe shops will have gauges and trained personnel to do so.
If shoes are not correctly selected, there are significant risks for the child’s feet including a greater susceptibility to:
ingrown toenails, a potentially very painful condition;
- foot deformities including things such as calluses, corns and possible hammertoe conditions;
- blisters, which can become infected in some cases;
- skin abrasions and irritations;
- damage to nerves, which can lead to pain, numbness, pins-and-needles etc.
It’s also now known that the extended use of poorly fitted shoes can significantly increase the risks of arthritis in later adult life.
Economics
Many families today are under increased cost-of-living pressures and they might need to make difficult calls relating to spending priorities.
Nothing in the above is meant to say that it’s essential for a child to have brand-new and possibly expensive shoes. A child doesn’t need to have brand new shoes – only correctly fitting ones. Used shoes might be absolutely fine if they’re the correct size and width.
Many shoe shops will happily measure your child’s feet for you to give a length and width requirement, without a purchase being obligatory. A pair of used shoes can be assessed against that and providing your child finds them comfortable and they’re of the correct length and width (not too small/large in length or width and preferably with a supporting arch), they may be absolutely fine.
Practicality
The typical Jarrahdale daycare centre isn’t a military-style training camp demanding military-grade footwear!
Most shoes can therefore be fairly utilitarian, with the emphasis being on comfort and practicality rather than fashion and style.
If you’d like to see more of our operations and learn about the activities, we and the children in our care engage in, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment to pop along for a visit. You’ll get a warm welcome and the chance to have a good look around as well as ask any questions that occur to you.
