Some babies like to take off their socks and shoes very much, and they just put them on and take them off. Why do kids like to take off their socks? How much can they put on and take off their own clothes independently? 1-3 years old, what are the children's ability to put on and take off on their own? How to guide children to learn to wear and take off independently?
The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that optimal foot development occurs in a barefoot environment, and wearing shoes is primarily to protect the feet from injury and infection.
In other words, no matter how expensive the toddler shoes, no matter how scientific the functional shoes are, they are not as good as the child's small script body, and they are not as conducive to the growth of the child without shoes.
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Why do kids like to take off their socks?
From common sense reasoning, as long as it feels hot and uncomfortable to wear, the child wants to pull off the socks. But in fact, many children are "born" do not like to wear socks, or subjective will, do not wear socks, want to take off. In addition, once the baby finds that he has the ability to take off his socks, he will repeatedly take off his socks, and this process may also gain self-satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.
Generally speaking, by the age of 15 months, babies can already take off their socks on their own. It is much more difficult to wear socks than to take off socks, especially when children do not use both hands at the same time. This is why we always feel that the baby keeps taking off his socks, but rarely wears them.
Image source: Pexels
The main function of socks is to keep warm, so as long as it is not cold, children do not like to wear socks, you can not wear, there is no need to force.
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How often do you put on and undress yourself?
Putting on and taking off socks, shoes and clothing are basic life skills that children eventually have to learn.
Usually, by the age of 3, children can wear and take off independently. Of course, there will be individual differences in this specific age, such as children who usually practice a lot and are interested in getting dressed and undressing, and may learn it earlier.
For most children, they first learn to take off their clothes, take off their shoes, and then learn to wear them. Socks, shoes, hats, and pants are often the first children learn to take off.
The process of learning to put on and take off clothes is related to many of the child's abilities, such as fine movements, hand-eye coordination, logical thinking and decision-making skills. In addition, the process of putting on and taking off clothes also helps to develop language skills. Because children have to learn the names of different clothes, understand the various colors, what parts to wear, etc.
Therefore, according to the child's growth and development stage, the child should be allowed to try and practice self-care behavior within his ability.
Image source: Pixabay
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Different age groups
What are the abilities to put on and take off clothes?
As children grow up, their big movements, fine movements, etc. continue to develop, and they slowly gain the ability to wear and take off clothes independently. Between the ages of 1 and 3 years, children may have the following abilities to put on and take off clothes.
Around 12 months of age, children may:
Know how to cooperate, raise your arms to coordinate the wear of pullovers, and take the initiative to put your hands into the sleeves.
Take off your shoes, take off your socks, and take off your hat.
When they put on shoes and socks, know to stretch their feet.
Around the age of 2, the child may:
Ability to take off a non-tight, non-lace-up jacket or top.
Shoes with velcro or elastic bands can be removed.
Can take off stretch pants.
You can find necklines and cuffs.
By the age of 3, children may be able to:
Wear socks and shoes
Zipper, try to snap the big button.
Can take off pants.
I can wear a top independently.
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How to guide my child to dress independently?
First, to facilitate balance, have your child sit on the floor or bed to practice and try to put on and take off clothes. In the process of learning to dress independently, try to have fewer choices, such as giving only 2 choices at a time. If there are too many choices, the child may feel that the amount of information is too large or too difficult to choose, and the emotions are out of control.
To help children learn the process of putting on and taking off, parents can give clear language instructions, such as: put the head through this mouth; reach out and wear the sleeve, etc. In addition, all kinds of clothes to wear and take off, parents can help children to arrange in order, such as putting the close-fitting vest first, then the T-shirt, and finally the coat, socks.
When practicing, try to choose clothes that are easy to put on and take off for your child to try. If it is not so easy to put on and take off, it is necessary to assist the child in time.
In the process of learning and practicing with children, parents must remember to be patient and allow their children to take their time. If the child is dressed well, praise the child in a timely and specific manner. If you wear it wrong, it is best to let the child find the wrong place on his own, and then help the child adjust it.
Taking off socks and getting dressed may seem simple, but it is also a life skill for children that needs to be learned and practiced. Our adults' conscious guidance and timely help may make the children's learning process smoother.
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The benefits of barefoot, too much!
Wearing shoes too early prevents children from learning to walk
There are more than 200,000 nerve endings on the soles of people's feet, and these nerves are particularly sensitive. If your baby is toddler barefoot, they can be used to better adapt to the ground and perceive their movements and position, thereby improving balance and coordination.
Moreover, children who learn to walk barefoot will have a more natural and healthy gait. Toddlers are more likely to raise their heads when walking barefoot. Yes, they will also look down and marvel at the fact that they can go, but in the same familiar environment, they will quickly raise their heads. Because children can get feedback from the ground through their little feet, they don't need to keep looking down. Have you noticed that children who are just learning to walk are top-heavy, their gait is unstable, and if they still bow their heads, they can easily lose their balance and cause them to fall.
Walking barefoot can help develop muscles and ligaments in the foot, increase the strength of the arch, improve proprioception (our awareness of the relationship between where we are and the space around us) and help maintain good posture.
But many moms and dads tend to put their children in shoes before they learn to walk. Toddler shoes actually hinder the perception of the soles of children's feet, which will make it more difficult for them to balance their bodies and coordinate their steps, thus making it more difficult and more likely to be injured. It's really artificially making it harder for kids!
Therefore, before the age of one, I recommend not buying shoes for children at all, and wearing socks and jumpsuits to keep warm in winter. Don't buy shoes, waste money.
Wear shoes, or step by step, wait until the child can walk and run in the unfamiliar outdoors.
Feel at home barefoot
Barefoot, equally important for children and teens!
Shouldn't babies and toddlers be barefoot, and children who can walk should wear shoes?
Not really! Don't forget to mention at the beginning of the article that the best foot development is in a barefoot environment. The purpose of wearing shoes is to look good, keep warm and protect the feet from injury in complex terrain environments.
Barefoot promotes foot development and athletic development equally important for children and adolescents!
In 2018, a study published in Frontiers in Pediatrics compared the motor skills of 810 children and adolescents from South Africa and Germany and found that barefoot activity improved children's basic motor skills. Children who are accustomed to barefoot jumping and balancing are better than children who are accustomed to wearing shoes.
Improves concentration and memory
Having children walk barefoot helps children focus – their brains focus on sensing the touch of the soles of their feet, their own movements, and inhibiting other unrelated sensory inputs as they walk, helping them adjust to their surroundings.
Similarly, even when the child grows up, barefoot still makes sense. Studies have found that running barefoot can improve working memory, allowing people to learn, think and make judgments better.
Barefoot also prevents flat feet!
A flat foot is when the foot is standing, the inner arch of the foot disappears, and the sole of the foot appears flat. Physiological flat feet are also common in younger children, and many children will not be greatly improved until after the age of 6 or even 8 years old.
Some studies have found that almost all children under the age of 2 are flat feet, and 80% of 3-year-old children have flat feet, but only 4% are left at the age of 10. This also means that the muscle ligaments of the arch of the foot will develop perfectly as the vast majority of children age. Therefore, if the young child has flat feet, do not be too nervous, and will develop well as the child grows up.
How to develop well? Flat feet are probably not only caused by heredity, but also related to how children exercise their arch muscles in the process of growing up.
Some studies have found that walking barefoot increases the strength of a child's muscle ligaments, contributes to arch development, and is less likely to flatten the foot, while children who often wear shoes, children who are overweight or obese, and children with tight Achilles tendons have an increased risk of flat feet.
Flat foot treatment
If it is found that the child has flat feet, but the arch of the foot can still be observed when standing on the foot, then treatment is often not needed.
The best treatment for physiological flat feet is to use shock-absorbing shoes with sufficient heel support and reasonable structure under the guidance of a professional doctor (do not buy orthopedic shoes, arch pads, etc. sold on the market without the evaluation of a doctor).
Physiological flat feet are banned from rigid orthoses because forced formation of the arch of the foot can cause pain and other symptoms, and there is no evidence that such orthoses can alter musculoskeletal development in children.
In addition, physiologically flat feet can do some small muscle exercises in the foot, such as using the toes to grab a towel or pen on the ground, which helps to reduce the discomfort caused by flat feet.
However, if a child with flat feet experiences foot pain and swelling, a soreness on the outside of the calf, limited mobility, or is still unable to observe the arch while standing on the foot, he should seek prompt medical attention and consult a medical professional to assess whether correction and treatment are needed.
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Help children perceive nature
Finally, walking barefoot is a sensory treat for children, who can perceive new things through their senses: grass with dew, the softness and warmth of the beach, slippery mud, splashing waves...
Many surprises are achieved through the sense of touch.
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In these cases, you should wear shoes and socks
Seeing that there are so many benefits to the baby's barefoot, some parents have the idea of "what shoes and socks to wear when barefoot is so good".
Don't!
Because when we say barefoot, we mean barefoot under specific conditions and for a limited time, rather than always needing a barefoot. Especially the following special situations of the baby can not be barefoot!
1. Premature babies should not be barefoot
Premature baby's temperature regulation function has not yet been fully developed, can not provide self-heat, the temperature of the baby's body surface is easy to dissipate, so you need to pay attention to keep warm, wearing a sock can play a certain role
Warming effect.
2, the temperature is too low to barefoot
Regardless of spring, summer, autumn or winter, if the floor is too cold, you can't let the baby go barefoot, and it is best to wear socks.
3. Do not go barefoot when going out to play
When going out to play, in order to avoid the baby from being "attacked" by dust, bacteria, stones and other things, it is best not to go barefoot, but if you are in clean grass, sand, water, you can still go barefoot, so it is good for the baby to contact nature with small feet.
4. Other barefoot cases are not recommended
Babies like to wear socks, do not like barefoot, in this case parents do not force the baby to have bare feet;
If the baby has a wound on the foot, the body is weak, the ground temperature is too low, etc., the parents can judge whether they need to wear shoes and socks according to the actual situation.