to get p*ssed off with the mother who held up an entire shoe-shop full of busy people for 20 mins getting her 3yo to decide which shoes he preferred?

[frogs]

Well am I? My child-shoe-shopping technique involves (a) casing the selection while waiting (b) having the child's feet measured (c) request a couple of suitable styles in the appropriate sizes and (d) paying up and getting the hell out of there.

Clearly I am unusual in this, as the norm seems to involve spending 30 mins pissing about getting your 3yo to try on half a dozen pairs of shoes, all of which fit adequately and look pretty similar, while endlessly encouraging him to speculate about which pair might be cooler, all the while completely ignoring the 6-person queue building up behind you. The shoe-shopping trip before last we were even treated to a mother on her mobile having a three way conversation between her, the child (maybe 6yo?) and Daddy in the office about the finer details of which trainers to buy.

There are so many of these ruddy women around, surely I can't be the only person who just wants to fling themselves to the ground shouting, "He's three years old! He doesn't care! Just buy the effing shoes and get out of here!"

I thank you.

[motherinferior]

That would be a no.

I will admit I get the Inferiorettes to try on the pair I think is least vile, but I would not say that the views of a three year old really, you know, count. Little buggers, three year olds.

[Bluestocking]

That's all very well for you to say, MI, but my three year old actually refused to wear the shoes I bought, against his judgment, until he grew out of them.

[canmummy]

I'm really lucky as shoe-shopping involves even less stages - a)having child's feet measured b) assistant bringing out 1-2 pairs that might just fit each child c) possibly, if we're lucky, have found a pair that actually fits and pay!

My kids have never had a choice so would never be in this predicament as to have to ask their opinion!

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

I am spending X, I would like him to feel like he has an opinion. If they feel railroaded at an early age, school shoe shopping will be a nightmare. IMO

[brimfull]

a quick,"which ones do you like ?" would suffice.

yanbu

hate people who pander to their precious child and ignore the queue.

[motherinferior]

I take your point, Bluestocking.

[PSCMUM]

bluestocking - did he enjoy going around in barefeet then>??

er..no YANBU. cannot bear people in front of me in a queue, whataver they are doing, i just desperately want them to hurry up.

i also get my kids to try on the leats vile pair.

[motherinferior]

Lacking the need for uniform shoes, my honed shoe-shopping techique involves going in, demanding reasonably non-nasty trainers, getting them fitted, possibly snaffling another pair in the sales for me (I have child-size feet) and buggering off, heaving sigh of relief.

[brimfull]

precisely bree, I bet it was the mother casuing the indecision not the child.

[BreeVanDerCampLGJ]

I will admit that I will make sure the assitant only brings three max four choices, but after that he can take as long as he likes. I want him to wear them.

[wheelybug]

Er - I'm with bluestocking - dd (not even yet 3) will refuse to wear clothes and shoes she doesn't like. Am very sure she likes them before spending £35 on a pair. That said, I would have the decency to look embarrassed about it and hurry her up. Also, she wouldn't actually try them on if she didn't like them so that would speed things up anyway.

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

YABU i cant even go into a shoe shop without dd3 kicking off that she wants new shoes (she doesnt get them btw). she has very clear choices about her shoes and what she will wear. and if i paying£xx amount for a pair of shoe i need to know she will wear them.

in fact she loved her sandles so much i ended up getting the next size up toward the end of the summer just to make life easier.

[norkmaiden]

Agree with LGJ, it's my cash and nobody else's business - especially if you have a child prepared to pull a stunt like Bluestocking's

[Blandmum]

when it comes to shoes my children do have an input.

they can say if the shoes rub!

that is it!

I'm Like MI, I pick the least vile and we go with it.

[wheelybug]

LVOC - how I wished I'd done that with the sandals. Instead I spent £35 on a new pair because I only went to a startrite stockist (the preferred ones were in fact CLarks so cheaper) and she wore the second pair twice. Grrrr...

[rolledhedgehog]

My late mother used to work in a shoe shop fititng kids shoes and this sort of thing used to drive her mad....mind you I can recall being 10 and still not being allowed an opinion on which nasty brown sturdy shoes were the nicest!

[Desiderata]

I've only read the OP and frogs, I couldn't agree with you more.

In fact, I agree so much, I'm going to build you a nice new pond, with bull rushes and lily pads

[Linnet]

Usually I'll ask which shoes she likes and she's always quick to say those ones and so long as they aren't too vile I'll buy them.

Last time we went for shoes it was an easy measure, bring out some in that size, try them on, buy them.

A few days later I noticed they weren't fitting her properly so went back to the shop where we spent 45 minutes trying on every single shoe and trainer in the shop in her size before we found the one and only item of footwear in the whole shop which fitted her properly.
After the last disaster with trying every single pair of shoes on, and I'm really not exaggerating here, I'm not looking forward to going back in a couple of weeks to buy winter boots.

[frogs]

But the 3yo clearly couldn't have cared less, it was the ruddy mother who kept saying, "Oh Indigo darling, try the blue ones on again." She even solicited dd2's opinion at one point.

Nutter.

[Eve]

I am so with you on this... Clarks..Bicister village, Saturday morning...

I had to leave, I was about to shout what you wanted to!

[frogs]

And as for the mum who was having a conference call with her dh in the office regarding the choice of silver vs. black trainers for the 6yo -- is that sane? I think my dh would be googling the number for Mental Health Services if I tried to call him at work to discuss the styling of ds's prospective trainers.

[Bluestocking]

PSCMum, he had a foul pair of cheapo Bob the Builder sandals which he insisted on wearing instead of his very nice, properly fitted Clarks shoes for which I paid £28. DP bought him his most recent pair of shoes, which he cunningly referred to ab initio as trainers (even though they clearly aren't) and DS loves them.

[nooka]

We have rarely been in the position of having more than three or four pairs to try, so I am happy for ds/dd to make the final choice. I don't really let them look before that as I don't want them to be disappointed if the shoe they set their heart on is not available (and there is no way I am leaving without the shoe having been bought). I don't think I gave them any choice when they were tiny though.

[chocolatedot]

Oh god I am with you on this one. I cannot believe how people fart around for hours over children's shoes. I do all my three at once and simply choose a style and ask for it or something broadly similar and leave it at that.