AIBU to think that children walking barefoot is disgusting?

[lopmonkln]

I saw a post of a closed group on F/B and was repulsed but am getting a lot of vitriol for saying that a woman who lets her dd walk around in public spaces sans footwear, besides being idiotically unhygienic, seems to be giving off the illusion that her family is so impoverished that they cannot afford shoes.

Apparently utilization of "homeopathy" is sufficient to keep her offspring healthy and immune to germs and bacteria.


"Wow apparently this needs to be added - yes she is barefoot! No I don't care if you don't think she should be! Yes I would have been too if the sign hadn't said I had to wear them to enter the store. Yes I am aware of the germs on the floor. Yes I also let her go barefoot in some of the poorest areas of northern Mexico and I walked right next to her barefoot as well! So did my husband and my other 2 kids. We even walked around in stores barefoot there. Yes we are healthy, no we don't have parasites because of this. I am trained in homeopathic health care, we take everything we need daily to prevent parasites and have never had them when tested. No I don't need your opinion on my decision to avoid shoes and yes we will all continue to go barefoot every chance we get!! Send me a pm and I will delete it. Tell me off and I will ignore you. This is a crochet page not a judge my parenting page."

[sinceyouask]

Going barefoot isn't going to kill you.

Who cares if people think you're too poor to afford shoes? Being too poor to afford them would be an actual problem, but being thought so by judgemental eejits isn't.

[coldcanary]

Well leaving aside the homeopathic crap you're being very judgemental. There's nothing wrong with letting children go barefoot outside as much as possible as long as they're made aware of potential hazards and dog shit, and your comments about them appearing to be too poor to buy shoes was ridiculous and frankly none of your business.
I think you all need to stick to talking about crocheting..

[lornathewizzard]

Well Sinceyouask summed up my thoughts fairly well! No biggie

[ZaphodBeeblerox]

Also walking barefoot is lovely, and unless you have cuts on your feet it isn't particularly unhygienic. I don't wear slippers inside my house or garden for this reason - I'm sure there is research linking walking barefoot on grass with improvements in mood or weight loss (off to Google)

[MissUnderwood]

I spent practically my whole childhood barefoot and outdoors. I had the BEST childhood.

YABVVU

[AllTheWittyNamesAreGone]

Who cares.

Really

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Is not wanna go barefoot round here..

Dog shit, bird shit, piss, spit, last night's kebab remains, smashed bottles...

Back garden and friends and families garden is one thing. Streets are another

[coldcanary]

Don't know about any research but walking barefoot on grass on a warm day always lifts my mood

[Stormwhale]

How funny. There is an advert for shoes at the bottom of the thread.

[lalaloopyhead]

Sorry I did lol when I got to the bit about it being a crochet page!

Umm I don't think I would consider it disgusting for anyone to be bare foot at all, I would be more concerned about a child (or adult for that matter) hurting their feet. I've nipped out to the car on occassion and not been arsed to put my shoes on and its not comfortable.

Is this a joke? I can't imagine getting myself so worked up over something so clearly off topic!

[MsPassepartout]

There are a number of reasons why I don't think routinely going barefoot outside is a good idea (dirt, dog poo, sharp things including broken glass, feet getting too hot / cold etc etc), and I think homeopathy protecting people from germs is nonsense.

But people thinking you can't afford shoes? That's not a good reason to wear shoes.

[smellybeanpole]

Walking on the streets where I live barefoot is dangerous . who knows what you can step on.

[Bettyboop12]

OP get a life. Sod!

[GrumpyOldBag]

How would you cope in a country like India where everyone removes their shoes to visit a temple?

[JonSnowsWife]

Taking aside the homeopathy bollocks.

You do come across a bit judgy OP.

I have a neighbour on the street a bit like you. DS is autistic and a bolter. The second I open that front door he's out. Usually barefooted. Said neighbour always makes a comment too. Despite the fact we pass them every morning in the school run/to appointments and they know I never have him watlzing around barefoot.

He is however, barefoot on the beach, in the house, wherever else he gets the chance. hell i even go barefoot in the grass in summer. There's nothing like the grass beneath your feet on a summers day. To be fair that might just be me though!

Mithering along? Yes. Impoverished? No.

[Natsku]

Homoeopathic nonsense aside, there's nowt wrong with going barefoot (and it is better for young children and their feet development to be barefoot as much as possible). DD is barefoot for much of the summer - I just make her wash her feet when she comes inside - hasn't caught any nasty diseases from being barefoot yet, not even athlete's foot from being barefoot at the gym.

[Runningoutofusernames]

On the streets? Of course that's a bad idea, but coming from overseas I'm always shocked at British people's reluctance to go barefoot in the park (or often even at the beach). Unless your local park is genuinely a junkie hotspot, the risk is low, and barefoot childhoods are the best 😊

[Natsku]

I wish I didn't feel the cold so much in my feet otherwise I'd be barefoot a lot more too - was always barefoot as a child/teenager whenever possible but started to feel the cold more in the last few years.

[calamityjam]

Surely I've got this wrong. I read it that you were on a crocheting page and someone had put up a picture of their dc walking outdoors without shoes and you felt the need to comment about the suitability of such an action because it makes them appear as if they can't afford shoes? What? I thought people like you only existed in fiction. I must've read it wrongly surely

[hellokittymania]

I would often go barefoot as a child, but I'm visually impaired and would step on wasps and bees. Or would, or glass, but if you can see, this should not be a problem.

[lopmonkln]

You do realise of course, that in PUBLIC spaces, people go to the toilet, use the toilet then walk those toilet germs all over the floor on which your children are walking.


But you do you.

[UrsulaPandress]

I spend as much time as possible barefoot. And I'm 58.

[BertrandRussell]

Have you heard of "washing" OP? New thing. Excellent. You should try it.

[Natsku]

That's why I make DD wash her feet when she gets home lopmonkln but its not a problem while out and about unless she's planning on licking the soles of her feet...

[lopmonkln]

You wash your kids' feet in a public sink. A public sink that others must use to wash their hands.