AIBU to let my children go barefoot in the house?

[ellargh]

Every time my dad comes around he comments on it. He tells me they'll have problems with their feet and they should have slippers on or grip socks indoors. I let them go barefoot because we have laminate and tile all downstairs so socks end up being more of a hazard or more likely, as they do with slippers, they take them off.

He acts like it's child abuse and when I tell him to mind his own business he grunts and then comments the next time. My children are 4 and 2 so playing in the house is what they do best. The floor is always warm and if they are cold they just put their socks or slippers on themselves in the living room as they're lined up behind the door.

It's basically a case of come in, go barefoot. DP and I do the same and have always done that we can remember although my dad tells me I was never without slippers and so I should make my children keep them on.

AIBU to keep them barefoot as long as they're happy or am I doing real harm?

I see him once or twice a week for half an hour and he does a lot for me so I feel that I have to. It really tests me though. I'm sure he thinks he's being helpful reminding me how lax I am...

Chestnut that's what I've been doing. I guess after all this time it has planted a seed in my head and I needed to know who was in the right.

My Dad had a total thing about bare feet. He said I'd get neuralgia. And athritis and goodness knows what else.

My FIL told me to put shoes on to eat Christmas lunch once. Still have no idea what the problem was, but I put them on with a bit of a face.

YANBU.

Smile, nod, say they have slippers if they want them and their feet have yet to fall off. Repeat as required.

Funny my mil says this as well. My children are pretty much always barefoot in the house and sometimes the garden as well! its fine, if they want socks/shoes on they will put them on.

Tbh socks/shoes are the least of my concerns with ds4 who would be permanently naked....my rule is pants must be worn to sit on the sofa or when sat at the table ie dinner time.

The flat foot thing is what my mil says, cos obviously a pair of socks is going to provide arch support....

Well, I spent most of my childhood barefoot. My grandmother looked after me when mum went back to work, their house was on the coast and my cousins and I would walk down to the beach, leap around the rocks and climb the cliffs, then walk home again on Tarmac roads, shoeless. I have a ridiculous high arch sign of aristocratic blood, apparently which hasn't been flattened one bit by my barefoot tramping in childhood. Cap there!

So there, even!

My nearly 2 and nearly 4 year old are quite capable of telling me if they're cold, and they pull their socks off given half a chance.

How's your dad's hair? As I am sure there was a rumour a while back that having your house too warm is one of the reasons men are losing their hair at an earlier age?

We live in a country where all shoes are left at the door, even if you go to a friends for a smart dinner, it would be normal to take off your shoes before entering. My kids wear flip flops if we go out in the car and proper shoes and socks to school but are barefoot in the house and in the garden year round (it is hot here though)

Agree that socks are a hazard on laminate, wood, tile etc

my two even go outside with no shoes and socks on!!! Actually - so do I

actually when i was little i lived abroad, it was hot and i regularly didnt wear socks or shoes, my feet are fine and i go barefoot a lot as well :)

Also live in a country where it's expected. I love it.

Hahaha. I hardly ever wear shoes in the house and I have excellent feet. I usually pad around the office in my socks too (I refuse to put on shoes merely to dash to the printer and back).

Your dad is nuts.

I've always been barefoot around the house. The only time anyone ever said anything was in Turkey, as it can give you kidney problems apparently

I'm barefoot & proud. I guess I just wanted to make sure that the information I had was right which seems to be the case :)

Yeah i think my kids love being barefoot, in the house, infact when they're friends come round they ask me "Is it ok if i take my shoes and socks off" and i say "Yes" Im barefoot and so are the kids so go for it,

Does he not understand that humans evolved to be able to walk miles barefoot? Wearing shoes all the time weakens the muscles that support our feet because the shoes are doing the work instead. Provided they aren't going to walk on stuff that cuts them it's ideal for them to be barefoot.

I’m not sure any of us ever wear shoes at home. I buy everybody slippers but nobody (including myself) ever wears them. OH wears shoes in the kitchen and he wears socks around the house - and he’s the odd one out

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE