To point out to the people commenting on my baby's

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Lack of socks, that themselves are wearing no socks

What is it with people. Literally everywhere we go we are getting comments about his bare feet and that he'll get cold.

Then I see they are only wearing sandals themselves!!

[Caitycat]

Dd will not wear socks (or shoes) but I third the tights under everything idea. My family think I'm barking but her feet will stay warm.

[StitchingMoss]

I seriously don't understand why people are so obsessed with this. IME most people massively OVERDRESS their babies for the winter and I don't recall babies getting hypothermia being a huge problem in this country.

We didn't worry about ours getting cold (within reason!) and consequently they are able to tolerate quite low temperatures as kids which saves on heating bills !

[DeathMetalMum]

I also do the tights if its cold enough that socks are needed at all times which it isn't yet imo. My problem with my dd is going to be how much she sucks her hands/sleeves/any bit of fabric she can get her mouth near, when it comes to gloves weather I have a feeling I am going to have to decide over no gloves or wet gloves.

[WillSingForCake]

At least with girls you can put tights or leggings on them

A baby DS can wear tights too!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I don't agree with tight things on babies though that restrict circulation.

A baby might not chose to cool his feet down by pulling off his socks, but if he's cheerful I tend to believe all of his needs are currently being met including his warmth, even if his feet feet cool to the touch.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I suppose the argument isn't so much about how you keep them on or not, but how important it is.

I think not so.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

And round here it isn't even in single figures overnight yet.

[StitchingMoss]

Starlight, I agree! My DS2 was and still is a socks off kind of boy! Astonishingly he did not lose his toes to frostbite!

[SoupDragon]

I do cover his feet up outside now that it is nearly October

I use to cover up my DCs feet too. They used to uncover them. [shrug]

[COCKadoodledooo]

Smile and nod whilst inwardly screaming Get Tae Fuck
I honestly think it's just something to make conversation about though rather than a grand judgment on your parenting skills.

Ds2 always had really cold hands which kept him (and me!) awake at nights. He simply could/would not keep mittens on. One long wakeful night I hit on the solution - his 5yo big bro's socks With his fingers at the toe, the heel was on his elbow joint and the top almost to his armpit, so he had no chance of pulling them off!

[Sparklymommy]

All of you people that think its of vital importance that you dc are "warm enough" are you all aware that actually it is worse for a child to be too hot?

We live in a house with no central heating. I have four children, all of whom have made it to school without dying of hypothermia. And actually my children do not suffe with colds and sniffles as much as most. Even my son with childhood asthma rarely has a problem.

When it is REALLY cold, yes to tights under trousers for little ones who refuse socks. But it's not that important in this heat.

My youngest did used to have blue lips, hands and feet. She was seen by the specialist who said it wasn't a huge problem and she did (thankfully) grow out of it, but the specialist actually advised against the temptation to try and compensate by over dressing her. This was because the rest of her body was a good temp and to over dress would have made her too hot.

[fiatpandababba]

Ds is the same - endless socks on socks off hat on hat off

[Writerwannabe83]

I have to admit, seeing babies outside without socks on (unless it's warm spring/summer obviously) makes me inwardly cringe I try and imagine how cold my tootsies would be if I was sitting outside in the cold with bare feet and I don't see why a babies feet would be any different. Surely putting shoes on over the socks is the answer to keeping them on?? Or all in one baby-gros wold keep socks on too as the baby wouldn't be able to get hold of them to rip them off??

[Writerwannabe83]

sparklym ommy - wearing a pair of socks outside isn't going to make a baby dangerously overheat though is it? Nor will wearing socking inside for that matter.

Fair enough, hats and thick clothes/coats indoors are a no-no, but I'm not sure baby socks can be put into the same category of risk-factors?

[CalculatorCalender]

I had this, people talking "to" my tiny baby to express their concern for her. I always wanted to scream at them, "your concerns for her welfare, your worries about her warmth/rest/diet do not in any way match mine. Honestly, you cannot match how invested I am in this baby!" Why on earth do people think they might care more about your child than you do.

The cases where strangers give more credence to a child's well being than the parents are, thankfully, rare. And, a lot harder to spot than the signifier of no socks on an otherwise appropriately dressed, equiped, interacted-with baby.

[StitchingMoss]

Sparkly, I've already tried to make the point up thread that this is a giant fuss about nothing and got studiously ignored !

[wigglesrock]

My mil surreptitiously checks my daughters for vests The oldest is 8!

My kids hated socks, even now the oldest is the only one that "feels the cold". My dd2 (5) doesn't wear a jumper to school - she wears a shortsleeved shirt and pinafore - she is the warmest being I've ever felt.

[CrispyFB]

I couldn't agree with you more. I used to get it all the time, in fact to the point where my poor DS got a nickname "Twinkle Toes". And they would whisper to each other on the school run about it (I know this because one of my friends - who understood - told me, although I had guessed) Part of it was possibly that most of the other mothers were from Africa so presumably with different ideas of what constitutes cold, but I'd get "the look" from white British, usually old ladies, as well.

He would not keep ANYTHING on his feet, his feet were always warm, and he was always happy. Shame he didn't get a nickname for his constant cheeky smile

Obviously when it was Proper Cold out I was on sock/shoe duty putting them back on every five minutes, but when it wasn't literally icy, I never bothered. At 2.5 years old now, he does wear socks and shoes quite happily although they're off in seconds once we're inside. His feet never dropped off from frostbite, and he has always had a super immune system. Did him no harm at all.

[BlackbeltinBS]

www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+2-pack-baby-leggings-with-feet-in-breton-baby-basics+b2176 (lots of different colourways) are brilliant.

[BlackbeltinBS]

Sorry: www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+2-pack-baby-leggings-with-feet-in-breton-baby-basics+b2176

[Mojavewonderer]

You can't change people and stop them from commenting but if it bothers you that much just pop him in a cosy toes and he doesn't need to wear socks and no one will see what a little rebel he is ;)

[Smokedsalmonbagel]

DS2 as a baby never kept his socks on and I got peed off with the annoying looks and comments. I eventually got him a really cute pair of leg warmers which took him a lot longer to pull off.
I saw a little one today with no socks and it made me smile!