To think it's unfair to leave a child in wrong way round shoes all day?

[Moomoomango]

My ds has just started school, he's 4. They have p e twice a week and it is very evident which days as all children come out completely back to front and inside out. They have p e straight after drop off and say they want to teach children indepence so don't correct incorrect dressing. Fair enough! But on two days my child has come out with shoes on wrong feet. On Friday he said he'd had a really bad day because his friends wouldn't play with him because he was being to slow at running and he'd fallen over 3 times, he didn't click he could walk properly because his shoes were on incorrectly. I'm really trying to work on teaching him which foot goes on which (any tips?!) but he's not getting it very quickly! Aibu to think at reception age teachers should make sure children in their care have shoes on correct feet / prompt them when the haven't? It was very obvious he was walking like a penguin!

Shoes on the wrong small feet is one of my bugbears. A small part of my work involves working with small children, mostly younger than 4. I always check shoes automatically and get them to swap them over, or help them if they are too small. The other staff are the same, they care about the little toes.

Having shoes on the wrong feet is far more damaging than having a shirt buttoned up incorrectly or wearing someone else's sweatshirt.

It's not great, but if he hasn't complained they may not have twigged. Benefit of the doubt I think.

Other thing to try with shoes (and don't forget PE shoes if they have them) is an arrow facing inwards on each shoe, arrows point to each other. Sometimes easier to use marker on lining inside the shoe, rather than sticker which can move, come off etc.

Gillybeanz I think you may have missed some sarcasm!

Both my dds put their shoes on the wrong feet 100% of the time when done independently. Both said they found be it more comfy that way.

damaging?? 😂

It's hardly equivalent to Chinese foot binding....

I have always put a red felt tip spot on inside right side of one shoe and left side of the other and tell them they have to put spots together before putting them on it has worked well since they were v young

I used to say "Are your shoes friends?" If on wrong feet, shoes look like they are turning away from each other when feet are together, therefore not friends! HTH . (kicks self for not having thought of genius stickers idea when own DC were little)

We have this issue. Dd constantly has them on the wrong feet. Tried stickers, didn't help and they fell out! She'll work it out eventually !

Calling teachers lazy is awful. How about if teachers blamed this on lazy parenting for not teaching their children to dress themselves correctly? These are people, who are under massive scrutiny and looking after and educating your children for you.

Not good for young feet because bones are very soft and they don't feel uncomfortable but moulding feet the wrong. It's the same reason why we can wear the most unsuitable footwear in our teens and end up in middle age with sore misshapen feet or bunions etc

Another reason a teacher may not correct, even assuming s/he notices, is that it certainly used to be advice to wear shoes the wrong way round in order to correct certain postural deformities of the door. Sorry I can't remember which ones - toes turning in maybe? Certainly when I was growing up a few children had to wear theirs the wrong way round for that reason. So if the teacher is my age, assuming it's no longer common advice, a/he may assume that's still the case.

But I'd be more likely to assume she simply didn't notice, especially with black school lace ups.

Draw a picture of a foot inside each one so he has to line the big toes up with his.

Having shoes on the wrong feet for a few hours isn't going to long term damage the feet. Especially as, it will likely only be a few months, if that, before he learns where they go.

I have to battle with the school to make sure our girl is included, can go on school trips, can go to the toilet when she needs to and doesn't come home with muscles so tired she can barely walk. I do wish my only worry was that she might put her shoes on the wrong feet.

Perspective.

gilly

I will put a wink in next time.

For goodness sake they are only 4. That is sheer laziness not to help them. What harm does it do to say your shoes need swapping over. That seems cruel to me to leave a child in uncomfortable shoes.

Bloody lazy teachers. Sack them all.

Ha ha!!! Lazy reception teachers! When I teach the reception class all week I can barely get out of my car I feel so exhausted when I get home. That said I would obviously tell a child to switch their shoes over if I saw they'd made a mistake!

Ffs how entitled??

Why not try teaching your child which way round his shoes go instead of blaming the poor teacher

DD in Yr2 still regularly comes out of school in the wrong feet, despite stickers, smiley faces, arrows, the lot.

I think because Clarks/Startrite etc have lots of growing room, they don't necessarily pinch the toes enough to feel uncomfortable, maybe just a bit different.

Also the velcro on lots of Mary Jane styles is sort of backwards anyway, in that you have to loop it through the buckle which is, confusingly, on the inside.

I think it's not unreasonable that the teachers could miss it in a whole class of small feet, but it would be unreasonable for them to notice and not correct it in the name of teaching independence. Shoes particularly, not bothered about the inside out t-shirts or backwards trousers. Surely they'd just not noticed if he didn't say anything.

NotYoda

I'm so sorry, I really thought you were serious. Dunno what's up with me, I usually see sarcasm and humour [ blush]

Aye ok. Have you ever taken 25+ children to PE? obviously not Yes actually. I have taught all primary ages and I and staff have always helped children to make sure their shoes and clothes are on properly.

Love the "are you shoes friends?" idea whyayepetal. Interestingly my DD1 has never had any problem with this, but will keep note for DD2 when she reaches independent shoe age.

at all those who thought the teachers were too lazy or cruel to notice or intervene. The idea of changing 30 4 year olds sounds terrifying. Bravo to the brave teachers for making sure they don't go home just in their underpants.

gilly

No worries!

Well I think you should go in and show the teacher how to do her job better.

Are you sure it's easy to spot which side the shoes should be?

I think I remember some that required detailed observation.
Even if the teacher did a cursory inspection, he may not have noticed anything wrong.
Which would also explain why the child has trouble putting them in the right feet.
Draw some arrows or something on the inside.

When I was tiny, I had these plimsolls that had R and L printed all the way around the rubber bit. ' Course, that relies on you teaching your children right from left.