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AIBU?

to think it is disgraceful that babies have bare feet in the freezing cold

125 replies

mummyloveslucy · 02/12/2007 21:10

I keep seeing on my travells babies and toddlers being pushed around the town with nothing on their little feet. It is freezing cold and the moms are dressed up worm. There is no excuse imo I know they kick off their socks/booties but you could at least put tights on them, even the boys can wear navy tights under their trousers! and they could use a cosy toes buggy snuggle thing. It makes me so . They wouldn't go barefoot in the winter if they were in a wheelchair so why do they do it too their kids?.

OP posts:
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thebecster · 03/12/2007 11:59

Oh I KNEW I was being judged, I just KNEW it!!! (yup, 18 month old DS takes off shoes, socks, hat, unzips cosytoes, undoes coat) and I walk along the street not making eye contact with the people who DH tells me 'aren't judging you, if they know anything about kids they'll understand'... But they WERE judging me, they WERE, and I knew it all along [rushes off to show thread to DH].

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Emprexia · 03/12/2007 13:31

YABU. Quite frankly, its a case of MYOB on that one.

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OrmIrian · 03/12/2007 13:35

"disgraceful".... err no. I don't think it's disgraceful. Misguided maybe, careless perhaps... disgraceful no. Try as I might I can't see it quite that light

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moljam · 03/12/2007 13:38

i always find my self wanting to apologise to people that look at shoeless/sockless ds on cold day-im sorry i do put socks on him really i do.i think then they may find something else to worry about.maybe i should try gaffa tape?

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laura032004 · 03/12/2007 13:41

If it's really cold I put DS2 in a fleecy footed sleepsuit, as he will remove any footwear that he possibly can! Yes, I do sometimes feel bad when people comment on it, but I think that if I can bear to not wear gloves (hence baring some flesh) then DS2's toes can't be that cold. We have lost loads of socks and bootees over the past few months. Now I've given up. I have the JoJo snowsuits with turnback feet and mittens, and these are the best I've found so far for my little Houdini!

So yes, YABU IMO! There are far worse things in life!

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ScottishMummy · 03/12/2007 13:43

travelling to nursery today wee sockless/shoeless feet hanging out the unzipped footmuff after wrestling it off and furtling with the zipp. i did have a wry smile wondeing whether anyone was bothered - i wasnt

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VictorianSqualor · 03/12/2007 13:45

I understand your point mummyloveslucy, I have seen it often, I would do as another poster suggested and mention, 'Your LO seems to have lost their socks!' with a smile, it isn't always the parents fault.

However when I once had a comment about me breastfeeding in public from a mother with a baby in a pram, snow on the ground wearing no socks, or cardigan or gloves or coat or balnket etc, I didn't think 'maybe the baby has taken them off', I just thought 'how dare you judge me for feeding my baby when you can't even keep yours warm'

I think if you can see the parent has made some kind of effort to keep their baby warm then that should be enough tbh.

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TwinklyfLightAttendant · 03/12/2007 13:48

I just saw a big 3 or 4 yr old girl in a buggy, with no lower half clothes on at all she seemed quite happy but I coudn't tell if she had a skirt on, there was a lack of modesty going on so I said to her mum 'you do realise she's forgotten her knickers?!' in a friendly way, and she said the girl had just wet herself and they were just going to get the bus home.
She then bought her 20 B&H from the counter and went. Seemed like a friendly, fairly intelligent mum but I was pretty floored by that.
I hope it wasn't far to the bus...

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Tortington · 03/12/2007 13:50

yeah them smokers kids

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TwinklyfLightAttendant · 03/12/2007 13:51

I mean you would cover her with your coat, surely...

I offered her a nappy then realised mine were all size 3!

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TwinklyfLightAttendant · 03/12/2007 13:52

Not meaning the smoking as an issue in that post, custy, sorry it sounded that way. Just adding to my story!

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francagoestohollywood · 03/12/2007 13:52

I spent my first few years in England going at how people (children/adults whatever) don't seem to be dressed warm enough. I have now concluded that the perception of cold/hot is just "cultural". I'd be dead however in 2 days if I dressed like an average british woman (I am the loner wearing a hat until may)

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TwinklyfLightAttendant · 03/12/2007 13:53

And I liked her anyway!

Prefer
L&Bs myself

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twinkle5 · 03/12/2007 13:53

yabu. DS was born with talipes, he spent June, July, and August with his legs and feet in casts, and then 12 further weeks with his feet in a special boot & bar brace. Now he still has to wear socks and boots for bed but his feet can be free during the day. He doesn't like socks and I fully understand why! So now he is usually bare foot during the day, I think he likes the world to see his beautiful straight feet Cold feet not the end of the world.

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LadyOfWassail · 03/12/2007 13:55

DS goes barefoot in the car, he kicks off blankets but is warm. At the very least he would have a cosy toes thing outside, but he walks everywhere now so HAS to wear his shoes He did used to go round in the tesco trolley barefoot though... maybe I am a bad mummy

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Hulababy · 03/12/2007 14:03

My DD was forever kicking off shoes and socks, and refusing her coat. She hated tights and would pull at them, and was forever knocking off her cosy toes. Even now, at 5.5yo she doesn't like to have too many layers and really doesn't feel the cold half so much as I would. There is only so much forcing of it you can do.

Have to accept that some people are different, and that that does apply to babies and small children too.

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Lazarou · 03/12/2007 14:03

I was considering tights for my youngest ds who always takes his socks and shoes off. Thought it might be a bit odd but if other people are doing it....

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annoyingdevil · 03/12/2007 14:55

I also get more annoying by the ones wrapped up in snowsuits, cozytoes and blankets. It seems so unecessary in mild UK winters.(not on newborns I hasten to add)

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LuckySalem · 03/12/2007 15:10

I don't wear socks in the house and very often can be found wandering around the yard putting the clothes on the line without socks and shoes.
My mum did it all her life and i've done it all mine and if my child doesn't want to wear their socks and shoes so be it.

If you want my opinion I think it hardens them up!!

I can see your point if the kids not happy about it but would have thought if they weren't happy the parents would know and put some on. lol

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mustsleep · 03/12/2007 15:13

yabu

the kids might have literally just taken off their socks and mum might not have even noticed, plus i think it's only just footmuff weather, unless you have a tiny newborn

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Desiderata · 03/12/2007 15:19

YABU ... and very judgmental. You mind your own kid's feet, and we'll mind ours

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chirpygirl · 03/12/2007 15:25

I went to the park this morning with DD's, a friend and her DS, both the toddlers ended up barelegged on the way home in the buggies as they launched themselves into a puddle with their wellies on, and both sat down while giggling madly.
They both refuse raincovers and just push them to the side and both pulled their legs out of the cosy toes to rest them on top.
I think you may well have had some sort of embolism if you had seen them with no trousers at all in this weather

So yes, YABU, judgemental and quite precious as well.

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Threadworm · 03/12/2007 15:25

YABU Each mum knows her own child best. And it's hardly been Arctic, has it? I'd worry more about overdressed babies -- except that I'm too busy noticing my own failings to bother about other people's.

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TwinklyfLightAttendant · 03/12/2007 15:29

I was more worried about the little girl having no knickers on and everything fully visible in Tesco's, than her being cold.
Actually though I was giggling with her mum about it, and I think kids without clothes shouldn't be frowned on but due to the ever talked about weirdos who are apparently round every corner, I was concerned.
Just didn't know what to think at all really.

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TheStepfordChav · 03/12/2007 15:31

I think the OP is referring to newborns, not older dch who are quite capable of removing socks & shoes - YANBU. I also hate to see newborns out with bare heads. Makes me want to shout at the parents.

But I also agree with other point about dch being over-wrapped in hot shops. I think new parents sometimes just don't realise the need.

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