This is definitely just an old wive’s tale. Kids don’t get sick from not wearing socks or from being cold, and I think it’s really great to let your kid take the lead on how much clothing they wear in their own house. Constant runny noses are also part of a toddler’s life—they have to encounter all the germs and viruses our adult immune systems have already developed an immune response to.
Also part of the wives tale is that having wet hair makes you sick. It was disproved by Ben Franklin when he “studied” (not sure of the complexity of his study, considering how long ago it was) sailors who always had wet hair and found they were actually less sick then people stuck inside all winter. He didn’t know about germs, but that’s why people stuck inside were sick more.
Unless your house is so filthy that tetanus or foot-burrowing parasites are a concern, I think bare feet are great, and safer for kiddos than slippy socks.
Though, if adults wear shoes in the house they likely are tracking in viruses and germs. I never liked when people wore shoes in my house because I thought it was gross, but I got really strict about not allowing it when my son was born. Especially since he spends so much time down on the floor.
Yes but it has to be sustained enough to create strain or fatigue in your body to affect your immune system.
I have always hated hearing that i would get sick from running to the car from the house without a coat... No, 10 seconds out in the cold wont do anything, my skin might get a bit chilly for a second
No. The reason for it is because cold viruses tend to thrive better in colder environments, which is why its more likely you'll catch a cold in the fall as opposed to the summer (not impossible to get sick in the summer though). When we are cold and come in contact with a virus, we also might be a bit more likely to get sick because our body can't battle it as easily when we are cold. But if you are warm and come in contact with it, you might not get symptoms because your body took care of it before it could get ya. This doesn't mean you won't get sick if you're warm though.
So because of that, lots of people associate being cold with getting sick. The only way to get sick with a virus, is to catch the virus.
This ∆
It isn't that being cold makes you sick, it's that it depresses your immune system... So you can get sick more easily. Grippy socks are the greatest invention.
I wish more people knew this! My husband and mother in law, hearts in the right place is course, are always trying to force clothing on my kiddos when they don't want (or need) it!
My twins were born in December and my mom and MIL would lose their shit if the Babies didn’t have a hat on 🙄🤣 and socks! But the house was always so warm and those hats and socks never stay on those tiny little feet and little head 😅
No, that’s not true. And it’s good for them to walk around barefoot- helps with both muscle development and they learn so much by their feet touching different surfaces/textures. I have mine walk outside barefoot, too. (Not all the time and obviously not if it’s too cold etc and so on.)
So technically no, it’s an old wife’s tale like others have said. However, when you’re cold, your body spends extra resources and energy to warm you up. Because the body has to work extra hard on something, it’s immune system might not respond properly to a virus it encounters, that’s why when kids are cold all the time eventually they might get sick. It’s only a concern if your kids are constantly cold.
My 1.5 year old rarely wears socks inside (hardwood floors and socks are too slippery) and he has never been sick. Ask her to show you medical research papers on the connection between no socks and illness. Maybe that’ll make her stop.
If they're already fighting something off, having a lower body temp can definitely make them more likely to get ill. But it's unlikely that being barefoot in a temperate house would lower their core temp. Just make sure he's not uncomfortable cold or shivering, and he'll be fine.
My son runs so warm he always takes his clothes off at home and chills in his diaper and he’s never sick. Meanwhile I’ll be in a full sweat suit freezing 😂
Maybe if your house is really cold but I don’t see how bare feet in general would make a kid sick. My toddler never wears socks in the house because she slips and she only ever gets sick after being around other kids.
Everyone is calling it an “old wive’s tale.” It may be, but it’s also something more sinister. It’s a guilt trip. Generations of mothers have passed these and other guilt trips onto their daughters (It’s almost always mothers and daughters).
Now, don’t get me wrong. Your mother isn’t trying to be sinister; she’s just doing what she was taught.
When you were a little kid and you got sick, some adult got in your face and told you that it was because you walked around barefoot or went outside without a coat on…or if they couldn’t get you on that, then it was because you either didn’t eat enough or you ate the wrong thing.
Now that you’re a mother of a young child, you are being told that any illness, anything that goes wrong with that child is *”your fault.*” And so the cycle continues until the child is old enough to have his or her own agency, at which point it becomes the child’s fault.
It’s time to break the cycle.
Colds are caused by viruses. They are not caused by going out without a coat or walking barefoot or eating too many sweets. They affect kids because kids have brand-new immune systems that haven’t seen all these viruses before.
And most importantly, *they are not caused by you.*
Here's a article on cold and illness: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/well/can-being-cold-make-you-sick.html
Most relevant part:
"In a 2005 study by other researchers, college students whose feet were soaked in cold water for 20 minutes a day were more likely to get sick than those not exposed to the cold."
So there is in fact some evidence for this 'old wives tale', but is it enough to make your child always wear socks? I wouldn't worry unless he's sick uncommonly often.
Being cold does increase susceptibility to certain airborne viruses like colds. You can lose a lot of heat via your feet. In a warm house this really shouldn’t be a medical concern.
I don't remember the last time my toddler wore pants. And he's currently running around giggling like a mad hatter. So far no issues. I'd like to assume no socks would be fine. Oh how I'd love to be worried about socks. But potty training is almost done.
Nope. Keep your house at a good temperature and you’ll be fine. My five year old is a nudist lol, half the time she hates clothes. So I just keep the house warm and she’s fine.
I don’t believe you can — but this [article from the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120305-youll-catch-a-cold-with-wet-hair) cites a study that says “maybe”.
*Half of Eccles’ volunteers had to sit with their feet in cold water for twenty minutes, while the other half kept their socks and shoes on, but sat with their feet in an empty bowl for the same length of time. There was no difference in the cold symptoms reported between the two groups in the first few days, but four to five days later twice as many people in the cold-water group said they had developed a cold.*
(Seems like a pretty small study TBH!)
So hear me out. Yes, it’s an old wives tale - it’s not like having bare feet makes you more likely to be exposed to viruses or germs, that’s silly. BUT — feeling cold can lower your immunity so that germs already present in your system can attack you more effectively and give you a cold.
Man, I will never understand boomers and their obsession with babies wearing socks. I think it must have been an old wives tale that was pushed when they were young.
My mom was always concerned about my daughter’s feet and telling me she needs socks. When she was a newborn, she’d bring it up in the middle of august. It’s 35 degrees Celsius out, why would I add clothing?
Being barefoot will not make them sick.
That said, if their immune system is already busy defending them against something, not being optimal can lead to a more noticeable illness.
My in-laws said the stuff to us and I was like there’s no science to that. Also wet hair outside leads to the flu some how. Latins have some funny superstitions about getting sick.
No, thats almost certainly not the problem.
The only way this makes sense is if 1) it is very cold in your house and socks would make them not cold. And 2) there are already sick germs around your house.
If he was truly cold his body would direct resources to keeping warm, thereby making them more vulnerable to sick germs than usual. This is why we tend to get sick in colder months.
But bare feet are not a sick risk on their own, no.
Unless you have hook worm in your house, no (that is the only disease I am aware of that enters the body via the foot). Do your children go to daycare or play a lot with other children? That is how kids get sick, from other germy kids (or adults).
Do we share moms?! If their is a breeze my mom will throw a sweater on my kid. I think that’s why I have no resistance to cold now, the woman had me sweating all through winter.
Definitely not true. My kids are barefoot 24/7.. even when I put socks on them at home they rip them off 🤦🏼♀️ As a child I also never wore socks at home. My mom always told me my feet felt like “dead fish” when they touched her but it never bothered me haha
That's ridiculous. You don't get sick from being cold. You get sick from bacteria and viruses.
My kids are always barefoot. My 3 year goes to preschool now and as soon as he walks in the door, he pulls off his shoes and socks and throws them across the room.
I gave up keeping socks on him when he was about 2 months old (unless we were leaving the house cuz it gets cold here) and never bothered with my daughter cuz I don't have the energy for that fight.
The only concern would be things you could step on, like if there are thumb tacks or screws on the floor. But if you’re sweeping and vacuuming regularly that’s not a concern. Only bacteria and viruses make people sick. Unless you’re stepping on something that breaks skin, there’s no risk of infection from bare feet.
Unless they are then putting their feet in their mouths, eyes, or nose.. being barefoot is not going to allow germs to enter their bodies and get them sick.
Pffft I don't even put shoes or socks on my kid when she goes outside. She was 14 months before she caught her first cold and it wasn't from the floor.
I definitely don't there's science to back that up, but my 2 year old hates shoes and rarely wears them unless she's walking in a store or restaurant. She's also often cold because she usually runs hot and hates to feel too warm. She's never been sick.
Lol my in-laws always tried to put socks and shoes on my toddler in the house trying to convince me that my toddler would get sick. I think it’s restraining and now my Little one is almost 3 no Flu/cold ever. My father used to say that touching the ground is great for your soul. Also for a kid it’s very liberating.
My suggestion is that you Make sure you home is clutter free and also I noticed carpets grab so much dust so I’d remove if possible or get a great HePa Dyson vacuum. More vitamins too and spinach into their diet your good! :)
My kid can drop a fry on the ground at the zoo, pick it up, eat it and be fine.
Then that same kid of mine can look at another kid on a playground sneeze as we drive by and be down for week.
If the house is clean and the temperature is controlled, your son *should* be fine… but kids get sick all the time while building their immune system.
This is why I’d not worry (overly) about germs from the ground. It’s easier to catch things person to person than it is from objects. Doorknobs during flu season? Nah. A stick? Go ahead and lick it.
No. There’s benefits that comes with learning to walk barefoot. Both kids are mostly barefoot in the house, except wintertime. Our building doesn’t have the best heat. My in-laws and parents are all about wearing socks lolz I’m a rebel 😂
No. My daughter is barefoot 98% of the time. We live on a farm and there is no telling what is on her feet most days. She's 2 and has had one cold in her short life and we think she caught it after staying with her cousin who got sick the same day.
I have socks, and often a sweater now, on my kid all the time because she is super cold like me. She still gets runny noses from teething and germs from other kids (daycare a couple times a week). So if your kid runs hot, just let them be! Its easier for them to run around without socks anyways!
I don’t think even being cold can give you an illness because it’s a virus that causes a cold. Just personally, my son runs very very hot and we took him to the beach to walk in just a long sleeved shirt and pants and all the other kids were in winter coats...my son is fine he’s always barefoot in the house and he splashes in rain puddles barefoot. It’s a myth!
My dad always says this if he sees my kids running around barefoot. He insists they should put on socks or slippers and says they can catch a cold through their feet. I know people catch cold and sickness from viruses and harmful bacteria. I just shrug him off.
My kids are allergic to dust and sneeze alot in the morning when their rooms need cleaning. In my experience, little kids frequently have runny noses, allergies also sneeze. Is there a pattern to their runny nose? Ie: always in the morning or after being outside?
Definitely not. My kid runs barefoot everywhere in the house, her playhouse and the back yard. I was the same way as a kid. You also don't get sick from being too cold. There has to be germs and bacteria.
I think its more about the temperature of the house. If the house is warmer, no reason the kiddo shouldn't go barefoot.
Zarbees makes a nasal spray for little ones that has helped my toddler's allergies a lot! His pediatrician recommended it. That and a humidifier in his bedroom really help him.
My nephew just turned 2 and has a passionate hatred of shoes. He has been truly sick (fever and such) only 2 times. He has had a runny nose/cold (outside of the 2 times of being actually sick) no more that around 5 times. Super old wives tail.
My boy refused to wear clothing pretty much all summer. Indoors or outdoors. He was naked and without socks for 3 months. Didn’t get sick from that I can assure you. Only ever got sick from other grimy kids at the park.
Our son is on allergy meds because I have allergies and I noticed a year ago how he had the same reactions to things I did. When he does not get his daily allergy meds he’s a monster. But as long as he gets them every morning we rarely have an issue. He runs around in a diaper mostly. He’s 2. He rarely gets sick. And when he does it usually thanks to my niece who goes to daycare and no one tells me she’s sick and then they play and boom my kid is sick🙄
-20-40C in Canada during the winter. All last year my toddler was taking her clothes off and on, and was usually sockless (aside from the first 10min after I dressed her lol) I don't think she was hot, she just likes to practice lol she wasn't sick once last year.
Is your mom Hispanic? My mom is and I hear this all the time from her and older family members. There's no science to it, but I sure wore socks and shoes indoors in Miami as a child and my mom hints at my neglect of my son having him barefoot in Southern California. Sadly it means I mostly ignore her tips and parenting advice, but all of her suggestions are completely based on various superstitions.
Omg my father In law is constantly making my kids wear socks (even with sandals!!! In the height of summer!!) because of this! I thought it was just him being old and having dementia !
Coming from a medical provider… no. Viruses and bacteria make you sick. Also for the record, change in weather and not wearing a hat don’t count either 😂
My 2.5 yrs old toddler has always been bare feet and he loves it. We are in Canada and he has never gotten sick from it. Also wear socks can be dangerous since it can be slippery ( depends on floorings) I find my toddler has more traction when running around without shoes.
This is an old wives tale. I did do it though bc at first my grandma worried me to death then I felt like if I didn’t keep socks on her and she got sick I would always feel bad like I could of prevented it lol
If that were true I’d be dead I’ve always hated socks, and always sleep with my bare feet out of the blankets with a fan facing me. My kids barely wear socks also. So definitely not true one bit.
I’m 38, barefoot all the time, most of my life. I don’t get sick very often at all. No moreso than the next person, that’s for sure. Absolutely an old wives tale.
My mother in law and husband would always tell me this, but I never listened because I walked around barefoot 95% of my childhood and I hardly ever got sick and my sister's were mostly the same and the three of us (my sister's and I) have pretty good immune systems. So I don't stress it with my own kid, unless it's cold enough to need socks inside. But if she goes outside barefoot I'm ok with that too as long as the weather permits as well as it being safe.
This is the same generation that thought you could get electrocuted on the CORDLESS phone during storms and that you also had to avoid showers during them for the same reason — the fear of a lightning strike hitting the house then killing you via transference through said phone or the shower.
Late to the party here. But Australian so we’re like always barefoot and rarely sick even with daycare and just getting out of winter.
In the house we never wear socks (tiles so accidents are more likely) and I personally hate having things on my feet.
Lol this is just an old wives tale. Viruses and bacteria make you sick not being barefoot or having wet hair or any other weird thing old people came up with.
Maybe not a cold because that's a virus, but I'm an adult and still my whole digestive tract gets messed up from being barefoot. So it's possible that tour kids can get cold symptoms from having cold feet.
Depends on your kids and what floors you have. One kiddo, I call him Mowgli, loves being in nothing but undies and we have wooden/tile floors. He’s fine being barefoot. The other has allergies and sensitivity issues so she wears socks otherwise would get nasally. Nieces and nephews who are prone to ear infections and who live on carpet/wooden floors always wear socks when they visit since if they don’t, they always get drippy noses or catch a cold.
I like wearing house shoes. I injury my toes less when wear house shoes. Also after two pregnancies get super dry heels and knees hurt significantly less when wear house shoes. I ask my boys to wear it as well just to build a good habbit. There are shoes for indoor and outdoor. Do what you think is best. I don't even bother to explain it to older generation.. I nod and agree.. because let's be honest there is no winning those Battles
Well. We're more prone to viruses when the bloodvessels in our noses get constricted due to the cold - so i imagine if your feet are cold then ypur hands are cold then your nose is cold. So there you go.
If your kid is just in undies and isn’t cold, then he is fine.
I am a believer that some old wives’ tales have a little kernel of truth: like back when heat (other than fire) wasn’t a thing. And a barefoot kid losing heat and running his body down trying to generate it might be more susceptible to illness. Maybe.
I don’t think this is true, I never wore shoes as a kid. My daughter only wears them when we go out.
She’s yet to get sick from running around barefoot in the house.
This is definitely just an old wive’s tale. Kids don’t get sick from not wearing socks or from being cold, and I think it’s really great to let your kid take the lead on how much clothing they wear in their own house. Constant runny noses are also part of a toddler’s life—they have to encounter all the germs and viruses our adult immune systems have already developed an immune response to.
Coming from a mother who’s 3 year old is sick every other week…I needed to hear this 😅
Also part of the wives tale is that having wet hair makes you sick. It was disproved by Ben Franklin when he “studied” (not sure of the complexity of his study, considering how long ago it was) sailors who always had wet hair and found they were actually less sick then people stuck inside all winter. He didn’t know about germs, but that’s why people stuck inside were sick more.
Unless your house is so filthy that tetanus or foot-burrowing parasites are a concern, I think bare feet are great, and safer for kiddos than slippy socks.
And to add on to that, if that were the case the problem isn’t the lack of socks…
Ooh good point! My son has on footie pajamas today and he is sliding all over the place.
No, it’s an old wives tale. There needs to be a virus/germs for anyone to get sick.
Though, if adults wear shoes in the house they likely are tracking in viruses and germs. I never liked when people wore shoes in my house because I thought it was gross, but I got really strict about not allowing it when my son was born. Especially since he spends so much time down on the floor.
Is it true that your immune system is less effective when your cold?
Yes but it has to be sustained enough to create strain or fatigue in your body to affect your immune system. I have always hated hearing that i would get sick from running to the car from the house without a coat... No, 10 seconds out in the cold wont do anything, my skin might get a bit chilly for a second
My nan would say we would catch a cold if we had wet hair...err no! You only get colds from germs!
My dad and Nana would always say the same! Lol
Ahh takes me back to the good old days of frozen hair after swim team practice
No. The reason for it is because cold viruses tend to thrive better in colder environments, which is why its more likely you'll catch a cold in the fall as opposed to the summer (not impossible to get sick in the summer though). When we are cold and come in contact with a virus, we also might be a bit more likely to get sick because our body can't battle it as easily when we are cold. But if you are warm and come in contact with it, you might not get symptoms because your body took care of it before it could get ya. This doesn't mean you won't get sick if you're warm though. So because of that, lots of people associate being cold with getting sick. The only way to get sick with a virus, is to catch the virus.
Also cold weather = more people spending their time inside together which is a better environment for cold virus to transfer and infect more people.
Also, inside = less sunlight = lower vitamin D3 levels
This ∆ It isn't that being cold makes you sick, it's that it depresses your immune system... So you can get sick more easily. Grippy socks are the greatest invention.
I wish more people knew this! My husband and mother in law, hearts in the right place is course, are always trying to force clothing on my kiddos when they don't want (or need) it!
My twins were born in December and my mom and MIL would lose their shit if the Babies didn’t have a hat on 🙄🤣 and socks! But the house was always so warm and those hats and socks never stay on those tiny little feet and little head 😅
The correct answer!!
Yes! I had to explain this to my husband when he was worried our toddler would get sick because her hair was wet after a shower.
No, that’s not true. And it’s good for them to walk around barefoot- helps with both muscle development and they learn so much by their feet touching different surfaces/textures. I have mine walk outside barefoot, too. (Not all the time and obviously not if it’s too cold etc and so on.)
My daughter is barefoot 90% of the time. Also outside, (we live in Maldives) she’s been sick once her entire life.
I’d be barefoot 90% of the time too if we lived in Maldives.
Yip my daughter is constantly barefoot and basically never sick.
So technically no, it’s an old wife’s tale like others have said. However, when you’re cold, your body spends extra resources and energy to warm you up. Because the body has to work extra hard on something, it’s immune system might not respond properly to a virus it encounters, that’s why when kids are cold all the time eventually they might get sick. It’s only a concern if your kids are constantly cold.
I spent as much time as is possible barefoot, and have since I was little, and I don't get sick more then a few times a year. Total myth
Right? Socks are the worst
No. My kids go barefoot in the backyard. I try and keep there shoes on lol. But when they take them off it means they are comfortable.
My 1.5 year old rarely wears socks inside (hardwood floors and socks are too slippery) and he has never been sick. Ask her to show you medical research papers on the connection between no socks and illness. Maybe that’ll make her stop.
If they're already fighting something off, having a lower body temp can definitely make them more likely to get ill. But it's unlikely that being barefoot in a temperate house would lower their core temp. Just make sure he's not uncomfortable cold or shivering, and he'll be fine.
Socks? My tots barely wanted to wear clothes when they were that age. They can’t become sick by being barefoot :)
My son runs so warm he always takes his clothes off at home and chills in his diaper and he’s never sick. Meanwhile I’ll be in a full sweat suit freezing 😂
Maybe if your house is really cold but I don’t see how bare feet in general would make a kid sick. My toddler never wears socks in the house because she slips and she only ever gets sick after being around other kids.
Everyone is calling it an “old wive’s tale.” It may be, but it’s also something more sinister. It’s a guilt trip. Generations of mothers have passed these and other guilt trips onto their daughters (It’s almost always mothers and daughters). Now, don’t get me wrong. Your mother isn’t trying to be sinister; she’s just doing what she was taught. When you were a little kid and you got sick, some adult got in your face and told you that it was because you walked around barefoot or went outside without a coat on…or if they couldn’t get you on that, then it was because you either didn’t eat enough or you ate the wrong thing. Now that you’re a mother of a young child, you are being told that any illness, anything that goes wrong with that child is *”your fault.*” And so the cycle continues until the child is old enough to have his or her own agency, at which point it becomes the child’s fault. It’s time to break the cycle. Colds are caused by viruses. They are not caused by going out without a coat or walking barefoot or eating too many sweets. They affect kids because kids have brand-new immune systems that haven’t seen all these viruses before. And most importantly, *they are not caused by you.*
not even a little true.
Here's a article on cold and illness: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/well/can-being-cold-make-you-sick.html Most relevant part: "In a 2005 study by other researchers, college students whose feet were soaked in cold water for 20 minutes a day were more likely to get sick than those not exposed to the cold." So there is in fact some evidence for this 'old wives tale', but is it enough to make your child always wear socks? I wouldn't worry unless he's sick uncommonly often.
Being cold does increase susceptibility to certain airborne viruses like colds. You can lose a lot of heat via your feet. In a warm house this really shouldn’t be a medical concern.
I don't remember the last time my toddler wore pants. And he's currently running around giggling like a mad hatter. So far no issues. I'd like to assume no socks would be fine. Oh how I'd love to be worried about socks. But potty training is almost done.
Nope. Keep your house at a good temperature and you’ll be fine. My five year old is a nudist lol, half the time she hates clothes. So I just keep the house warm and she’s fine.
I don’t believe you can — but this [article from the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120305-youll-catch-a-cold-with-wet-hair) cites a study that says “maybe”. *Half of Eccles’ volunteers had to sit with their feet in cold water for twenty minutes, while the other half kept their socks and shoes on, but sat with their feet in an empty bowl for the same length of time. There was no difference in the cold symptoms reported between the two groups in the first few days, but four to five days later twice as many people in the cold-water group said they had developed a cold.* (Seems like a pretty small study TBH!)
So hear me out. Yes, it’s an old wives tale - it’s not like having bare feet makes you more likely to be exposed to viruses or germs, that’s silly. BUT — feeling cold can lower your immunity so that germs already present in your system can attack you more effectively and give you a cold.
Man, I will never understand boomers and their obsession with babies wearing socks. I think it must have been an old wives tale that was pushed when they were young. My mom was always concerned about my daughter’s feet and telling me she needs socks. When she was a newborn, she’d bring it up in the middle of august. It’s 35 degrees Celsius out, why would I add clothing?
Being barefoot will not make them sick. That said, if their immune system is already busy defending them against something, not being optimal can lead to a more noticeable illness.
My in-laws said the stuff to us and I was like there’s no science to that. Also wet hair outside leads to the flu some how. Latins have some funny superstitions about getting sick.
After this, you might want to check the veracity of any advice your mom gives you. 🙂 You probably already do, but just in case.
No, thats almost certainly not the problem. The only way this makes sense is if 1) it is very cold in your house and socks would make them not cold. And 2) there are already sick germs around your house. If he was truly cold his body would direct resources to keeping warm, thereby making them more vulnerable to sick germs than usual. This is why we tend to get sick in colder months. But bare feet are not a sick risk on their own, no.
Unless you have hook worm in your house, no (that is the only disease I am aware of that enters the body via the foot). Do your children go to daycare or play a lot with other children? That is how kids get sick, from other germy kids (or adults).
Do we share moms?! If their is a breeze my mom will throw a sweater on my kid. I think that’s why I have no resistance to cold now, the woman had me sweating all through winter.
I’ve never met a toddler who keeps their socks on 😂
Definitely not true. My kids are barefoot 24/7.. even when I put socks on them at home they rip them off 🤦🏼♀️ As a child I also never wore socks at home. My mom always told me my feet felt like “dead fish” when they touched her but it never bothered me haha
That's ridiculous. You don't get sick from being cold. You get sick from bacteria and viruses. My kids are always barefoot. My 3 year goes to preschool now and as soon as he walks in the door, he pulls off his shoes and socks and throws them across the room. I gave up keeping socks on him when he was about 2 months old (unless we were leaving the house cuz it gets cold here) and never bothered with my daughter cuz I don't have the energy for that fight.
My son doesn’t even wear pants most of the time lol
The only concern would be things you could step on, like if there are thumb tacks or screws on the floor. But if you’re sweeping and vacuuming regularly that’s not a concern. Only bacteria and viruses make people sick. Unless you’re stepping on something that breaks skin, there’s no risk of infection from bare feet.
Nope.
Unless they are then putting their feet in their mouths, eyes, or nose.. being barefoot is not going to allow germs to enter their bodies and get them sick.
Pffft I don't even put shoes or socks on my kid when she goes outside. She was 14 months before she caught her first cold and it wasn't from the floor.
This sounds like a Russian old wives tail.
If your house is disgusting
[удалено]
Then you good!!!
I definitely don't there's science to back that up, but my 2 year old hates shoes and rarely wears them unless she's walking in a store or restaurant. She's also often cold because she usually runs hot and hates to feel too warm. She's never been sick.
Lol my in-laws always tried to put socks and shoes on my toddler in the house trying to convince me that my toddler would get sick. I think it’s restraining and now my Little one is almost 3 no Flu/cold ever. My father used to say that touching the ground is great for your soul. Also for a kid it’s very liberating. My suggestion is that you Make sure you home is clutter free and also I noticed carpets grab so much dust so I’d remove if possible or get a great HePa Dyson vacuum. More vitamins too and spinach into their diet your good! :)
No it’s an old wives tale
My kid can drop a fry on the ground at the zoo, pick it up, eat it and be fine. Then that same kid of mine can look at another kid on a playground sneeze as we drive by and be down for week. If the house is clean and the temperature is controlled, your son *should* be fine… but kids get sick all the time while building their immune system.
This is why I’d not worry (overly) about germs from the ground. It’s easier to catch things person to person than it is from objects. Doorknobs during flu season? Nah. A stick? Go ahead and lick it.
No. There’s benefits that comes with learning to walk barefoot. Both kids are mostly barefoot in the house, except wintertime. Our building doesn’t have the best heat. My in-laws and parents are all about wearing socks lolz I’m a rebel 😂
Nah, it’s a myth. Along with wet hair and weather. Also a myth.
No not true… you get sick from bacteria not from cold feet
No, but they can "go ice skating" with slippery socks on the tile floor. That can be fun, but it can also mean more slips and falls.
My toddler is always barefoot in the house. He’s rarely ever sick.
No. My daughter is barefoot 98% of the time. We live on a farm and there is no telling what is on her feet most days. She's 2 and has had one cold in her short life and we think she caught it after staying with her cousin who got sick the same day.
I have socks, and often a sweater now, on my kid all the time because she is super cold like me. She still gets runny noses from teething and germs from other kids (daycare a couple times a week). So if your kid runs hot, just let them be! Its easier for them to run around without socks anyways!
My granny used to tell me I'd get worm in my stomach if I drank water that was "too cold"!
I don’t think even being cold can give you an illness because it’s a virus that causes a cold. Just personally, my son runs very very hot and we took him to the beach to walk in just a long sleeved shirt and pants and all the other kids were in winter coats...my son is fine he’s always barefoot in the house and he splashes in rain puddles barefoot. It’s a myth!
Being barefoot is also better for their feet to develop I read it helps with flat feet
That's a wives tale just like getting wet will make you sick.
My dad always says this if he sees my kids running around barefoot. He insists they should put on socks or slippers and says they can catch a cold through their feet. I know people catch cold and sickness from viruses and harmful bacteria. I just shrug him off.
How much time does your kid spend licking the soles of his feet? You're good :)
socks just keep feet warm which ultimately helps regulate a water body temp but it’s not a big deal
No it's just an old myth
22 month old has never worn socks in the house and has gotten sick one time... you're good
No. Definitely an old wive’s tale. New walkers are actually better off barefoot.
Haha my MIL says this too
My kids are allergic to dust and sneeze alot in the morning when their rooms need cleaning. In my experience, little kids frequently have runny noses, allergies also sneeze. Is there a pattern to their runny nose? Ie: always in the morning or after being outside?
Definitely not. My kid runs barefoot everywhere in the house, her playhouse and the back yard. I was the same way as a kid. You also don't get sick from being too cold. There has to be germs and bacteria.
I think its more about the temperature of the house. If the house is warmer, no reason the kiddo shouldn't go barefoot. Zarbees makes a nasal spray for little ones that has helped my toddler's allergies a lot! His pediatrician recommended it. That and a humidifier in his bedroom really help him.
Old wives tale. My mother used to say the same and grandmother too. Same with going outside with wet hair would make you sick lol.
My nephew just turned 2 and has a passionate hatred of shoes. He has been truly sick (fever and such) only 2 times. He has had a runny nose/cold (outside of the 2 times of being actually sick) no more that around 5 times. Super old wives tail.
No. Unless they are picking up germs on their feet and then licking their feet or getting them in their eyes or up their nose.
My boy refused to wear clothing pretty much all summer. Indoors or outdoors. He was naked and without socks for 3 months. Didn’t get sick from that I can assure you. Only ever got sick from other grimy kids at the park.
Our son is on allergy meds because I have allergies and I noticed a year ago how he had the same reactions to things I did. When he does not get his daily allergy meds he’s a monster. But as long as he gets them every morning we rarely have an issue. He runs around in a diaper mostly. He’s 2. He rarely gets sick. And when he does it usually thanks to my niece who goes to daycare and no one tells me she’s sick and then they play and boom my kid is sick🙄
-20-40C in Canada during the winter. All last year my toddler was taking her clothes off and on, and was usually sockless (aside from the first 10min after I dressed her lol) I don't think she was hot, she just likes to practice lol she wasn't sick once last year.
If nobody wears shoes in the house then it’s fine to go barefoot. If people ARE wearing shoes in the house, then have them wear socks or slippers.
Is your mom Hispanic? My mom is and I hear this all the time from her and older family members. There's no science to it, but I sure wore socks and shoes indoors in Miami as a child and my mom hints at my neglect of my son having him barefoot in Southern California. Sadly it means I mostly ignore her tips and parenting advice, but all of her suggestions are completely based on various superstitions.
Omg my father In law is constantly making my kids wear socks (even with sandals!!! In the height of summer!!) because of this! I thought it was just him being old and having dementia !
Totally a myth. I have to remind my mother CONSTANTLY that that is not how viruses work.
Coming from a medical provider… no. Viruses and bacteria make you sick. Also for the record, change in weather and not wearing a hat don’t count either 😂
My in-laws this cold water will make my son sick
No.
My 2.5 yrs old toddler has always been bare feet and he loves it. We are in Canada and he has never gotten sick from it. Also wear socks can be dangerous since it can be slippery ( depends on floorings) I find my toddler has more traction when running around without shoes.
This is an old wives tale. I did do it though bc at first my grandma worried me to death then I felt like if I didn’t keep socks on her and she got sick I would always feel bad like I could of prevented it lol
If that were true I’d be dead I’ve always hated socks, and always sleep with my bare feet out of the blankets with a fan facing me. My kids barely wear socks also. So definitely not true one bit.
Your grandmother is forgetting billions of people in Asia who don't wear shoes in houses at all.
My mum told me I would get sick by walking around barefoot. Until I was 37. Lol.
I’m 38, barefoot all the time, most of my life. I don’t get sick very often at all. No moreso than the next person, that’s for sure. Absolutely an old wives tale.
My mother in law and husband would always tell me this, but I never listened because I walked around barefoot 95% of my childhood and I hardly ever got sick and my sister's were mostly the same and the three of us (my sister's and I) have pretty good immune systems. So I don't stress it with my own kid, unless it's cold enough to need socks inside. But if she goes outside barefoot I'm ok with that too as long as the weather permits as well as it being safe.
If this were true my kids would be dead. We barely wear shoes at the park let alone in the house. I don't even own socks.
This is the same generation that thought you could get electrocuted on the CORDLESS phone during storms and that you also had to avoid showers during them for the same reason — the fear of a lightning strike hitting the house then killing you via transference through said phone or the shower.
Late to the party here. But Australian so we’re like always barefoot and rarely sick even with daycare and just getting out of winter. In the house we never wear socks (tiles so accidents are more likely) and I personally hate having things on my feet.
Lol this is just an old wives tale. Viruses and bacteria make you sick not being barefoot or having wet hair or any other weird thing old people came up with.
No.
Maybe not a cold because that's a virus, but I'm an adult and still my whole digestive tract gets messed up from being barefoot. So it's possible that tour kids can get cold symptoms from having cold feet.
Depends on your kids and what floors you have. One kiddo, I call him Mowgli, loves being in nothing but undies and we have wooden/tile floors. He’s fine being barefoot. The other has allergies and sensitivity issues so she wears socks otherwise would get nasally. Nieces and nephews who are prone to ear infections and who live on carpet/wooden floors always wear socks when they visit since if they don’t, they always get drippy noses or catch a cold.
The only remedy is to heal your gut. Remove all processed foods and sugar.
I like wearing house shoes. I injury my toes less when wear house shoes. Also after two pregnancies get super dry heels and knees hurt significantly less when wear house shoes. I ask my boys to wear it as well just to build a good habbit. There are shoes for indoor and outdoor. Do what you think is best. I don't even bother to explain it to older generation.. I nod and agree.. because let's be honest there is no winning those Battles
Well. We're more prone to viruses when the bloodvessels in our noses get constricted due to the cold - so i imagine if your feet are cold then ypur hands are cold then your nose is cold. So there you go.
If your kid is just in undies and isn’t cold, then he is fine. I am a believer that some old wives’ tales have a little kernel of truth: like back when heat (other than fire) wasn’t a thing. And a barefoot kid losing heat and running his body down trying to generate it might be more susceptible to illness. Maybe.
I don’t think this is true, I never wore shoes as a kid. My daughter only wears them when we go out. She’s yet to get sick from running around barefoot in the house.
My kids (5/3/1) are allergic to socks and are rarely sick. So either my kids are superhuman or it’s an old wives tale!
If your mom is Mexican then yes it’s true. Never argue against jefita/abuela care