When E left playgroup in July he’d changed so much from his first day aged 2 years 9 months. Who knew that the summer holidays would see him literally grow taller, become stronger and faster and ooze a newly tapped self-assurance.
Ready to take on the world!
E naturally favours being barefoot and kicks his shoes off at the first opportunity. I wonder what his school teacher would say if he insisted on taking his shoes off (we can ask her next week when she makes a home visit to each child in her class the week before they start!) Perhaps we’ll tell her about the work of researchers at Bournemouth University who studied thousands of children from 25 countries over ten years and found children with no shoes behave better and achieve better grades. Experts believe having children remove their shoes for the classroom improves their learning because it makes them relax and “feel at home”, and have called on teachers in the UK to apply similar “shoeless” policies.
Until children are encouraged to go barefoot in school the best we can do is continue to buy E foot-shaped barefoot shoes with a wide toe box to allow for the natural development of the foot, a flexible sole to feel the ground beneath his feet and made from natural, breathable materials. After our experiment at the age of 2 to find the perfect barefoot shoe for our wide toed, skinny ankled boy, Bobux shoes continue to be our go to brand.
I crossed all fingers and toes when I browsed our favourite on-line shoe shop for a Bobux style that would tick ”smart black shoes” off the school uniform list. 2 days later E’s parcel arrived from Bear-foot shoes. So simple, one choice and no shlepping around the shops in the last week of the summer holidays.
E’s actually yet to try them on (“I’m too busy right now Mummy”) but I know they’ll be fine. E has other Bobux shoes and boots and measuring his feet myself at home and checking against the size guides on the Bear-foot website always ends in just the right fit. I hope he hasn’t grown too much since his trial run with his new uniform at the start of the summer! Do you think the shark headwear is a bit much?
ps. Bear-foot also stock a Bobux style suitable as a girl’s school shoe
There is a school in Gloucester that has a bare foot policy in its school!
Ooh, F and Z’s? We didn’t ask Es teacher, figured if E wants to take his shoes off he just will!
No not our school. Coopers Edge school I think…
No not our school. Coopers Edge I think…