The benefits of being barefooted!

Did you know that we have as many nerves in our feet as we do in our hands?

There are approximately 75000 nerve endings in each foot as well as a comprehensive network of tendons, muscles and ligaments. It is also incredible to think that a quarter of all the bones in the human body are in the feet. Feet give us stability, balance, grip, strength, and shock absorption.

Babies and young children need to ‘feel’ with their feet to build a sense of where their foot is and to use that knowledge to negotiate surfaces, to walk and to grow the bones and ligaments in their feet and ankles.

Socks and shoes can dull these senses, so it is important to allow our babies and young children as much time as possible to be barefoot.

The nerves in our feet work together to control the foot and toe muscles to help us determine how and where weight should be distributed to stop us falling, to negotiate different surfaces and to change heights. There is the additional advantage of being grounded when we have bare feet– that sensory feedback calms our nervous systems.

Picture the baby on its back, playing with its feet – the baby is discovering it and stimulating the nerves and getting sensory feedback. This will assist the baby crawling, pushing against surfaces, pulling to stand and balancing, precariously at first.

Those feet need to do this without shoes and socks so that each part of the foot is in direct contact with the ground and has the room to expand, scrunch and roll.

Each different surface the child is on gives them the sensory feedback they need as a walker, runner, climber, rider and enable then to play.

Wherever possible and safe, consider the enormous developmental benefit of letting your child be barefoot. Their development will thank you for it!

Head to www.elfwa.com for more information about early development and why it matters and how important it it to honour each child’s early development. It is too important to rush!