Do your kids play barefoot in the backyard?

[Anonymous]

We live in Clifton, Va and no. We have some venomous snakes.

[Anonymous]

Of course. I make them wash their feet when they come in.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid who is outside all the time with no shoes. I remember in late elementary school, the doctor was asking her some basic safety questions. Here is how it went.

“What do you put on to rise a bike?”

“I don’t ride a bike.”

“What do you put on in the car?”

Hesitantly. “My shoes?”

Because when we are going somewhere, she is always outside in the yard and driveway barefoot while we aren’t getting in the car. And then we are reminding her to put on shoes before we get where we are going. It was hilarious and the doctor gave up. It would never have occurred to her that he was asking about seatbelts because that is so automatic to her.

[Anonymous]

Shoes. We have holly leaves and animal poo.

[Anonymous]

Barefoot when it’s warm out unless they’re playing soccer…

[Anonymous]

Yes. My preference is they wear shoes, but it’s not a hill I’m going to die on unless I feel it’s dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It is healthier to grow up without these neurotic fears.

[Anonymous]

Right now, no because it's bee season and we have a lot of clover in the back yard. Later in the year, sure.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Florida so the thought of playing in the yard without shoes makes me shudder. That’s how you get fire ant bites and stuck with grass burrs. I guess that’s not an issue here though so if my kids want to, whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Florida so the thought of playing in the yard without shoes makes me shudder. That’s how you get fire ant bites and stuck with grass burrs. I guess that’s not an issue here though so if my kids want to, whatever.

St. Augustine grass is also just terrible and poky, so it's hard to compare. Grass up here is much nicer.

[Anonymous]

No. That’s just disgusting and dangerous. If one spreads fertilizer and pesticides, that’s bad for feet. But also consider animal feces from rodents, birds, etc. and stinging insects, and the possibility of a rusty nail or sharp stone.
Unless you have one of those fake lawn carpets and vacuum it regularly, it’s a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Based on some of these responses, it should be no surprise that anxiety rates have been skyrocketing for kids. Kids should be able to go through life without being told to worry about animal feces when walking through grass — although I don’t recommend deliberately walking in poop and would mention this to my kid if she didn’t already naturally know to avoid this.

[Anonymous]

I just don't want them to injure their feet. So I ask them to put shoes on. They also will run out in their socks, which drives me mad because it ruins the socks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. That’s just disgusting and dangerous. If one spreads fertilizer and pesticides, that’s bad for feet. But also consider animal feces from rodents, birds, etc. and stinging insects, and the possibility of a rusty nail or sharp stone.
Unless you have one of those fake lawn carpets and vacuum it regularly, it’s a bad idea.

Ugh. Going barefoot is fine around here, and it seems weird to me that so many people are against it. My kids go barefoot. I went barefoot (& still do in my own yard). My dad ran all over the place barefoot as a kid, to the point his feet got super tough each summer, and his family was not remotely poor.

My kids have occasionally been stung by a bee or stepped on a thorn. So what? It’s not the end of the world. They can obviously choose to wear shoes if they want.

[Anonymous]

I have a sensory thing about dust/dirt/grit on my feet so I don't go barefoot except on thick grass, but that's me being weird.