Treating Children's Feet Problems

For Toddlers:

• Opt for light, flexible shoes once kids start to walk, but only for outdoors. Inside, let them continue to go barefoot or with light socks. This helps promote healthy muscle development.
• Kids’ feet grow very fast, so check their shoes regularly and replace them before they get too tight. (Measuring feet every six weeks is a great idea.) You might only have a month or two before it’s time to size up.
• Watch your child’s arches as they begin to walk. You might notice that they flatten while standing, but re-emerge when sitting or on tiptoes. That’s pretty normal, and usually goes away by age 2 or 3. However, feet that remain flat much later than that, or are more rigidly flat, may need treatment.

Continuing to Grow:

• Keep checking those shoes! It may take many years yet before kids wear out their shoes before growing out of them.
• Observe your child’s stability and gait as they walk. Obviously they won’t look perfect at first, but if you notice feet pointing inward or outward, bow legs, a tendency to walk on tiptoes, or any other kind of unbalanced or unsteady gait, bring them in for a checkup.
• Make sure you teach good hygiene habits to your little one. Soon, they’ll be responsible for keeping feet clean and dry every day.
• Don’t give your kids hand-me-down shoes, even though big brother’s or big sister’s old pair might still be in good shape. Shoes tend to take the shape of the original wearer’s feet, and shoes that have “molded” to someone else can cause pain for a new user.
• As kids begin enjoying more independence and active play, keep an eye out for signs that they might be withdrawing from things they used to enjoy, or asking you to carry them more frequently. This could be a sign that their feet are hurting.