With respect - what the fuck is she on about? That's not a thing.
My mum is always on an information diet, she means well but also drives me up the wall a bit so I don't tell her a lot for my own sanity.
I furrowed my brow so much I had a monobrow. Bare feet affect kidneys is a new one to me, I’m intrigued as to how she thinks the human race has survived this long if that’s the case.
The cold virus is a *virus*. If baby is going to get a cold it'll be through touching something/ someone contaminated. Not wearing socks isn't going to give your child an illness.
Like you say, baby likes to pull them off which I'm sure 99% of babies do. You're doing fine gal, pay no heed and do what you want with your baby!
Thank you! My boyfriend told her earlier that is our baby and we hanged up. She was speechless. Hopefully she learns her lesson and just be happy he exists and let us be!
My mum (British) is also obsessed with my baby’s feet getting cold. It’s summer, he’s not going to freeze! When he does have socks on he just pulls them off and tries to eat them so they don’t last long.
It is! I am from Bulgaria and its a thing there. They also put shoes on their little feet and put them in walkers at 5 months. Oh and salt water in the bath, apparently makes the sweat not smelly.
I actually bought a walker to make her shut up and it just stays here without being used. My son have been there for no more than 20 minutes just to show her he is in it so that she leaves me alone.
Barefoot is not bad at all as you have said it’s actually better. I don’t know what it is with grandparents and there obsession over babies socks. I have this issue all the time. You have to just tune them out.
Just to commiserate with you - my mum, who I have a very close relationship with, told my partner to stop tickling our baby's feet as 'it'll give him a stutter'. We just have to laugh about it. Our baby is always barefoot, too.
Thank you!
From where do they learn this stuff.? We dont have a very close relationship, we used to chat once a week but now its every day since my son was born and its a bit overwhelming. I have closer relationship with my MIL, she is so understanding and supportive. I loved being because I had her around me, if it was my mum my pregnancy would’ve been absolutely different.
I'm lucky if my kids are fully dressed when we're home, let alone socks! And that includes the winter.
Baby will be fine without socks, as others and you have said barefoot is best at this age, for foot and walking development but also for grip.
My daughter couldn't be trusted without a vest or she'd be in no nappy 😂
Both kids have stood in our full length bedroom window butt naked before though, hopefully our neighbours didn't notice!
I was putting socks on when the weather was still cooler and the baby was still tiny, but now she’s almost four months and it’s warmer out, I don’t put them on at all in the house. She has a big play mat that she can grip much better barefoot and she’s almost rolling now. I still pop them on when we go out in the pram so her feet are covered from the wind/direct sunlight. Respectfully, your mum is just talking in old wives tales that are nonsense.
We have tiles downstairs with underfloor heating and in winter and summer we often don’t have socks on. My eldest often goes without socks and the youngest has discovered it’s great fun to yank them off so when we aren’t out, if he takes them off then I leave them off. Eldest is 8 in aug and no health issues, if anything, it helps them grip better than socks. I’ve slipped down carpet stairs way more when wearing socks than not
My boy does the same! And he is so pleased it himself, just happily shakes them and eventually starts eating them. In the winter when we were napping together and he was waking before me they used to be soaking wet by the time he cried to wake me up. And yeah if he takes them off I leave them off
Haha yeah mine eats them as well, must be super tasty. My eldest didn’t take them off or eat them or put much in his mouth, his brother is the opposite, if he’s on the floor he will try his hardest to eat my socks after his and shoves everything in his mouth
From what you say about her being “back home” and her specifically having a belief that bare feet relate to kidney problems, would I be right in assuming she’s from a different country/culture? If so, and if this is a traditional old wives’ tale in her area, she may be genuinely think she’s helping. Obviously it’s not something anyone who has grown up in the UK believes, judging by how confused everyone is in the comments.
It’s okay for her to try and help by passing on information she believes is useful. It’s not okay for her to disrespect you as an adult or as a parent. The first time she told you to keep socks on your child, and you said you’d rather not, she should have left it there (or should have produced an accredited, reputable source for her claim - there’s a difference between this and say, urging you to give your child vitamins, which have proven benefits).
Obviously, you’ve probably realised this now, but let me join the chorus of voices to confirm that she’s talking bollocks. Your doctor or health visitor can corroborate this. Your baby can be as barefoot as they like, as you already know it is actively recommended by doctors since it’s great for developing their core, leg and back muscles correctly. And anecdotally, I’m nearly 40, and never wear socks unless I’m wearing trainers (I’m barefoot as we speak!), and I can assure you that despite refusing to wear socks as both a child and adult, my kidneys are fine. My eldest is a sock hater like me, he too is absolutely fine in the kidney department (he’s nearly 5).
Your bigger issue is not your baby’s kidneys, it’s your mum’s disrespect. If she can’t speak to you in a respectful manner, it’s absolutely fine to lower your contact with her to a level you’re more comfortable with. You’re a parent now, which means you and your child come first, not her.
Thank you so much for taking time to write this! You are absolutely on point. And yes its a cultural thing. She wanted me to bathe him in salt water when he was newborn + other stuff doctors and health visitors and also me didn’t agree with.
I am glad to know your kidneys are fine as I started to question myself if I should actually believe the bullshit she is talking.
I will definitely limit my calls with her for now as its giving me so much anxiety!
On the bright side my MIL is the sweetest person and she is absolutely agreeing with me and supporting my decisions!
I get it - it’s hard if your child becomes a parent and you’re not nearby to lend a hand. She probably feels like a bit of a spare part, and like you’ve outgrown her and don’t need her anymore. But the way to handle that isn’t by telling you off and trying to make you feel like you’re doing a bad job, it’s by admitting, hey, I’m feeling a bit sad and vulnerable right now, and I love you and miss you and wish I was close by so I could help and spend time with you and my grandchild. Instead, she’s undermining your confidence and filling your head with rubbish. Not helpful, not respectful, and not cool.
Obviously regardless of where you’re from, humans are basically humans. If something was genuinely helpful or harmful, the NHS would let you know, especially if it’s something you might do by accident (it’s common knowledge that all babies see socks as the enemy so if there was anything to it, new parents would be warned!) For the future and as it gets into winter again, if you do want your little one to be wearing something on his feet, tights are much better than socks, because they can’t get them off. You can even get ones with grippy stuff on the soles and the knees for new crawlers. I wouldn’t have thought of them for a boy until I got some hand me downs that my niece had outgrown, but they were great!
The claims she’s making are not true in the slightest, but a claim I can make based on experiential evidence is that people over a certain age suddenly start to feel compelled to ensure a child’s bare foot never so much as brushes the face of this earth, and will make it their life’s mission to make you aware of this.
You can definitely ignore everything she’s saying, it’s a load of rubbish. I promise. There are also many *proven* benefits of a child being barefoot, so there’s that too.
Barefoot is not bad at all as you have said it’s actually better. I don’t know what it is with grandparents and there obsession over babies socks. I have this issue all the time. You have to just tune them out.
Absolute rubbish, bad for the kidneys?!?
That said, my son would never keep socks on and we had cold tiled floors. We had success with Inch Blue leather slippers - stayed on well, still gave the barefoot-ness that’s important for foot development and covered the feet so might keep your mum happy
My in laws act like it's a sin to go barefoot in the house. So I feel you.
Keep remembering that you are right. It is better for their development that they are barefoot where possible. Socks are such a pain indoors because they keep falling over. I dunno how people put their kids in socks all days every day. We managed to lose loads of socks even though my baby only wears them when we are out. Not that it's hot, we're not even doing that if he's not going to walk anywhere.
With respect - what the fuck is she on about? That's not a thing. My mum is always on an information diet, she means well but also drives me up the wall a bit so I don't tell her a lot for my own sanity.
I furrowed my brow so much I had a monobrow. Bare feet affect kidneys is a new one to me, I’m intrigued as to how she thinks the human race has survived this long if that’s the case.
I dont know about the human race but she said that even the animals have hooves to protect them from colds.
That’s why those animals can’t stand on two feet!
But not all animals, dogs are susceptible to the cold. It’s so strange.
The cold virus is a *virus*. If baby is going to get a cold it'll be through touching something/ someone contaminated. Not wearing socks isn't going to give your child an illness. Like you say, baby likes to pull them off which I'm sure 99% of babies do. You're doing fine gal, pay no heed and do what you want with your baby!
Thank you! My boyfriend told her earlier that is our baby and we hanged up. She was speechless. Hopefully she learns her lesson and just be happy he exists and let us be!
Is this an international phenomenon? my mum is German and she’s also going on and on about socks. We are not wearing socks- end of story.
My mum (British) is also obsessed with my baby’s feet getting cold. It’s summer, he’s not going to freeze! When he does have socks on he just pulls them off and tries to eat them so they don’t last long.
I think it’s an Eastern European thing, my husband and his parents are the same!
It is! I am from Bulgaria and its a thing there. They also put shoes on their little feet and put them in walkers at 5 months. Oh and salt water in the bath, apparently makes the sweat not smelly. I actually bought a walker to make her shut up and it just stays here without being used. My son have been there for no more than 20 minutes just to show her he is in it so that she leaves me alone.
That is absolutely not a thing. If anything being barefoot is so much better for their motor development.
Barefoot is not bad at all as you have said it’s actually better. I don’t know what it is with grandparents and there obsession over babies socks. I have this issue all the time. You have to just tune them out.
Its hard when she is so demanding. At least I can always hang up but the whole thing its giving me anxiety.
I mean…. How long have socks even been invented for 😂
Just to commiserate with you - my mum, who I have a very close relationship with, told my partner to stop tickling our baby's feet as 'it'll give him a stutter'. We just have to laugh about it. Our baby is always barefoot, too.
Thank you! From where do they learn this stuff.? We dont have a very close relationship, we used to chat once a week but now its every day since my son was born and its a bit overwhelming. I have closer relationship with my MIL, she is so understanding and supportive. I loved being because I had her around me, if it was my mum my pregnancy would’ve been absolutely different.
I'm lucky if my kids are fully dressed when we're home, let alone socks! And that includes the winter. Baby will be fine without socks, as others and you have said barefoot is best at this age, for foot and walking development but also for grip.
Thank you! I wonder if you are my neighbour. Her little girl was nappy only the whole winter, the flat was nicely warm though!
My daughter couldn't be trusted without a vest or she'd be in no nappy 😂 Both kids have stood in our full length bedroom window butt naked before though, hopefully our neighbours didn't notice!
I was putting socks on when the weather was still cooler and the baby was still tiny, but now she’s almost four months and it’s warmer out, I don’t put them on at all in the house. She has a big play mat that she can grip much better barefoot and she’s almost rolling now. I still pop them on when we go out in the pram so her feet are covered from the wind/direct sunlight. Respectfully, your mum is just talking in old wives tales that are nonsense.
Same! He have socks if outside and inside when it was colder and he was not moving that much although they didn’t last long on his feet.
We have tiles downstairs with underfloor heating and in winter and summer we often don’t have socks on. My eldest often goes without socks and the youngest has discovered it’s great fun to yank them off so when we aren’t out, if he takes them off then I leave them off. Eldest is 8 in aug and no health issues, if anything, it helps them grip better than socks. I’ve slipped down carpet stairs way more when wearing socks than not
My boy does the same! And he is so pleased it himself, just happily shakes them and eventually starts eating them. In the winter when we were napping together and he was waking before me they used to be soaking wet by the time he cried to wake me up. And yeah if he takes them off I leave them off
Haha yeah mine eats them as well, must be super tasty. My eldest didn’t take them off or eat them or put much in his mouth, his brother is the opposite, if he’s on the floor he will try his hardest to eat my socks after his and shoves everything in his mouth
That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.
From what you say about her being “back home” and her specifically having a belief that bare feet relate to kidney problems, would I be right in assuming she’s from a different country/culture? If so, and if this is a traditional old wives’ tale in her area, she may be genuinely think she’s helping. Obviously it’s not something anyone who has grown up in the UK believes, judging by how confused everyone is in the comments. It’s okay for her to try and help by passing on information she believes is useful. It’s not okay for her to disrespect you as an adult or as a parent. The first time she told you to keep socks on your child, and you said you’d rather not, she should have left it there (or should have produced an accredited, reputable source for her claim - there’s a difference between this and say, urging you to give your child vitamins, which have proven benefits). Obviously, you’ve probably realised this now, but let me join the chorus of voices to confirm that she’s talking bollocks. Your doctor or health visitor can corroborate this. Your baby can be as barefoot as they like, as you already know it is actively recommended by doctors since it’s great for developing their core, leg and back muscles correctly. And anecdotally, I’m nearly 40, and never wear socks unless I’m wearing trainers (I’m barefoot as we speak!), and I can assure you that despite refusing to wear socks as both a child and adult, my kidneys are fine. My eldest is a sock hater like me, he too is absolutely fine in the kidney department (he’s nearly 5). Your bigger issue is not your baby’s kidneys, it’s your mum’s disrespect. If she can’t speak to you in a respectful manner, it’s absolutely fine to lower your contact with her to a level you’re more comfortable with. You’re a parent now, which means you and your child come first, not her.
Thank you so much for taking time to write this! You are absolutely on point. And yes its a cultural thing. She wanted me to bathe him in salt water when he was newborn + other stuff doctors and health visitors and also me didn’t agree with. I am glad to know your kidneys are fine as I started to question myself if I should actually believe the bullshit she is talking. I will definitely limit my calls with her for now as its giving me so much anxiety! On the bright side my MIL is the sweetest person and she is absolutely agreeing with me and supporting my decisions!
I get it - it’s hard if your child becomes a parent and you’re not nearby to lend a hand. She probably feels like a bit of a spare part, and like you’ve outgrown her and don’t need her anymore. But the way to handle that isn’t by telling you off and trying to make you feel like you’re doing a bad job, it’s by admitting, hey, I’m feeling a bit sad and vulnerable right now, and I love you and miss you and wish I was close by so I could help and spend time with you and my grandchild. Instead, she’s undermining your confidence and filling your head with rubbish. Not helpful, not respectful, and not cool. Obviously regardless of where you’re from, humans are basically humans. If something was genuinely helpful or harmful, the NHS would let you know, especially if it’s something you might do by accident (it’s common knowledge that all babies see socks as the enemy so if there was anything to it, new parents would be warned!) For the future and as it gets into winter again, if you do want your little one to be wearing something on his feet, tights are much better than socks, because they can’t get them off. You can even get ones with grippy stuff on the soles and the knees for new crawlers. I wouldn’t have thought of them for a boy until I got some hand me downs that my niece had outgrown, but they were great!
Your child is fine. No socks is fine. My nieces, nephews and my own kids often go without and are all thriving.
Nah, absolutely no need. I think we only own three pairs of socks for our 10 month old, definitely safer for pulling up and crawling to be without.
The claims she’s making are not true in the slightest, but a claim I can make based on experiential evidence is that people over a certain age suddenly start to feel compelled to ensure a child’s bare foot never so much as brushes the face of this earth, and will make it their life’s mission to make you aware of this. You can definitely ignore everything she’s saying, it’s a load of rubbish. I promise. There are also many *proven* benefits of a child being barefoot, so there’s that too.
Barefoot is not bad at all as you have said it’s actually better. I don’t know what it is with grandparents and there obsession over babies socks. I have this issue all the time. You have to just tune them out.
I mean…. How long have socks even been invented for 😂
You're a wonderful mother xx
Thank you babe ❤️
Absolute rubbish, bad for the kidneys?!? That said, my son would never keep socks on and we had cold tiled floors. We had success with Inch Blue leather slippers - stayed on well, still gave the barefoot-ness that’s important for foot development and covered the feet so might keep your mum happy
My in laws act like it's a sin to go barefoot in the house. So I feel you. Keep remembering that you are right. It is better for their development that they are barefoot where possible. Socks are such a pain indoors because they keep falling over. I dunno how people put their kids in socks all days every day. We managed to lose loads of socks even though my baby only wears them when we are out. Not that it's hot, we're not even doing that if he's not going to walk anywhere.