Letting Kids Choose What They Wear

A few months ago, Rachel Fournier found herself doing daily battle with a princess. She wanted her 3-year-old daughter to wear durable, casual clothes, but Isabel was only interested in her closet's sparkliest dresses. "The last time I chose her outfit, she cried the entire way to day care," says the Traverse City, Michigan, mom. "As soon as I picked her up in the afternoon, she stripped in the car and refused to put her clothes back on. I ended up buckling her in that way."

If your child has suddenly become very vocal about her wardrobe, congratulations: It's a sign that she's growing up. "Preschoolers are also at a stage where they're trying to assert their independence and test limits," says Alanna Levine, M.D., a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Getting dressed provides an opportunity to put both things into practice." That doesn't mean every morning has to be a showdown, however.

Provide Choices

Most 3- to 4-year-olds are wannabe dictators, grasping for control wherever they can. So whenever possible, let 'em have it. "Give your child lots of little choices about things that don't matter to you," suggests Jim Fay, coauthor ofLove and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting From Birth to Six Years. For example, ask, "Would you rather wear your blue sweater or your red one?" Having a say will make him less likely to dig in his heels.

Allow for Taste

Do you hate wool? Can't stand too-tight tank tops? It's likely your kid will have her own likes and dislikes too. Within reason, try to be flexible about her preferences. "It's okay to avoid things that bug your child," says Parents advisor Ari Brown, M.D., author of Toddler 411. "It shows that you respect her opinion." There may be an easy fix to some of her pet peeves: You can turn socks with irritating seams inside out and cut off annoying shirt tags. (If her sensitivities seem more extreme, talk to your doctor.) And if she wants to wear dresses every day -- well, why not? If you're worried about her being cold, you can always layer warm leggings or a T-shirt underneath.

Take Time to Practice

By age 3, most children can handle the basics of getting dressed, such as pulling on underwear, elastic-waist pants, and a sweatshirt. (Trickier tasks, like threading a zipper or doing buttons, may come later.) In fact, most kids like to do these things. "It makes them feel confident and competent," says Dr. Levine. So even if it's slow going, let your kid dress herself as often as you can, especially on those weekend mornings when there's no need to rush. "The more you can give her the power to dress herself, the less of a struggle it will be," says Dr. Levine.

Make It a Race

Of course, preschoolers don't feel the same urgency to get out the door that you do in the morning. They'd rather play with Legos or watch Go, Diego, Go! than get dressed. With that in mind, turn dressing into a game. Say, "I'll close my eyes and see how long it takes you to put on your shirt and pants." Or set a timer for ten minutes and reward your kid with a sticker if he gets downstairs before the buzzer goes off. You can also give him a poker chip for each good performance and allow him to trade them in for a treat when he has five chips.

Plan Ahead

Kids this age love looking at photos of themselves. Use this to your advantage by making a step-by-step picture guide of your child's morning activities. It could show her waking up, getting dressed, brushing her teeth, and eating breakfast. Hang it in her room, where she can follow it each day. "Then the routine chart becomes the boss instead of you," says Jane Nelsen, Ed.D., coauthor of Positive Discipline for Preschoolers. If you have her choose her outfit the night before, you can head off one huge time-sucking morning meltdown maker: the harried search for a favorite shirt -- that's then found at the bottom of the hamper.

Let Him Chill

Ah, the winter-coat struggle. Your child isn't cold inside, so why the heck would he want to put on that bulky, sweaty jacket and cover his perfectly warm-enough outfit? But he will feel different when he gets outside. Unless it's truly freezing, don't sweat the situation, says Dr. Levine. Just carry his coat and let him go out as is. "If he's chilly, he's going to ask you for it," Dr. Levine says. "Then next time, you can gently remind him of how cold he was." Chances are, your child will welcome the coat and gloves long before his fingers go numb.

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5 tips on choosing athletic shoes for kids

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To pick the right footwear for your physical activity, the first thing you should keep in mind is the type of foot you have. Try doing the “wet test” by placing your foot in a tub of water and then leaving the imprint on a brown piece of paper. If you can see the entire sole of your foot then you have little or no arch, which means you have flat feet and probably an overpronated gait. 

If you can only see the ball of your foot and your heel with a thin line between them you have high arches, which means you likely underpronate when you walk. If you have a normal curve between the heel and ball you have a neutral arch. People who overpronate need a shoe with a lot of support and a motion-control feature. Athletes who underpronate need a pair that has plenty of cushioning and a soft midsole. If you have neutral arches you just need a pair that offers stability with both cushioning and support.
Choosing the right pair of sports shoes for your kids feet can have a significant impact on not just on your child’s comfort and performance but can potentially reduce their risk of developing injury.


When making a choice about what the right sports shoe is for your child there are many factors to consider. Aside from the most obvious things such as getting the right size and the all important colour selection, other elements that should be considered include:

Room for Growth - Always allow 1-1.5cm at the end of kids shoes to allow for those sudden growth spurts and check regularly to make sure they haven’t outgrown their current shoes.
Width - Feet come in different shapes and sizes and fortunately so do shoes. It's important to make sure that your child’s shoes are fitted not just for length but also the width of their foot.
Structure - The basic things to check with regard to structure are: A firm heel counter - If you squeeze the back of the heel of the shoe it shouldn’t collapse inwards. Flex Point - The shoe should naturally bend first at the ball of the foot

Fastening System - Depending on the age of your child a firm fastening system such as dual velcro straps or laces is important to hold the foot securely inside the shoe.
Arch Support - Depending on whether your child has flat or or high arched feet they may benefit from additional inserts to provide more specific support for their foot.

Next time your child needs new sports shoes think about these 5 key points and you should be well on the way to choosing the right shoe.

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Buying shoes for your child that fit properly is extremely important.  Unfortunately, a recent study found that a majority of kids wear shoes that are too small, which put them at risk for developing serious foot deformities, such as bunions.
If the shoe fits

Dr. Carol Frey, Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UCLA and Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery at West Coast Sports Performance in Manhattan Beach, California, says parents should remember the following when shopping for their children's shoes:
Shop at the end of the day: Shop when your child's feet are at their largest (either at the end of the day, or after a run or sporting event).
Measure both feet, standing up: Measure your child's feet when they are standing up bearing their full weight. Measure both feet in case they vary in size. Choose the shoes that fit the larger foot.
Measure and fit with sports-specific socks. Your child should be wearing the specific sock that he will ultimately wear with the shoes. Note: This is a reversal of the normal fitting process in most athletic shoe stores, where socks are purchased as an "add-on" after shoes have been fitted. Ones that are padded, such as Thorlo socks,* are ideal, especially for wearing with cleated shoes.
Allow for wiggle room: There should be a half-inch from the end of the longest toe to the end of the shoe so that your child is able to wiggle all of her toes. Don't press with your thumb on the greater toe to estimate fit because it activates a reflex that causes your child to curl the bigger toe, giving the wrong impression that there is enough space. In an ideal world, the length of the shoe should exceed the actual length of your child's foot by at least 10 millimeters to ensure that enough space is provided for the greater and lesser toes.
Lace the shoes properly: For maximum support, use the top eyelet on the shoe and run the laces through twice for a snugger fit. Don't tie the laces too tightly, as that can cause injury to nerves and tendons on the top of the foot.
Check for snug heels: If the heels don't fit snuggly, they will pull up out of the shoe (pistoning) and your child will be more likely to get blisters.
Have you child walk in the shoes: Allow your child some time to walk around the store in the shoes and ask them how the shoes feel. When she takes them off, check her feet for any red spots or areas of irritation. Inspect the inside of the shoe for any extra material, glue or irregular stitching, which may cause chafing.
Expect immediate comfort: Most importantly, the shoes should be comfortable right away. Shoes shouldn't need to be "broken in" to feel right.
Remember: younger children may not be able to tell you how a shoe fits and feels. They may simply say something hurts, with few details. It is important to ask, since they may not offer the information. In some cases, the pain may be the result of something as small as some extra fabric inside or socks bunching up. In very young children, whose feet tend to be thicker across the top, shoes may appear to fit because the toes have room, but still be too tight through the bridge of the foot or cause your child's toes to be scrunched up inside.
Selecting the right shoe also means picking the right kind of shoe:
The best materials: Leather, suede and canvas are the most durable and breathable materials for athletic shoes. Synthetic materials don't allow the foot to "breathe" and may even contribute to skin diseases and foot odor.
Choose the proper shoe for a particular sport: Shoes are designed specifically based on the demands of that sport. For instance, running shoes are designed for forward movement and have extra cushioning, while tennis shoes are meant to support side-to-side motion
Selecting cleats

Cleats can cause problems in young players, especially ages 9-13, when there are not enough cleats on the heel. This can lead to excess pressure and heel pain. Look for shoes with multiple cleats on the heel to help alleviate this problem. In order to reduce knee and ankle injuries, it may help to choose shoes with shorter cleats on them, no more than a half inch long for younger players.
If the shoe doesn't fit

Poor fitting shoes can cause a number of problems, explains Dr. Frey. The increased pressure may lead to:
Blisters
Curling or clawing of the toes
Bunions
Corns
Calluses
Pinched nerves
Ingrown toenails.
Besides causing pain and discomfort that can affect athletic performance, the wrong size shoes can result in foot problems and cause further injuries down the road.
If your child has foot pain that persists 12 hours after she takes off her shoes, you should see a doctor in case there is a potentially more serious problem.
Orthotics: popular but unnecessary?

While orthotics (shoe inserts prescribed by orthopedists or podiatrists) are the latest rage, Dr. Frey feels that in most casesthey are unnecessary. Given the quality design of most shoes today, and assuming you buy the proper shoe for your child and get a correct fit, you don't need to spend money for orthotics.
Children who are likely to benefit the most from orthotics, says Dr. Frey, are those who:
Over-pronate (their feet tip in)
Have flat feet (Note, however, that a new study has raised serious questions about whether orthotics are necessary for flat feet or that they will help athletic performance).
Have shin splints, or
Are experiencing arch pain or strain
For children needing extra ankle support, look for shoes with good heel stability. "People with high arches tend to have more ankle sprains/rolls, and need a stable shoe like a high top or high profile shoe," explains Dr. Frey.
For additional information visit The Institute for Preventive Foot Health (IPFH) is a non-profit private foundation committed to raising awareness about the importance of caring for the feet through education, research and the identification of methods demonstrated by clinical research to prevent, treat and manage painful conditions and diseases affecting the feet, mobility, functional status and quality of life.