If your little one is anything like my little Shiloh, then keeping warm this winter can be a test of patience at times! Shiloh would fit well on a nudist colony for sure and she definitely has a warped sense of temperature because when I am freezing, she seems hot?! It feels like every time I turn my back she is stripping and shedding her clothes starting with the socks and shoes!
When we do have to brave the cold, getting socks and shoes on seldomly goes down without a fight! Some little Groovy Adventurers seem to have sensitive skin and are not just putting up a fight for the power struggle which defines a toddler! The feeling of socks can be irritating, overwhelming or even misinterpreted by their sensitive touch system as painful! Layers of clothes, hats, scarves, and socks can be enough to make a serene toddler a fiery ball of frustration and irritation! If your little one complains of labels in his clothes, avoids contact with grass or sand, is perhaps a fussy eater or sometimes over reacts to small bumps or falls…then he may be a little Sensory Avoider – or as we like to call it in our book, he may be a little hedgehog! If that is the case then I have some tips for winning the socks and shoes battle with your little Hedgehog!
* let your little one have some control over the situation as this makes it easier for him – let him choose his socks and shoes, you can give him a closed choice of just 2 or 3 options.
* turn the socks inside out so that the seams and threads are on the outside and not scratching his skin.
* apply deep pressure before and after donning the sock by rubbing his foot and lower leg firmly.
* be aware of not making the shoe too tight or too loose…ask him if it feels nice or not nice!
* make sure the shoes fit correctly, sometimes as parents, we tend to buy a size bigger because their little feet grow so quickly…this can, however, make it harder for your little one to walk in the shoes and add to his frustration!
* if all else fails, reward his efforts and Bribe if necessary!!!
Good luck keeping your munchkins warm this winter, and when you feel exasperated, take comfort knowing that you are not alone! I am right there alongside you feeling it too! It can be exhausting watching your Adventurer assert his independence but also highly rewarding when you think how he can use his independence to do great things as he grows!
Groovy hugs!
Lourdes xoxo
