I am from south Florida and we always went barefoot. I remember playing with my friends from 'up north', and wondering why their parents were always yelling at them to put their shoes on. Of course now I am always telling my children to put their shoes on. I keep imagining them stepping on sharp objects. And I hear the same argument from my children, that everyone else is barefoot.

I don't allow my children go barefoot on the playground. In my personal opinion there are too many risks. Carelessly discarded cigarette butts, small openings in the play equipment, other larger feet in shoes, . . Before we moved to Raleigh, we bent barefoot in our back yard all of the time. Since we’ve moved here we never go barefoot in our yard. The reason – copperheads. We found twelve in our yard the first year we lived here. That fall we removed an abundance of invasive English ivy from our property but we have still found 4 or 5 copperheads each summer. On the first day temperatures passed 80 degrees this spring, a copperhead bit our boarder collie for the fourth time in three years. So now we only go bare foot in the house.

Ugh, I'd never allow DD to be barefoot on the playground, except for maybe, temporarily, in the sandbox.

We do allow her to be barefoot in our backyard. Though she got four nasty splinters in her foot the other day as a result -- we may have to rethink.

I try to have my kids keep their shoes on, but my 2 year daughter is obsessed with shoes being on and off. If she sees other kids with their shoes off, then she wants hers off also. If I think far enough ahead of time, I put her in shoes that aren't easy to take off.

If we are here in the backyard, I don't mind if the shoes are off.

It's when we are at a public playground is when I try to be more stern.

I'm originally from NJ and I have always loved to go barefoot. DS and DD love it too. I let the kids go barefoot in the neighborhood and in our backyard. They have to have shoes on in public places and on our deck.

I love going barefoot. My boys on the other hand, they are a different story. They too love going barefoot but are only allowed to have their shoes off in the grass in our back yard. When it comes to the mulched play area or deck then shoes on due to splinters.

Loved the story - featured it at my CarolinaMama blog. Growing up Southern and barefoot, we tend that way. However, we are careful about the safety issues when necessary. Otherwise, there is nothing like sweet, cool, green grass between your toes in the summertime.
Warmly,

Carolina Mama

No barefeet outside here. I get nervous they will step on something. And, I don't want them to track sand and other dirt into the house.

My son does a compromise -- he takes his shoes off, but leaves his socks on when playing outside. I don't approve since I have to wash the dirty socks, but at least his feet are covered. If I see him take his shoes off, though, he must put them back on. I'm a firm believer in shoes. The South probably lost the war because outhouse hygiene wasn't up to par and people got hookworm from feces-laden sand. This problem wasn't cleared up in NC until the Rockefeller foundation educated rural people in the Eastern part of the state -- in the 30s! Makes you think again about shoes.

Alice Osborn, MA
www.aliceosborn.com

My kids have to wear shoes because I have to wear shoes. I'm too afraid I'll step on something either painful or just plain gross when I'm outside.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!

Our family rule is shoes off inside, shoes on outside. Though shoes often end up being flimsy flipflops.

well, this is a tough one for me, because I hate shoes and love to be barefoot myself! We also grew up in Florida, and were always barefoot. In interest of full disclosure, I did step on some broken glass one time when I was 8, that required 11 stictches in my big toe. But it didn't stop me. So I'm pretty relaxed about my kids taking off shoes and it's something that tends not to be on my radar. Knock on wood, no stitches here yet....lol........