Sock It To Me

I don’t believe in shoes for kids that don’t walk. Call me weird (Go ahead. I can handle it) but I just don’t see the need to spend the money (which is usually a lot when it comes to anything that has to do with a baby) for shoes that are never going to get used. Yes, they are cute but serve little to no purpose. We didn’t get shoes for Abigail until she started to take her first steps because all the books we read stated that kids learning to walk should be barefoot so their little feet can “grip” the floor and therefore assist in their balance. I will admit that we actually were a little late in getting Abby her first pair of shoes but there is no way I am getting Madeline shoes before she is really going to start showing interest in walking. Which at the pace she is going since she has started pulling up on everything at seven months, may be sooner than later.

So if we aren’t getting shoes and it is still winter in Florida, what do we do for Maddy’s little feet? We have a dozen cute little socks that come in all colors and even ones that look like she is wearing Mary Jane shoes. Adorable. My problem is, however, that I cannot keep socks on this kid! She rubs her ankles together and the socks fly off. Between getting her dressed on the changing table this morning and feeding her downstairs, I had to replace the socks three times. THREE! I put the cute socks back on her before we leave the house and then put her in her car seat. By the time I get to day care and pull Madeline out of her car seat, the socks are already gone again. I put the socks back on and take her into day care. More often than not, Josh brings Madeline home without socks again. The other day I went to get Maddy dressed and there were no socks in her drawer. Where are they? Did they run off and join the circus? Is there such a thing as a sock circus? I decided this was getting ridiculous and she just doesn’t get socks at day care. Even with the weather a little on the cold side, she is in the warm house to the car which has a car seat warmer blanket and then outside for all of 50 feet until we get into day care. Because she is still a baby, she isn’t big enough for the buggy that they take the older infants out in during the day. So what does she really need socks for? It is really just for me. However, I swear I get the judgmental looks from the parents (and sometimes babies!) dropping off their kids in the matching outfits with matching socks and/or shoes. I don’t know why I have to justify to them (or maybe myself) that I am not a bad parent for not having my kids feet covered. I don’t know why I even feel that having socks is a measure of my parenting but I swear I feel the eyes boring into the back of me as I exit the baby room in the morning.

I was at Publix the other day with Madeline in the Bjorn and Abigail in the shopping cart. A man stopped me and noticed that Maddy only had one sock on. He told me that the other sock was in the vegetable aisle and walked back there with me. (Clean up on aisle three!) I thanked him profusely (since they are very cute socks) and just took them both off. This past weekend we were at a garage sale and since I didn’t want to leave there with only one sock since Madeline was in the Bjorn again, I just didn’t put socks on her. Of course one of the women selling her wares (not her garage) chided me for not having socks on my baby. I simply said “I know. I can’t keep socks on her” but it went on deaf ears since I am sure she thinks my kid will end up with pneumonia from not having socks when the temperature is in the 60s. People were walking around with flip flops!

I did find out that the socks did not join the circus. They actually were hiding out in the cubby at daycare multiplying like rabbits. There were TEN pairs of socks in her cubby. There shouldn’t even be one since she doesn’t leave them on her feet for more than two seconds. Fortunately this battle is only going to be a little longer because she will get shoes eventually. I predict she will be walking by 10 months anyways.