Most people would agree that teaching children how to take care of themselves and helping them to take some responsibility for their own health is an important part of growing up.

We teach our children about dental hygiene and the importance of visiting the dentist, so why not teach them to look after their feet and know when to visit the podiatrist? Foot problems can have a huge effect on our mobility and quality of life, so it is important to give them some tlc.

What children can do

• Ask them to let you know if their shoes and/or socks rub, feel tight or cause them any discomfort.  Stress the importance of comfortable shoes.
• Teach them to look after their footwear such as always tying and untying their laces and other fastenings when putting on or removing their shoes.
• Discuss any general foot pain or any pain they may suffer whilst exercising, playing sport, etc.
• Ask them to inspect their feet in the shower/bath and to look out for hard skin, in-growing toe nails, or anything else unusual such as blisters, verrucae or corns.
• Encourage them not to pick their toenails or the skin on their feet and to let you know when their toenails need cutting. Once they are old enough, teach them to cut their own nails properly ie straight across not around the edges.
• Ensure they wash their feet regularly and teach them to dry their feet thoroughly to prevent fungal infections/ athlete’s foot and so on.

 What you can do

• Monitor any lower limb pain and abnormal walking patterns.
• Check children’s feet regularly for any potential issues.
• Allow children to walk barefoot in a safe environment as it will help their feet to develop more naturally.
• Avoid buying them shoes that are too stiff and ensure that footwear is the correct size. Regularly check if children have outgrown their footwear.
• Remember, comfort is more important than fashion. Needless to say some level of compromise may be necessary as children get older!

Contact your Podiatrist

Your podiatrist can help with in-growing toenails, corns and callus, sweaty feet, verrucae, lower limb pain, flat feet, high arched feet and much more. Call us on 020 8977 3295 to make an appointment with one of the team or simply to ask for advice.