Listening to children can help when buying kids shoes
Listening to children can help when buying kids shoes
Buying children's shoes can be difficult as often their ideas about what they want conflict with those of their parents or carers.
However, instead of assuming a defensive position, those responsible for buying the items may benefit from listening to their youngsters, according to one expert.
Writing on NEXT, childhood development specialist Yinka Awobo-Pearse said asking boys and girls what kind of kids' shoes they want is important.
It helps children to voice their opinions about things and means parents will get to know them better, she noted.
However, there are some situations in which adults should assert their opinions, the expert advised.
For example, if a youngster wants to get children's shoes that are more expensive than the parent or carer planned, they should not necessarily get their own way.
Ms Awobo-Pearse remarked: "In our bid to give our children the best and protect them from harm, many modern parents have fallen into a situation where we are beholden to the whims of our children."
She pointed out that despite their age, boys and girls can be "very intuitive" about how to get their own way with parents.
For this reason, when buying kids' shoes, adults should start by giving some guidelines on the sort of items that are appropriate.
An example of a good question to ask, according to the expert, is: "We need to buy a pair of black lace up shoes for school, do you see anything you like?"
Giving in to youngsters all the time means they feel in charge and will not be happy unless they get their own way, Ms Awobo-Pearse warned.
In a word of advice to mothers and fathers who are about to go shopping with their children, she added: "As parents, you have the responsibility to take control of your child's life and not the other way round." Redesigning Your Child's Bedroom Using Surf Decor Learning To Get Your Child To Talk With You - Help From A Parenting Ebook A Teenager's Personal Experience at a Teen Treatment Center MRI scan that can tell you within minutes if your child is autistic A Deeper Look Into Teen Drug Abuse How a Teen Treatment Center can Help With Teenage Depression Heart Murmurs in Children iPad E-book for kids Bean Bag Couch for Grown ups and Kids How to Identify Teen Alcohol Abuse and Find Help at a Teen Treatment Center You're Not the Boss of Me: Brat-proofing Your Child. Dr. Phil, Along With Betsy Brown Braun Protect Your Child's Feet Have You Had All You Can Stand Of Your Child Misbehavior Issues?