False economy (merged threads)

BrandNewDay

Olliebeak wrote: »

I think that if your child has 'average fitting' size feet, then most shoe shops will be fine. Unfortunatley it was very obvious when my eldest was 2 mths old that he had very wide feet - those little baby shoes with a bar across and plastic button wouldn't go anywhere near his feet! He only ever wore little white socks or bootees until he needed proper shoes for learning to walk. At 10 mths I took him to Clarks for measuring - he was a 4 1/2 'G' fitting (the 'G' had only just been introduced then - 1973). It was a sign of 'things to come' with him! He started school (4) in a size 10 and by the time he left school (16) was in an adult 9. By 20 that had gone to 13's! With foot growth like his, those feet just had to be properly measured.

My youngest is similar. But, I still refused to spend money for Clarks. :lol I just kept him in socks and then, when I had to, I put him in a pair of his brother's hand-me-downs. They were a bit big on him, length-wise, but they worked. He's now able to wear more normal shoes.

bertiebots

moggins wrote: »

I noticed that today, I normally get my bananas from there but peeled one today for my little girl and it was all brown inside. I ended up having to throw it away as she won't eat them if there are any brown bits on it

Dont throw away .....make a banana loaf!!! The ripe bananas make the best cakes!!recipe as follows:
8oz of sr flour
2 oz of butter or marg
2oz sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 very ripe bananas
slosh of milk.

Rub butter into flour and add the salt. In another bowl mash the bananas and egg together and add sugur.Mix this together with the flour/butter and add a splosh of milk.It should be a nice sticky consistency. Put it in a 2lb lined loaf tin and bake at 180c for 45 mins. I bet your little one will love it ...my kids do!:D

Pennylane

Only just seen this thread - regarding the shoes discussion - I always bought the best shoes I could afford when my kids were small. However, more damage is caused to young feet by badly fitting SOCKS than cheap shoes.

Most parents seem to remember to replace their kids shoes regularly but often forget the socks. These often shrink - especially when they are tumble dried and then are WAY too tight. So you can spend £50 on some posh leather shoes but if you are cramming your little ones feet into weeny socks that is a complete waste of time. Think about how tight some socks are on tiny growing feet.

JayJay14

I had a friend who's DD had a problem with her feet and the specialist at Great Ormand St Hosp told her never to bother with gettiing expensive fitted shoes - his advice was trainers in the summer, wellies in the winter and bare feet whenever possible.

Re Socks: I agree that they are often a bigger problem than shoes and I never tumble dry them.

clairesa

Hi, new here but just wanted to add. Living in South Africa, shoes are not a priority for children like in UK. The general feeling here is that bare feet is best. It is not unusual to see children in shops, restuarants etc with no shoes on, even some schools allow barefoot kids :T I do not know one shop here that fits kids shoes like in clarkes etc (I did live in UK until few years back) and it is a case of measuring up your own child for school shoes in the shop (that drawn foot on piece of paper with two finger gap does work lol).

Their isnt the choice in shops that you are lucky to have, but the one top thing that I wont skimp on is decent pasta. That cheap no name brand stuff is just horrendous and goes like gloop once its cooked :eek:

I have the cheap loo roll at the moment, not sure if we are using it faster, but then I did take that very good tip about squashing the roll flat so the kids dont roll it off the roll so fast

I am sure to get far more tips but got lots of reading to catch up on :j

Claire

shazrobo

Olliebeak wrote: »

I think that if your child has 'average fitting' size feet, then most shoe shops will be fine. Unfortunatley it was very obvious when my eldest was 2 mths old that he had very wide feet - those little baby shoes with a bar across and plastic button wouldn't go anywhere near his feet! He only ever wore little white socks or bootees until he needed proper shoes for learning to walk. At 10 mths I took him to Clarks for measuring - he was a 4 1/2 'G' fitting (the 'G' had only just been introduced then - 1973). It was a sign of 'things to come' with him! He started school (4) in a size 10 and by the time he left school (16) was in an adult 9. By 20 that had gone to 13's! With foot growth like his, those feet just had to be properly measured.

my 13 year old twins feet keep growing, both have nearly outgrown their size 13 trainers, and i'm searching for size 14's, when do kids feet stop growing.
as a child my mum always put me in clarkes shoes, always properly fitted, when i was a teenager i had to have operation on both feet to straigten bent toes which most likely was caused by the shoes

mary43

When I was much much younger my Mum always insisted I had Clarke's shoes (and things were tough enough moneywise as it was).
The result for me hasn't been good feet...........far from it. I have dreadful feet and find it very hard to find shoes that are comfortable unless they;re sandals or clogs..........scholl sandals suit my feet and let them spread naturally, as does going bare foot which I often do around the house.

Mum,she thought she was doing the best for me but she'd have been far better spending the money on other things.

comping_cat

When i was younger my mum always bought us Clarkes shoe - however, my uncle who worked in the Clarkes factory NEVER bought his own children Clarkes shoes - and he would've had discount as well!!!

Just goes to show how advertising and big firms like to scare parents into buying expensive shoes for their children.

MoaningMyrtle

We always had Clarks shoes and sandals, our feet are perfect still as adults.

I'd rather not take the risk of getting cheap ill-fitting shoes for my children, they have Clarks or Start-Rite too. We make sacrifices in other areas if necessary.

Olliebeak

That eldest son of mine, usually ends up with burst trainers - the only things that last him are steel-toed work boots and he gets one pair of those a year from work - but has to put charcoal insoles in them - phew!!!

Have to admit that I have foot problems myself - size 8 at 13 years (in 1964 very hard to get hold of) and size 9 after first pregnancy in 1973 - again hard to get at the time. I have a tendency to more or less live in 'trekkie sandal' type things for most of the year - but then find it very diffcult to get 'proper shoes' on my feet afterwards. I have a bump on the outside of each foot (just below the little toe) that sticks out as if there was going to be another toe there, a very high instep ; and a rather bent big toe - certainly not caused by tight fitting shoes.

I remember finding other kids feet very amusing on the first school visit to the swimming baths - I'd never seen another child's naked foot before lol.

I also get a lot of 'instep pain' if I wear shoes that are very flat - need a small heel for preference - used to love the original Dr Scholls .