I’m a pre-K teacher – parents should avoid 3 types of back-to-school shoes, a popular style is super cute but painful
A PRESCHOOL teacher has warned parents about the kinds of shoes to avoid for back-to-school season.
Her advice, she explained, can help a child avoid pain and messes.
Redditor Nintendoplease shared the parenting tips in a post.
She revealed that her shoe preferences for kids are styles that are easy to remove and put on.
“If your child is old enough to do it themselves, that’s even better,” she said.
The educator revealed that she’d avoid jelly, flip-flops, and lace shoes.
“Jellies are super cute but not great for all-day wear,” she explained.
“They leave painful indents after a while and are uncomfortable for the child.”
Lace shoes, she added, are “distracting” and can waste a lot of time.
“If you send them to preschool with laces, chances are they are untying them then asking their teacher to re-tie them all day,” she said.
Flip flops, she noted, are inconvenient and can put kids in physical danger.
“Your kid wants to run. Make sure they can run the shoes, and try not to send them in flip flops,” she said.
The pre-K teacher explained that light-up shoes are usually a safe bet unless your child struggles with sleep during nap time.
She also shared how more unique style options can help reduce confusion in the classroom.
“Make sure your child can recognize the shoes that are theirs,” she advised.
“Most teachers are good about this, but I have a mystery pair of water shoes that have been in my classroom that are unclaimed.”
“Chances are they will be colored on or step on play dough or jump in mud, so don’t expect the shoes to come home in pristine condition.”
A bonus tip is to send children to school with a pair of spare socks for emergencies.
Experienced parents and educators shared additional tips to optimize footwear.
“To add to this, if the shoes do have laces, be sure they are the flat kind and not rounded,” said one commenter.
“The round ones constantly come untied even if double-tied.”
“We have two beat-up pairs of sneakers that we specifically send to school because they fit well. They are Velcro, and he can run and jump in them,” said another.
“I don’t bother with the cutesy matching outfit shoes or nice vans for school days.”