08 Mar Parents often hear and read 🧐 that when a toddler 👶🏻 is learning to walk, it is best to let this process happen naturally, and without shoes.👣 That’s because shoes 👟 can affect how a child 👶🏻 uses the muscles and bones in their feet. Bare foot walking 👣 will allow toddlers to receive feedback from the ground and improves their proprioception (awareness of their body) for balance.

This in theory may sound great, however what if  your toddler’s feet  tends to roll in at the ankles or their feet’s turns out so their feet points sideways when they walk. What about when your toddler seems to curl their toes to try to cling to the ground or when your toddler is walking on their tip toes  In such situations, bare foot walking is actually NOT helpful for your toddler’s  foot muscles and bone development. In fact, bare foot walking is actually DAMAGING  your toddler’s foot bone development because they are learning to walk with their feet in the wrong position.

There are many causes and reasons why a toddler  would walk with their feet in awkward positions, and it is important to have your  child’s feet assessed by an Expert Paediatric Physiotherapist to determine the cause of their foot positions  in order to have the right treatment to correct their foot positions in walking  One of the strategies we would recommend is having good supportive shoes  that can correct your toddler’s feet to help them learn to walk with their feet in the correct position.

So if you have noticed that your  toddler walks with their feet curled or ankles rolled in or on their tip toes, the best thing to do is to seek advice from an Expert Paediatric Physiotherapist instead of waiting for them to grow out of it Ring My Favourite Physio on 02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to book a FREE 15minutes PHONE  CONSULT with one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today.

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