When it comes to coaxing your children into trying on shoes, many parents have likely encountered the occasional tantrum.
However, one resourceful parent has discovered a clever hack that can transform this dreaded task into a breeze.
Alina, known as ‘alimomlife’ on TikTok, shared her ingenious tip on her social media page, and it has since gone viral, amassing over 1.5 million views.
She captioned the video: “Easy way to know your kid’s shoe size when shopping without them,” and added: “Things I wish I knew as a first-time mum.”
Children typically start wearing shoes when they begin to walk, which is usually around 12 to 18 months of age.
It’s crucial, however, to allow them plenty of barefoot time to develop strong, healthy feet and improve balance and coordination.
When selecting shoes for early walkers, opt for soft, flexible soles that mimic the natural movement of bare feet.
Alina’s hack involves a simple piece of dental floss.
She demonstrates by pulling out a length of the floss and then measuring it against her baby’s foot, from heel to toe.
Despite the baby’s fidgeting, the hack proves effective.
Once measured, she cuts the dental floss and uses it to gauge the size of a shoe by placing the string inside.
This straightforward yet effective method can save parents a lot of hassle and make shoe shopping a much smoother experience.
The video attracted lots of attention with thousands liking it, and many rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “Or…….you could just try it on for size?”
But Alina replied: “The size doesn’t mean anything.
“Different brands have different sizing.”
Another added: “So convenient.”
A third mum also suggested her own hack which she discovered herself.
She wrote: “I used to place her feet on the palms of my hands and measure her feet when I didn’t take her shopping to buy her shoes..worked wonders.”
A fourth said: “Smart mama.”
Whilst another parent wrote: “This is so cool, thanks!”
“Great idea !! I’m stealing it,” someone else said.
According to The Children’s Shoe Company say that it’s essential to measure their feet every six weeks, once babies and toddlers start wearing shoes.
This recommendation stems from their rapid growth during this period, coupled with the critical stage of learning to walk.
Ill-fitting shoes can impede their physical development and hinder their progress in mastering walking.
