My 3 year old son has a huge problem with new shoes. Yes, he is the kid that will wear the same shoes until they are completely falling apart. When this happens it is nearly impossible to get him to even try on another pair of shoes. The last time I bought shoes I decided to buy 2 pairs of the same exact shoe. Once he wore out the first pair (only 3 weeks later) I brought out the second pair thinking this time we wouldn't have this problem because it's the same shoe. It should feel about the same as his old pair. No, I was wrong and again he refuses to put them on. He has other shoes he could choose from including sandals but all he will wear his flip flops or his slippers but nothing else. At childcare he has to have real shoes or sandals that attach to his feet. I have offered him incentives (treats/outdoor play) to wear his shoes but nothing is working. Does anyone have any suggestions about what to try?
I would put your foot down and make him.
Or if you try buying 2 of the same shoe again rotate them every other day so he won't even tell.
Good lcuk with the incentives!
Our daughter hated wearing shoes at that age. She still hardly ever wears shoes and she's 18! She has a lot of slip on shoes. So when she gets in the house she can take them off right away. Our son who is 21 is the same way. He buys shoes that he doesn't have to tie. (skater shoes) and he wears his sandals in the summer.
I don't know what it is. But I would try to find a skater shoe for him. I don't know if they make them for kids so young, but my kids love them and have been wearing them for as long as they could get into them. We got them at Pac Sum, but I see that some other stroes are bringing in the knock off version.
J.
My son is the same way....he hates change.
When we bought him his new shoes, I had to just keep trying to put them on. Everyday I would try to put the new shoes on first. It took about a week before he finally allowed me to put them on and keep them on.
My daughter has Sensory Integration Dysfunction and hates shoes. She wears crocks, flip-flops and snowboots only-never anything else. My advice is to look for wide width so they don't "squeeze" too much. Good Luck!
It could be that new shoes hurt his feet, but it sounds more like a power struggle to me. Three year olds figure out that it is fun to be able to unravel the adults in their lives. They enjoy the feeling of power they have over these "giants." He may be just throwing down a gantlet to challenge your authority. I would take the fun out of it. Set him up for confrontation when it is not important to you. Plan to go somewhere that he really likes (McDonald's playland or park or something.) Tell him to get his shoes on and then wait. If he refuses to get them on then say, "I am sorry, but McDonalds won't let you in without shoes on so I guess we can't go," and then DON'T GO. Let him suffer the consequences on his own. Don't get into a battle over it, just let him know that his choice to not wear shoes also is his choice not to go. Do this a few times until he gets the point. Boys do better when they think that they have a choice but you need to guide his choices and still be the authority. By the way, if you win this round, expect him to find something else to obsess over. It goes on for a while.
