This African mother knows more than your mother and mine

Parental overprotection is a classic and does more bad than good.

One example is the Whatsapp group of football training.

They complain when the wind blows, it's cold and, of course, when it's hot.

If we have to wait for a perfect day the children would never play, they would be locked up all day waiting for the ideal moment to go out.

Quite the opposite of what awaits their growth.

The greater the variability of movement and adverse conditions, the better for the full growth of their bodies, both physical and mental.

Children are constantly growing and need more stimulation than protection.

However, in Europe, we focus more on protecting.

Overprotecting.

Quite the opposite in Africa, specifically in Senegal.

Daniel Cabaña, administrator of the Facebook group: 'healthy shoes for children' sent us a comment from a woman.

She says:

"As you know, many children in Africa go barefoot and as I felt sorry for them, I carried shoes for them.

Across the street from where I lived, there was a 2-year-old boy who often came to say hello.

One day I tried on a pair of shoes, they fit him and he went home to show them to his mother.

When he arrived, his mother asked him where he had got them, he pointed at me and his mother thanked me.

But she did something I didn't expect.

She took off the boy's shoes and he went back out barefoot.

I felt a bit weird about the situation and asked the woman at the house where I was staying.

Her answer surprised me.

She told me that the more time barefoot the better for the child.

In the end I understood that mother and I too went barefoot to feel the sand on my feet".

From this woman's experience we can take two important things from it.

First. African mothers feel safe when their children are barefoot.

They have always known that for their feet to develop properly, they should wear as little footwear as possible.

Their children's health is at stake.

Can you imagine a child in Senegal with foot problems?

They are countries where they walk a lot, so they can't afford a foot problem.

It's a working tool.

What if they get a bump or a cut?

It heals and that's it, just like any other part of the body.

Children play, they jump, they fight, they fall down ... and all at high intensity and many times.

It is part of their growth.

The body needs that intensity and that variability in movements.

And what happens?

Sometimes they hit each other, get hurt and even break.

A hurricane can break a branch of a tree, but if the roots are strong it won't uproot it.

A child whose feet are strong and functional has the basis for a good development.

• If their feet are strong, it means that they have moved a lot barefoot or with minimalist shoes. And movement is important for health.

• And if they function well, then nothing external has interfered with their growth: narrow last, reinforced heel, rigid, with thick sole, with the heel part higher than the toe area, with cushioning...
  
  
  

Does this mean that they have to be barefoot until they are 8-10 years old?

Yes, but because it is socially frowned upon, there are minimalist shoes.

This type of footwear is the closest thing to wearing nothing on your feet.


Secondly. The sensations transmitted by the feet are unique.

At the end, our protagonist took off her shoes to feel the sand.

A sensation that you can also experience.

Although if you're not used to it, you may not like it at first, but...

Did you like the first sip of wine?

The barefoot sensations improve like the wine, with every step, with every sip.

Each time you go barefoot you will like it more and more.

It can be to feel the warm sand of the beach, a wet grass or why not? the roughness of the cement.

Life is sensations, many and varied.

Movement and sensations.

And all within reach of your feet.


Good for you.

You choose what shoes you put on your child.

Or if you prefer, barefoot.

If you prefer shoes, focus on shoes that allow your child's feet to develop properly.

So that they can run, jump or dance as if they were barefoot:

Vivobarefoot Primus Sport II are that shoe.

So that his/her feet can feel and his bones receive the stimuli they need to grow strong.

Without cracks.

And they have nothing to interfere with the movement of your feet.

Not even a small heel.

Nothing.

Just a bit of protection of a thin sole.


And for you.

The same shoes with the same performance.

So that you too can walk, run, dance or just feel.

The Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III for women.

And for men too.


Movement and sensations for everyone.


Pd. Now that you are free to travel, set your feet free.