18 Month Old Won't Wear Shoes Without Socks!

Haha! I've been dealing with the same thing. My lil one wants to wear socks & shoes all the time. I can't stand the sight of socks with sandals. I wiggle my toes around, tell him how comfy it is to walk on the carpet with no shoes/socks, take my shoes off in the grass, tickle his feet... and he's finally come around, I think it just takes a little getting used to. Seeing you and her siblings in sandals is the best way to teach. They probably don't remember last summer and wearing sandals then.

I don't know much about the sensory disorder for the hypersensitive except for what I've read on a blog - one of the resident bloggers at babycenter.com has a daughter with this problem. From what I understand a lot of these kids actually feel pain when you put them in clothes made of certain materials.

So just let her wear socks!!! My niece only wanted to wear certain clothes.. and would wear only clothes with no tags.

Maybe the shoes hurt her feet!!! My niece is totally normal, but was very picky about her clothes. (Hated jeans... cause they weren't soft, etc...)

There is NOTHING wrong with her, except she has an opinion. She likes her socks!!!! :) Don't even worry that it is anything else.. people want to send everyone to a Dr. or shrink.. she is normal! My son hates his nails cut.. and only wants to brush his own teeth because he wants to be in control!!!

Hi M.,

I agree with Kerri. She's perfectly normal. She could possibly be more sensitive to some things than others but she may just have a personal preference to it. I NEVER liked wearing sandals because they didn't fit my feet well. Only when I had socks and sneakers/T-straps on did my shoes feel like they fit. What kid wants to think about their feet...there are other, more pressing issues :) That is a very vivid memory from my childhood.

As far as sensory integration disorder...this is a "new" disorder that seems to be diagnosed a lot these days. Most of the children diagnosed with it are on toxic overload from too many chemicals in their systems and their neurological system just can't seem to function. A child gets a sniffle and we give them a chemical. WE feed them processed foods and wonder why they can't focus. We wash our babies' hair with Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo (that has formaldehyde in it) and we wonder why the cancer rate in children has gone up. We spray furniture polish and Lysol (which contains Agent Orange) in our houses and we wonder why our kids get hyperactive. We put fluoride in the drinking water and wonder why digestive issues are on the rise...Are you following my logic?

My first suggestion to anyone is to make your home a safe one. If questions or problems still exist after that then further investigation MAY be needed but nine times out of ten, it's a simple fix.

God bless,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

If I were you I'd run out and buy some of those crocs with built in liners. Quick and easy to put on and she might love them. You could pick a bright fun color, too!

M.,
I agree with Donna that it sounds like a sensory integration disorder of some sort. Does she have any other issues with eating etc? Is she doing everything else on target (ie language and other motor development)? I would make an appointment with the doc to get an official opinion, but in the meantime, write down all of your concerns so you do not forget while you are in the doc's office. Also, take a look in the library or online at sensory integration disorders.

BTW, I would not force the issues with the sandals. What is the worst that will happen if she wears socks with sandals? I would certainly pick my battles with her, and this would be the one I would let her win.

Good luck! :-)

You may want to read about sensory sensitive children. There is much you can do to intervene (yeast overgrowths and dietary sensitivities make it worse). www.spdbayarea.com has some good info. Lots of other sites will refer to it if you search on sensory processing disorder. It will seem odd to you, but at 12-18 months, you are describing the symptoms - you can get started now and your daughter won't have to deal with it later.
Best of luck with those adorable summer sandals! J.

Do you think that perhaps she might have some sensory problems going on? I have a couple of friends that have children that have sensory integration dysfunction. Shoes, getting hair cut, noise, the way clothes fit, certain sounds, teeth being cleaned, you name it.

Just a thought about it to let you know that it could be a possibility? I hope you do find out.