Recently, we shared some information on the benefits of barefoot play. And we are thrilled to see that quite a few of you reached out and wanted to know more. While we can tell you from an Eary childhood perspective, we thought it would be great to source out some professional insight from someone that we here at MELC value and Respect. Allow me to introduce an incredible woman, who is not only a Mumma bear of two and an invested member of our MELC Village, but also local Chiropractor that has a passion for supporting babies and children to thrive as they grow and develop, with resilience to combat the stressors inherent to childhood, and strength to reach their innate potential.
We have put together a few questions for Dr. Amanda Watson (Chiropractor) and we're confident that you will find some little nuggets of gold within her answers because she is a true shining light within our local Community, embedding an abundance of wisdom into her holistic approach with families.
Thank you so much for your time. Firstly, to paint a picture for families, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your professional background working with children?

Thank you MELC for having me!

I am wife, mama and Chiropractor who works with babies, children and pregnant women + mums! I have two special little boys, Asher (4.5y) and Arlo (2y) and what a ride motherhood has been for me! I have always been fascinated with how we ‘are’ as humans and studying post-graduate Paediatrics was the natural choice for me as it’s all about the brain and what makes us human from the earliest beginnings!

Understanding the brain and how we develop (right from the time of conception!) is pure magic and working with children to optimise their neurodevelopment has long been a passion of mine. Having my own children has only magnified my love of working with little ones as I’ve been able to intimately witness brain development in action before my eyes!

Why is it important to give children time to be barefoot?

Barefoot play and a barefoot lifestyle has so many benefits! The top 3 reasons we Chiropractors at Australian Children’s Chiropractic Centre love children going barefoot are:

1. It’s good for little feet!

There is so much strengthening and aligning to be done with little feet over the first several years of life. Barefoot play enables optimal activation of all the little muscles, ligaments and nerves in a child’s feet. There are so many tiny structures in a child’s foot and the more stimulation the foot, ankle, knee and leg receive in the early months and years of walking the greater these areas are to strength and work at their best. Arches, bone and muscle strength, ligament flexibility and stability all increase as a result of the use of feet without shoes or ridge supports on.

2. It’s good for little brains!

Little brains develop based on input - and going barefoot ramps up the quality and quantity of input to all areas of the brain, driving optimal development. Being able to properly feel our environment through our feet helps develop appropriate spatial awareness and therefore safe body control/movement, optimal balance, postural stability and coordination. The greater the amount of time barefoot combined with a wide variety of surfaces enhances the input to the brain supporting a child’s development throughout childhood.

3. It’s good for little bodies!

Planting little feet on the Earth without anything in between allows little bodies to soak up all those delicious negative ions on offer. Earthing or grounding is an effective tool to support nervous system regulation by increasing the ‘calm rest and digest’ part of our system (parasympathetic nervous system). Good for shifting a bad mood, a ‘wound up’ child (or mum!) or to increase the feel good vibes, going barefoot is an incredible tool to have in the self-regulation toolkit. Bonus points if it’s on the sand by the ocean or large body of water.

In a life that can be quite busy, as you can imagine, we all have those weeks; have you got any tips on embedding barefoot time for children?

I generally take the approach of ‘no shoes unless there’s a risk to physical safety’.

The comfort of our own homes is the perfect place to maximise barefoot time. Carpet, tiles, floorboards, climbing furniture (please tell me my kids aren’t the only one’s to do this?!) are great indoor surfaces to explore. And outside is even better to go barefoot. Grass, gravel, decking, sandpit, cement, dirt - so many options of barefoot play and brain stimulation! If there’s bindi’s or my kids don’t want to get wet feet at times then gumboots are by the door however their use is very minimal.

I think kids prefer to be barefoot. I know a lot of mums tell me of their struggles to get and keep shoes on their child's feet (however at times this is due to a persistent plantar grasp reflex!). With this in mind, I have 2 tips for allowing barefoot play beyond the home:

1. Scouting out the location you’re having a playdate at, or the yard at Grandma’s before the kids go outside etc, helps give you piece of mind about the potential for injury to little feet.

2. Take your child on a mini tour of the location and point out ‘sharp’ or ‘spiky’ objects. Even little toddlers can understand these concepts, and if shown what to avoid, are likely to watch out as they’re playing, or naturally avoid certain areas.

And then surrender to trusting that your child is safe, will ask for help, or will learn from their experiences if something hurts them during play (little brains learn super quickly!).

In a world where we cannot always be barefoot, have you got any suggestions for the best kind of footwear for children?

Yes! Barefoot isn’t always an option, nor appropriate. At Australian Children’s Chiropractic Centre we love Attipas or Old Soles shoe brands.

I'm sure you have some simple techniques or exercises that might help children to optimise foot and brain development if there’s been considerable shoe wearing. Can you please shed some light in this area?

Improving foot strength and proprioception can happen at any time. Some easy ways to do this with your child are:

Rolling the sole of the foot over a tennis ball, rolling pin, or spiky ball.
Picking up small objects with toes (in the bath is great to do this too!). Think LEGO, marbles, Ooshies (Yes, there can be a useful purpose for these things!!).
Scrunching fabric (t-shirt, silk pillowcase, calico/hessain fabric) along under the foot like a ‘hungry caterpillar’.
Balance and wobble boards are brilliant for strong foot, ankle and low limb brain stimulation and resulting body control.

If families would like to connect with you, where can they find you?

I practice at the incredible Australian Children’s Chiropractic Centre in Warners Bay. Just one look at our space @childrenschiropractic on Instagram or FB and you’ll feel relaxed and welcomed. I offer a complimentary 15 minute phone consult to discuss any questions or concerns you have about your child. You can book through the Contact Us page on our website www.childrenschiropractic.com.au/contact-us

Thank you so much Amanda! You’re amazing!

Written by Katie Stephenson

Barefoot Beauties...

Thank you so much for your time. Firstly, to paint a picture for families, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your professional background working with children?