Make Sure Your Children Take Care Of Their Feet This Halloween
With Halloween just around the corner, your children will likely be eager to dress in their costumes and head out into the neighborhood for an evening of trick or treating. While many parents take steps to ensure that their kids are safe during this outing, such as walking with them, making them carry flashlights, or having them wear reflective markers on their costumes, it's also important to think about the safety of your children's feet. A variety of foot-related issues on Halloween can land your child in the podiatrist's office for care, but taking some precautionary steps can help your child avoid such problems. Here are some ways to care for your child's feet on Halloween.
Use Insoles On Borrowed Footwear
Depending on the nature of your children's costumes, they might borrow footwear from their friends to make the costume complete. Sharing footwear is risky because the person from whom the child is borrowing the footwear could have plantar warts, athlete's foot, or other contagious foot conditions that send the child to the podiatry clinic. Ideally, you should avoid having your child borrow footwear. However, if doing so is the plan, protect your child's feet by buying new insoles to put in the shoes. This can provide a protective layer between the wart virus, for example, and the child's feet. After trick or treating, make sure that your children scrub their feet thoroughly.
Consider Non-Costume Shoes
Many children will want to wear shoes that fit their costume, but this isn't always practical. For example, if a young girl wishes to be a princess, she might opt for high-heeled shoes. This style of footwear, however, can lead to blisters and other foot complications after a couple hours of walking — especially if the child isn't accustomed to wearing high heels. There's nothing wrong with having the child clad in his or her costume from the ankles up — and asking him or her to wear running shoes during the outing.
Take The Reliable Route
On Halloween, many children who are eager to visit as many homes as possible will dart across lawns, through ditches, and over other less-than-reliable terrain. However, these routes, especially in the dark, can potentially lead to an ankle sprain that lands your child in the local podiatrist's office. Make sure that your children know to take the reliable route that is less likely to lead to a fall or a stumble. Children should take the sidewalk and walk up and down people's driveways.
For more information, contact local professionals like Family Foot Center Podiatry Group Inc.