My 18 month old is afraid of wearing shoes and walking outside.?

My son is a very happy baby and is very easy and well behaved. The problem is, I can't get him to walk outside. He screams for me to pick him up and looks really scared. He is fine inside the house, but I can't put him down anywhere outside. Another part of the problem is that he won't wear shoes. If I put shoes on him, he will go on all fours and cry until he can get them off. They are not too small or hurting him or anything. We didn't put shoes on him when he was an infant and learning to walk because I've read that it's better to keep them barefoot. Please help. This is getting very frustrating. I've signed him up at a childrens gym, and he screams and cries the whole time and WILL NOT let me put him down. I feel bad for disrupting the class but I feel like that is exactly what he needs to build self confidence and get over this. Thank you in advance for your advice.


Arlene

My 18 month old is afraid of wearing shoes and walking outside.?
It sounds like he has some sensory issues. This doesn't necessarily mean he has sensory processing disorder--he could just be on the more sensitive end of normal. But you might find some benefit in researching ways to help kids with sensory issues develop more tolerance for sensory input.





One of my kids was scared of grass, hates wearing shoes, etc. Another one gets really bothered by any kind of loud sound or strong smell. They are just a little more sensitive and they sometimes take a little longer to adjust to new sensations, but they do just fine in life.





Keep gradually introducing him to things, like taking him outside in your arms a lot and then gradually letting him walk on different surfaces. If he is terrified with the gym you might consider either staying with him or taking him out for now and trying later. Probably the sounds and smells are overwhelming to him . . . 18 months is still so young and they can be easily overstimulated at that age. He has lots of time to build self confidence and rushing him or pushing him too soon may backfire.





It wouldn't hurt to mention this to your pediatrician, either.
Reply:Don't give into him so easily.





If he sooks and carries on outside don't pick him up out of pity. How else is he going to learn.





Tell him that he has to wear his shoes because he is a big boy now and big boys wear their shoes.





Does he like any particular characters like buzz lightyear or spiderman or something? if he does and you can get shoes with that character on them he might be more encouraged to wear them, to 'show them off'.
Reply:call your pediatrician, and i hope it works out for you and your son, poor baby!!
Reply:Try putting on socks first, then trying the shoes.


Then put him (still with socks) outside. Slowly ease him into doing those things.


Be patient.
Reply:I think 2 things are going on 1- the issue of the shoes and 2- the gym class. It is very normal for him to not want shoes. when he learn to walk with out them, he feels safe with out them. Don't push it on him, try different ones every other day and he'll sure get the idea soon. how about sandals?


don't swaet the little things he will get over it on his own time. The class is different maybe he is not used to be around so many strange faces. try arriving early to the class and just sit with him, then put him down see if he wonders around. meybe he just needs a while to warm up.


Good luck



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