Many babies love ripping a pair of socks off their feet, either because they hate wearing them or just because they think it’s a fun game.
My daughter used to love doing this and as a parent I can confirm that it can be pretty frustrating, especially if you’re trying to keep your little one’s feet warm and snug during colder months!
So let’s take a look at the best tips and hacks to keep baby socks on, rather than discarded and thrown around the room!
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Top 5 Tips On How To Keep Baby Socks On
Footed Clothes
One of the best ways to keep your baby’s feet warm and / or protected is to use clothes with in-built “socks”.
Examples of this type of clothing include tights or footed leggings, which thanks to their all-in-one design are next to impossible for your baby or toddler to take off themselves.
Sock-Staying Products
Some products, such as Sock-Ons, have been specifically designed to keep everything in place.
The idea of these products is that they “lock” your baby’s socks on around the heel, with the intention that however much your child pulls away, the sock remains in place.
You should note that these types of products are not suitable for walking in or for wearing with shoes, so they do have some downsides and therefore aren’t really suitable for older babies or toddlers.
Booties
I found that this one was a game changer in my bid to keep my daughter’s feet covered.
Booties are another way you can provide warmth, comfort and safety to your child, but unlike socks they are less likely to come off.
Many booties have snaps or other closure systems in place, so they are purposefully designed to stay on you baby’s feet at all times.
Kick-Proof Socks
Not all items of clothing are created equal, and this is certainly the case with kick-proof socks.
The top of these tend to be made with elastic, which keeps the socks in place and make them harder to pull off.
As a word of caution if you do buy anything that can be tightened around your baby’s ankle, make sure the sizing is correct because anything too small or tight will leave marks and be uncomfortable for your little one.
Distraction Techniques
Lastly, as we all know babies have notoriously short attention spans, so you might find that distracting your baby works well.
Try putting this tip into practice by giving your baby a squishy toy or some other hand-held toy next time they’re trying to take their socks off.
The reason this works well is because your baby is probably more interested in exploring their surrounding than anything else, so this curiosity can be satisfied with another object (of your choosing) rather than socks.
Do Babies Need To Wear Socks?
Depending on your baby’s age, a pair of socks will serve different purposes.
Newborn
Newborns cannot walk, crawl or even move around, so there is only one reason why a newborn should wear socks, and that’s to keep warm.
This is especially important to remember in winter, because a body heat can quickly escape from a baby’s head or feet when it’s cold.
Infants & Toddlers
Once your baby is able to walk, in addition to providing warmth socks offer several additional benefits, such as
- Keeping your baby’s feet clean and providing grip when walking (assuming you purchase ones with gripper soles).
- Protecting your baby’s feet from sharp objects and uneven surfaces.
- Providing comfort and absorbing sweat when wearing shoes.
Do Babies Need To Wear Them All The Time?
Many pediatricians recommend babies should be able to feel and fully wiggle their toes, because this helps their sensory development.
So if there’s no need for your baby’s feet to be kept warm or protected by wearing a pair, it’s advisable to let them go barefoot whenever you can.
See Also: The Complete Guide To Buying & Caring For Baby Clothes
Should Babies Wear Socks To Sleep?
If you’re thinking about dressing your baby in socks when sleeping, what you are most likely wondering is how can I keep my baby’s feet warm at night.
Because they can easily come off – either on purpose or accidently while your baby is asleep – the better option may be to dress your baby in clothing that covers their feet.
Examples of this include onesies, swaddle sacks and sleep sacks.
If you’re concerned about how you can keep your child warm enough at night during colder months, you could dress them in a pair of footed pajamas and / or a sleep sack with a high TOG rating.
This will help ensure your baby is warm, safe and comfortable throughout the night, whatever the temperature.
Why Do Babies Pull Their Socks Off?
It’s hard to tell exactly why babies take their socks off, but it’s most likely down to a few reasons, including:
- Babies hate the feeling of wearing them and want to be free and barefoot.
- They view it as a fun game or activity.
- Not being able to control most things is a source of frustration to many babies, so the fact they can control wearing socks or not is very satisfying.
