5 Tips for Encouraging Confident Walkers

But how do slipper socks with soles help your child learn to walk? Well it's all about confidence, support and practice and here are my 5 tips.

Win a pair of Moccis slipper socks - ideal for encouraging confident walkers

5 Tips for Confident Walkers

1 - Don't compare your child to others. Some children with Down's syndrome walk at around one year and for others it can be three to four years. Having hyper mobility makes the task twice as tricky, so celebrate their achievements and give them plenty of encouragement.

2 - Consider specialist equipment such as an Upsee harness or a walking frame. Ask your child's phyiotherapist for more information.

3 - Use distraction techniques. Focus on a toy in the distance, one that moves around, makes a fun noise or rolls away easily is ideal. Read our post about encouraging, jollying, distracting and teaching your child to walk here in These Boots Were Made for Walking. 

4 - Have something sturdy for your child to lean on to move around. We found those special walking trolleys moved away too quickly and Natty would land flat on her face, so we switched to giving her an upside down laundry basket to push around the kitchen floor instead.

5 - Make sure they are comfortable and not likely to slip on a shiny floor or in slippery shoes. They may need to wear physiotherapist approved Pedro boots or similar outside, but a pair of soft, suede-soled slipper socks like Moccis are not only funky, but podiatrist approved. They make a fabulous treat for emerging walkers and children nervous about slipping on wooden floors or tiles at home.

We've been huge of Moccis fans for years, ever since Mia, now 12, was a toddler and now we are all proud owners of the hand sewn Swedish footwear. We did a little dance to show our appreciation.

Moccis not only gave the whole family a pair of cosy slipper socks to update our feet, but they have kindly offered to give one pair of child's moccasins, worth £22.97, to a Downs Side Up reader in the UK, as a prize. Just enter in the Rafflecopter competition below and a winner will be chosen at random next week.

Unlike socks and slippers, which can damage your feet, Moccis® are podiatrist recommended and feature:

• Machine washable leather and non-slip soles to help prevent slipping and injury
• Hand sewn stitching to maintain a level of craftsmanship that makes Moccis the finest moccasin available
• Ethically produced in Sweden to ensure the highest possible quality and keep our carbon footprint nice and small
• An invisible support strap so they don’t fall off or lose their shape
• The highest quality luxury materials to softly caress and comfort your feet
• Stay-dry protection to keep feet warm, dry, and odour free
• Limited collector designs by our creator and designer Anna Wetterlin