When there is an issue with your child’s feet, it can affect your child’s willingness to participate at school or in sports, and their development of social skills and self-esteem.

Here are some common concerns that podiatrists can help with:

• Gait: Children’s developmental phases occur quickly and it can be difficult to know what is normal for your child as we all grow at slightly different rates. Look for uneven shoe wear marks, toe-walking, in-toeing or out-toeing and asymmetric arm swing in their walk

• Behaviour: There may be a reason to be concerned if your child complains of recurrent pain in the legs or feet either with activity or at night. Take note of their eagerness to participate in sports, how quickly they get tired compared to others and consider how often they fall over compared to children of the same age group

• Skin and nails: Check to see if your child has hard skin on their feet, warts, bumps or lumps on the skin, recurring blisters on the same spot, recurrent ingrown nails, curly nails and fungal nails

The best place to start is with a good pair of shoes especially when your kids are growing. Visit your local The Athlete’s Foot Store for footwear specialist advice as well as asking about their work with local Podiatrists.

Find your local store here: http://www.theathletesfoot.com.au/findastore