Why flip flops?

Ok I'm one of those few people who does not live in flip flops. I do not like things between my toes. I don't like the look of going to the beach when I'm not. I don't think they are a great fashion statement, but that is not the point of this post. You are an adult and I say hey whatever floats your boat... go for it!

Nope, my issue is not with adults wearing flip flops, it's with children wearing flip flops everywhere. If you follow my blog, you know that I'm at the playground all the time with my boys. We go to a couple of different playgrounds and are often at the playground more than once a day. I was trained to observe when I was a teacher, so I take in a lot of what is going on around me and I see a lot of children at the playground in flip flops. Ummm why?

First off most of the playgrounds around here have bark mulch as the ground cover under the playground. Ouch! Second, you can't tell me that they are safely climbing with shoes that are barely on their feet? I watch these children try to climb, run and jump in flip flops and I just don't get it. So often they end up taking them off (refer to comment 1... ouch!)

I tell my boys that when we go to the playground, to the Y or other places where they are going to run and play they have to wear their socks and sneakers. My boys have sandals and flip flops (their flip flops at least have a strap on the back), but I still make them wear closed shoes at the playground. Is it just the old school momma in me that sees an issue with this? I don't want my boys twisting an ankle because they don't have on good shoes to play in. I don't need wood slivers in their feet because their feet are pretty much touching the ground in their shoes. I certainly do not want them taking their shoes off and playing without them.... gross!

Ok am I the only one who thinks this way? Tell me I'm crazy, or try to explain to me why it makes sense.

Don't even get me started on the children riding their bikes with flip flops on...