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The Day the Kid Quit his Gumboots
Every parent knows that the number one accessory that kids need in their arsenal to combat wet weather is a sturdy, faithful, well-loved pair of kids gumboots. But what happens when gumboots don’t go to plan? It doesn’t bear thinking about! One thing is for sure, unhappy kids and toddler tantrums can take a grey day and make it even more sour.
Read on to find out how French Soda gumboots for kids saved the day, mum’s nerves and all the glassware in the house.
It’s a Slippery Slope
Meet Steve. Spiderman buff, milkshake aficionado and outdoor play specialist. He woke that morning, with plans to combine all three of his favourite things for a fun morning out.
After breaking his previous Weet-bix record, (and using up all the milk), Steve and his mum set out on a massive outdoor hike to Mt Everest, aka the big hill on the way to the coffee shop. The plan was to attempt to summit in his new pair of spiderman-themed gumboots. Because, just like his hero, Steve was an avid climber of things.
He was full of high expectations. Conquering the peak was a feat worthy of the chocolate milkshake he knew would be waiting for him at the coffee shop. It was going to be a good day!
But on this gloomy, wet Melbourne morning, Steve took the hill a little too fast. Maybe it was the thought of milkshakes? Maybe it was the Weet-bix? No one will ever know. But, with little legs running flat out up the hill, his gumboots couldn’t keep up with the super speed and he slipped and slid onto his bum.
As you all know, 4 year-olds are mighty unhappy when their bums get wet. Especially when there’s mud. And, especially in public. It was a real setback, since Steve had worked so hard in his potty training efforts. So, the trek was abandoned and down the mountain he went. There was no prized milkshake. And, mummy didn’t get to have her morning coffee. Everyone was a bit miserable.
It sounds like Steve’s gumboots needed better spiderman-quality grip. Clearly, he was not wearing French Soda gumboots, which are made with anti-slip rubber soles. You could even call them superhero rubber soles, saving toddler bums and coffee outings one outdoor adventure at a time!
When your dreams are too big for your boots
When Anna heads to the playground, nothing is off limits for climbing. The monkey bars, the spider net, the fairy stumps, up the slide and over the back of the couch. Okay, technically there is no playground couch, but mum catches Anna scaling the back of it at home most days, so it was worth mentioning.
One early autumn morning while the sun was still weak and the dew was still covering the ground, Anna and her mum went to the local park. Normally, a trip to the playground is one of Anna’s favourite things (snuggles with mummy being the other, of course), but not that day. Anna was not having a good time.
It was her new boots. Having outgrown her others, mum had only just remembered to grab a pair of girls gumboots during a trip to the shopping mall. But they just didn’t feel right! They were too stiff. Not bendy at all. And, now she couldn’t climb!
And what do little climbers do when they can’t climb? They take off their shoes! So, fifteen minutes later, Anna, wet-socked and miserable, and her mummy went home to look for the bendiest gumboots for kids they could find online.
That is how Anna found her yellow French Soda Gumboots or Climb-boots as she likes to call them. They’re the perfect, most comfy boots, made from super-soft natural rubber that bends with her legs when she twists and climbs.
The Wiggles Phase
To say that Jack is a ‘Wiggles’ fan would be the understatement of the century. He’s obsessed, but nobody in the family seems to mind. Although, he does hold the family record for attending the most concerts for a particular artist—five concerts in his short span of four years earth-side! Impressive!
A normal day for Jack entails waking up, followed by a cuddle with mummy in the big bed, breakfast (his favourite vegemite on toast, cut into big, long strips) and then finally a bit of singing and dancing in front of the telly alongside his favourite rock band, ‘The Wiggles’.
So, it came as no surprise when Jack got a brand new pair of shiny ‘Wiggles’-themed gumboots for his birthday from his Auntie Kate. Jack looooooved his new boots! He wore them all the time!
Then one day the unthinkable happened. Instead of ‘The Wiggles’, a new show was in its place. And, as this was the time when mummy usually took her morning shower, he had no choice but to watch… ‘Paw Patrol’. It wasn’t a total disaster. In fact, it was quite the opposite. In precisely the time it took to watch that exciting, fun episode, Jack had a new favourite! A career as a firefighting dog just like Marshal was firmly in his sights!
Of course, a disaster of sorts was yet to come! Jack now wanted ‘Paw Patrol’ gumboots and mum was determined to resist this fickle change. But the battle of wills was only just beginning!
The first few occasions saw ‘The Wiggles’ boots being kicked off as soon as mum pulled them over his wiggly little toes. These flying gumboots struck a note of fear into mum’s heart as she mentally calculated all the glass items in the room.
Then they went missing for nine days and mum had the difficult task of weighing up which of Jack’s shoes she was prepared to sacrifice whenever they had to venture outside.
Eventually, she found them. One little boys gumboot was in the dog’s kennel, underneath the blanket. The other had mysteriously made its way to the bottom shelf of the pantry and had a packet of fettuccine stuck down inside the leg!
The cost was starting to weigh up and Mum decided maybe a new pair was worth it after all.
But mummy, being a wise and clever mummy, found a pair of French Soda Gumboots in a bright red; identical to the red in Marshall's fire saving helmet. Perfect for little Paw Patrol adventures, or for when Jack’s affection for his favourite Wiggle, Simon, aka the red Wiggle, returns.
So far, mum is winning this battle, although Jack now wants a red raincoat to match Marshall’s red firefighting gear. Stay tuned… mum’s pretty sure blue will prove to be a wise choice in the end, if Jack’s attention turns to something else!
When they want to do it themselves
For Sarah, three years is enough life experience! This little Miss Independence is certainly going on fourteen. She’ll dress herself, brush her teeth and hair, insist on serving her own food and attempt just about anything else she can.
It takes a bit of inventiveness by mum to give her the freedom to develop these skills without ending in tantrums or chaos every day. But finding gumboots that aren’t tricky to put on? Well, unfortunately there’s only been tears and drama.
One-day, they took a trip to their local kids shop, the type that sells pretty dresses and wooden toys. Mum noticed they sold gumboots, and they found a pair of bright pink gumboots for girls. As mum handed them to Sarah, she noticed that they were made from the softest rubber. And to her surprise, little Sarah was able to pull the gumboots on all by herself.
It didn’t matter that she had them on the wrong feet! It was just such a relief for mum to finally have found a pair of shoes that weren’t going to be part of the daily meltdown.
And the bestest, best part, at least for Sarah? They look great with her new pink tutu dress as well.
When they take on the bigger puddles
I’m pretty sure we all have an Oliver in our lives. This Oliver loves a good adventure. In fact, the bigger, the better. He’ll take on the tallest slide, the fastest swing and the highest monkey bars without breaking a sweat! Though it's a different story for his mama!
But she always knew that one day he was going to meet his match. And that day came sooner than anyone thought! You see, it had rained most of the night and even though the next day dawned bright and sunny, there were plenty of puddles to be had. Epic puddles, most certainly from the ginormous category of puddle.
And of course, mum was prepared. She is the sort that carries around a spare snack and Band-aids just in case. After a little research, she bought Oliver a pair of blue gumboots from French Soda. Blue because it matches his eyes. French Soda because she heard from one of her mum's group friends that they were slightly longer than regular gumboots for kids.
The longer the gumboots are, the more protection your little Oliver or Olivia will have from puddles. And we all know wet socks means grumpy kids. It’s simple maths, science and psychology!
So, on this bright, yet wet, Sydney morning, Oliver took on the biggest puddle in the existence of his 5 years’ worth of big adventures… and won!
The Warmer, the Better
Penny loves to draw. In fact, she’s done so many masterpieces, mum has a hard task of finding enough wall and fridge-door space to display them all. The common theme in all her drawings is that everyone always wears gumboots. Great, big, stompy gumboots. Even the dog is depicted in gumboot-style!
There is, however, one thing that Penny loves more than drawing, and that’s exploring the wonderful wide world outside. But, when you live by Lorne’s cold coastline, getting time outside can be quite the challenge. And if there’s one thing Penny doesn’t like, it’s cold toes.
On the days she’s braved the cold in her thin, ‘Frozen’-themed gumboots, her outing (and enjoyment) has been short-lived, and she’s back inside in no time at all, thawing her feet by heater. Those cold toes seem to have a habit of spreading, Penny has found. Soon her knees are cold, and before long her nose is cold too. Going outside just isn’t fun.
Mum has tried to explain many times that buying gumboots that don’t have the word ‘Frozen’ plastered on the side really won’t make any difference to how warm her toes stay. But, Penny feels as though that can’t be the right answer!
When Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for a couple of days, her luck suddenly changed. After all the big welcome cuddles had finished, Grandma handed Penny a lovely big parcel. It was such a surprise, because her birthday was months away. As she tore open the brown paper, she found a fabric bag inside, and as she opened that, she caught a glimpse of the brightest, bluest gumboots she’d ever seen in her life.
Pulling them on immediately, she discovered they made her feet feel warm and toasty. This was a new sensation!
Grabbing both Grandma’s and Grandpa’s hands, she pulled them towards the front door and out they went to the beach to explore. Poor Grandma and Grandpa! They soon were feeling the cold creeping up from their toes, but Penny was happily bouncing around, showing them all the wonders the rock pools had to offer. She didn’t have time to notice that her feet weren’t cold.
Lately, mum has realised that there aren’t as many masterpieces to display on the fridge door. Penny is far too busy finding things to do outside. And, even though mum won’t part with the old gumboots, Penny eyes them suspiciously every time, and then happily steps into her blue, fleecy-lined pair.
For the puddle-jumping superheroes
If any of these stories sound familiar, then maybe you have a puddle-jumping Olympian living at your place. While your little one still may be refining their craft and working on their puddle-jumping skills, everyone knows the first rule of any Olympic sport is to dress the part. Or at least, we think it should be!
In any case, if you have a child at home that loves to test the depth of every puddle on your daily walk, then perhaps they need the full kit! And by ‘kit’ we mean a sturdy pair of kids gumboots and a comfortable raincoat in a colour that matches their enthusiasm and energy.
Not only will your little super-puddle-jumper stay warm and dry during all his or her adventures, the kit will also protect their clothes, as they head indoors to recharge until the next puddle-jumping mission!
**Disclaimer: these stories are based on the everyday lives of outdoor-loving kids and their doting parents. We’ve taken great care to change all names for privacy reasons. Readers are advised that content from these fictional accounts may inspire a preference for more outdoor play, puddle-jumping and Mt Everest-style climbing. Take care to proceed with as much energy and enjoyment as possible. And, a pair of French Soda gumboots most certainly will aid your endeavours.
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