But if you really want to understand the life of an 8-year-old—the joy, the exhaustion, and the sheer velocity of it all—you have to look down. You have to look at the feet.
You buy a pair of sturdy sneakers in August for back-to-school. They fit perfectly. There is a thumb’s width of room. You feel smug about your budgeting. By October, your child is walking like a penguin because their toes are curled under. "They feel fine," they insist, while clearly suffering.
So, to the 8-year-old feet currently kicking the back of my car seat: