K-parenting 101: Don’t forget the socks

(Illustration by Yu Doo-ho / The Korea Herald)

Leaving the house with a newborn feels like prepping for battle.

From bottles, diapers and pacifiers to extra clothes, everything has to be packed like you’re never coming back. And once the door opens, it’s game on.

For South Korean parents, among the countless things to pack, there's one item that must never be forgotten: socks.

If you dare to take your baby out without socks, be ready for stares and a flurry of nagging from Korean grandmothers on the street, at the supermarket, or wherever they spot you.

A Korean woman puts socks on Della’s baby in a video posted on her YouTube channel last month. (YouTube)

In a video posted last month by American YouTuber Della, who has more than 4 million followers, she walked the streets of Seoul with her sockless baby, and Korean grandmothers didn’t hold back.

Some paused to say the baby must be cold, and one middle-aged woman even bought a brand-new pair of socks from a nearby clothing store and gently slipped them onto the baby’s feet.

So, why is it that Koreans can’t stand to see a baby’s feet uncovered?

Newborn baby feet in a white blanket (123rf)

In traditional Korean medicine, feet are seen as an important area where cold air can enter the body and throw off its natural balance. This belief is especially strong when it comes to babies, whose bodies aren’t yet able to control their own temperature well.

This warmth-centered approach to child care has been passed down through generations, with socks viewed as a first line of defense against illness. So, Korean babies are expected to wear socks everywhere — at home, outside and even in bed.

Dear foreign daughters-in-law across Korea, don't be startled by your mother-in-law's sock obsession. It's part tradition, part love.

K-parenting 101 is a new series exploring the world of Korean parenting, from unique, sometimes quirky practices to essential baby care tools, shaped by tradition and trend. -- Ed.