You can clearly tell when my eight year old is walking through the house. He sounds like the cliche: a herd of elephants. He’s not the only one I’ve noticed either. When my sister was his age she walked heavily. Why are kids so heavy?
What’s up with that?
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Everyone on top comments is saying it’s an inherent thing, but it’s also nurture. I was a night child, while my parents were morning people. I learned to walk on toes real quick, so that I ~~wouldn’t get caught out of bed~~ wouldn’t keep them up.
I think a big part of it is that they don’t need to, because nothing hurts (yet) from walking like that all the time. (combined with a big lack of self-awareness and self-consciousness, of course)
My Mom is tiny (110 pounds) and when she was younger, she was absurdly loud. “I walk quickly because I’m busy!” (with self-inflicted pointless chores, but that’s another story) Way, way louder than my 200+ pound Dad or my far heavier ass.
As she got older and developed serious joint problems, she started to step so much more gently it’d be funny if it wasn’t for, you know, the crippling damage.
If I walked like an 8 year old kid, it’d be like doing a high-impact workout every second of the day in terms of stress on what’s left of my joint cartilage. (And I might actually damage older floors where the boards have gotten a little loose and cracked. I’m pretty sure if I did it on the Subway, or out after dark, some people would run away.)
That’s how I knew my cute little neighbors next door were growing up 😂 it not longer sounded like a water buffalo stomping up and down the stairs
Children who aren’t constantly reminded that their existence is a nuisance to someone (neglectful/abusive homes), tend to not soften their footsteps until they start to naturally become aware of their own addition to their environments sound or it is taught to them.
The same reason that kids (all humans) will chew loudly, talk with their mouths full, slurp, lick their fingers, burp, stab their food with a fork and cut food like they are killing it, not put a napkin on their lap before they start eating, not understand that they should not start eating until everyone is served, etc. They have not been socialized by their parents to have manners.
Not just kids. It’s lots & lots of people. I have an elderly relative like this. I used to tease her about it, but no more. Two reasons. It hurt her feelings terribly. She also had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. Some people just STOMP into life, yard by yard. The total lack of self-awareness comment tracks. Myself, I’m not a small person, but I’ve tiptoed around for most of my life. Most of it is unconscious at this point, but it’s true, when I actually think about it: I don’t want people to know that I’m there. Parental stuff, other reasons. Etc. There are ninja moments. One basic I’ve noticed is that I walk on the balls of my feet. The loud people walk heel first.
Personally I remember that when I was a little kid, I used to run and walk on my heels. Which is very, very loud, especially on hard floors.
As I grew older though, I became more self-conscious about the noise I make, and try to step more softly. Also, I learned from PE teachers that it was better to run on the front of your sole to get a spring in your step.
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