Removing shoes

**Tatjana** · 28-04-2009, 10:02 PM

Just read another thread elsewhere on the forum which has got me thinking.

We don't wear shoes in our house for hygiene reasons, we take them off in the hallway, all our friends do this automatically...and many of them are the same in their homes.

I asked the ofsted inspector to do so and also my cdo when they visited...am also going to be asking any parents to do so when they come round.

Do any of you do the same?

I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable but neither do i want them wearing shoes..i hadn't worried about this until now.

Sorry for the ramble!

xx

**gegele** · 28-04-2009, 10:10 PM

well if they just drop and pick up they might just saty by the door.

what about putting a mat at the entrance of your front room or the limit where you would expect shoes to be off andif they want to pass the limit they take off their shoes...!

i don't know as i always said we would, and i tried but dd goes in and out of back doors and it's difficult to keep an eye.

good luck

**Tatjana** · 28-04-2009, 10:18 PM

Hmmm, if i ask them at the initial meeting i may never see them again, lol!

Oh why are things never simple, can't believe i find so much to worry about

xx

**Jen4Kids** · 28-04-2009, 10:23 PM

I have a no shoe policy while im minding, and the whole family does the same, but i had a family visit tonight and i totally forgot to ask them to remove their shoes

I might put a 'no shoes please there may be crawling babys about' sign on the glass internal door so everyone sees it once they are in the porch

**michellethegooner** · 28-04-2009, 10:53 PM

I have a little sign under my doorbell that says 'please remove shoes' if parents 'forget' I remind them they are all really good and if they have boots or shoes they dont want to remove then they stand in hall quite good really cos they drop off and collect quicker

I even have plastic shoe covers that I ask workmen to put in when they are here, but u would b surprised most of them have them but only use them if u ask them to remove shoes

I dont have ocd or anything its because where I am living now has CREAM carpets through out the house

and as it is temporary I am moving this year I dont want filthy carpets.

**grindal** · 29-04-2009, 06:13 AM

I fully intend to ask people to take shoes off before going into our sitting room. I will use crawling babies as my excuse. We have wooden floor boards in most of our house but the sitting room and stairs are carpet. I have one friend who never ever takes her shoes off when she visits and then stands on my carpet and rocks around which grinds dirt in. Then she will say "Oh no - Hannah (her daughter) must have muddy shoes and she trails around the room to get her daughters shoes off. I always have to hoover when she leaves!
Grindal

**FizzysFriends** · 29-04-2009, 07:03 AM

I have a sign in the hall and one inside the back door requesting they take their shoes off. In the hall is ok but anywhere else I have no problem asking them to take them off, afterall its my time and money spent cleaning and repairing any chips off the laminate.

**PixiePetal** · 29-04-2009, 07:18 AM

I have tiled the hall now.

We all take off shoes inside the door. DH is a farmer so his boots stay outside if poss

Parents usually take shoes off automatically. If they dont want to undo boots/laces in the bad weather they are welcome to stay in the hall and I bring child to them at home time.

I will be asking Ofsted when they come to do the same (take shoes off that is, not stay in the hall!!)

**Tatjana** · 29-04-2009, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by PixiePetal

I have tiled the hall now.

We all take off shoes inside the door. DH is a farmer so his boots stay outside if poss

Parents usually take shoes off automatically. If they dont want to undo boots/laces in the bad weather they are welcome to stay in the hall and I bring child to them at home time.

I will be asking Ofsted when they come to do the same (take shoes off that is, not stay in the hall!!)

LOL at Ofsted staying in the hall!

**Heaven Scent** · 29-04-2009, 08:35 AM

I get all the children to take their shoes off but I never ask the parents as they only come in as far as the hall and as I have parquay flooring on there. When I have visitors I never ask them to take their shoes off - partly because visiting parents usually come at the end of the day and what if they had smelly feet and I have to say I hate taking my shoes off in peoples houses in the evening - If I know I am going to someones house where I would be expected to take my shoes off then I'd wash my feet before I left home but if I have to go there straight after work then I would worry about my feet not being as fresh as a daisy especially if they had been couped up in tights and shoes all day - NOT GOOD.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 29-04-2009, 09:26 AM

I am exactly the same and would say do so from day 1.

One of my parents commented on day 2 that her son had to take his shoes off here but doesn't at home because their carpet it old. I replied "what happens when you get a new one?" - no more said

I also take my slippers when I visit friends homes.

**uf353432** · 29-04-2009, 09:46 AM

we have a no shoe policy on carpet areas, and did ask Ofsted to remove theirs as I do all parents who come round. Just be matter of fact about it like it wouldn't occur to you that they wouldn't remove their shoes. Its your home, your rules and your carpets and absolutely its horrible to think of crawling babies on carpets that people have walked on in outside shoes - shudder.

Now my kitchen and dining room is tiled, and I have a huge deck along the back of the house so will be asking parents to collect by the back door, hoping that actually they make their collections and 'chats' on the deck rather than in the house, that way they don't have to remove the shoes.

**jibberjitz** · 29-04-2009, 09:59 AM

We dont wear shoes around the house (I have a door mat which says 'Take off your shoes or scrub the floor!) When I get some mindees I will be sticking to the same policy - Mrs Ofsted kindly took of her shoes at my pre-reg visit

aly · 29-04-2009, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Tatjana

Just read another thread elsewhere on the forum which has got me thinking.

We don't wear shoes in our house for hygiene reasons, we take them off in the hallway, all our friends do this automatically...and many of them are the same in their homes.

I asked the ofsted inspector to do so and also my cdo when they visited...am also going to be asking any parents to do so when they come round.

Do any of you do the same?

I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable but neither do i want them wearing shoes..i hadn't worried about this until now.

Sorry for the ramble!

xx

This was in my house rules but my network co-ordinator made me change it because I have laminate it was for safety reasons incse they slip in socks. She asked why and I said well it was incase they had dirty shoes etc. sHE WOULD UNDERSTAND if it was carpet but then there would no risk .

**patevans** · 29-04-2009, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by michellethegooner

I even have plastic shoe covers that I ask workmen to put in when they are here, but u would b surprised most of them have them but only use them if u ask them to remove shoes

This is a really good idea

I asked the gas engineers to remove theirs when they came to service the fire and they said NO

so I ended up with big muddy foot prints all over my carpet and new kitchen floor

**Blackhorse** · 29-04-2009, 01:43 PM

the shoe thing is a funny one for me.

In austria nobody would ever go into someones flat our house without taking their shoes off. And I really mean nobody.. Everyone has some slippers in the hall for visitors to put on...(little cheap fabric ones) and everyone somehow complies to this...

whereas here I find everyone (everyone I know at least) just barges in without a care in the world about their shoes. I always take my shoes off and people look at me funny for doing it...gues it is just what people are used to, but I have to say I feel funny having to ask people to take of their shoes to be honest..makes me feel uncomfortable!!

**PixiePetal** · 29-04-2009, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

I am exactly the same and would say do so from day 1.

One of my parents commented on day 2 that her son had to take his shoes off here but doesn't at home because their carpet it old. I replied "what happens when you get a new one?" - no more said

I also take my slippers when I visit friends homes.

I take my slippers too

**Tatjana** · 29-04-2009, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by jibberjitz

We dont wear shoes around the house (I have a door mat which says 'Take off your shoes or scrub the floor!) When I get some mindees I will be sticking to the same policy - Mrs Ofsted kindly took of her shoes at my pre-reg visit

Liz, where did you get your fab doormat from? I want one!

xx

**Playmate** · 29-04-2009, 02:30 PM

I hate beeing asked to remove my shoes! I have a probelm with my feet and find it very uncomfortable to walk without shoes on. They also get cold very quickly and that makes the problem worse! I wear crocs around the house ,but I also go out in them. Don't let children taking theier shoes off either in case of fire. once had a drill that went very wrong when a child want to put her sheos on herself in the middle of a drill, which all landed in disaster!

**Heaven Scent** · 29-04-2009, 06:09 PM

I ask that all mindees have a pair of slippers that they keep here I always tell the parents its because of the hard floors and I don't want the children to fall and that usually works having said that the playroom has carpet on it - YUK but it was on there when we moved in and the room is quite large and I dread getting it changed - Its an awful salmon colour with fleks of grey in it which is wy I don't mind visiting adults keeping their shoes on - anyway the floors are hoovered daily and the hard floors are mopped a few times per week. My living room floor is stained floor boards and I need to get a job done on it as they are old and in the winter a wind blows like a hoolie up through the gaps so I want some new wooden flooring laid on top as it will have insulation and my room will be all snug. Despite the fact that my lounge is regstered for minding the kiddies hardly ever get in there except if they are sleeping but they can't touch anything. Once I get my new flooring they may not even be allowed to breathe in the direction of the room.