To have asked nanny to take her shoes off

It was a beautiful outdoor / indoor cabin in the days before office sheds were a thing. It was for a well known organic food brand in the middle of the countryside.

I wouldn't be worried if asked nicely, you respect people's homes. However if the house looked too super clean and nothing out of place I'd be worried that it would be tricky to entertain children without making a mess. I wouldn't want to keep policing them about keeping clean and tidy. Unless of course there was a messy child section of the house.

In an office? 😳
That would have been a no from me.

I’ve been asked to take my shoes off in an actual job interview in an office that had new carpets 😂. I didn’t care at all and I certainly wouldn’t care if it was someone’s house.

I don't get it either. Unless I'm going hiking I never come home with mud on my shoes. And even hiking I can usually avoid stepping in animal waste.

I get cold feet so always just wear warm slippers at home.

But where do all these posters live that their pavements are so lined in dog shit that it’s a certainty that they will get on shoes and be trodden into carpets.

I’m afraid that I don’t know anyone who keeps their shoes on whilst walking on someone else’s carpet. It’s gross. I do think it’s a more modern thing in the UK linked to lighter coloured carpets.

We have a strictly no shoes policy in our home. When friends and family come round they automatically remove their shoes at the front door without being asked as they know this is important to us. I also ask anybody visiting our home, health visitors or workmen etc. to remove shoes and, if this is not possible, I always have a stock of shoe covers available. We offer guest slippers to friends and family visiting, we keep some specific pairs of slippers especially for particular regular visitors! I am always bare foot at home because I am blind and feel safer when I can feel the flooring underfoot, so I am keen that nobody treads anything nasty into the house. However, I am always surprised that everyone doesn't have shoe-free houses. Surely it's just more hygienic and safer to leave outdoor shoes outside. Maybe I'm just over fussy, but I certainly wouldn't be offended to be asked to remove my shoes before entering someone else's house, I usually offer to do so unpromted anyway. I obviously don't think you're being unreasonable!

It might not be what she was asked but the manner in which she was asked.

I always offer to take my shoes off when I enter someone’s home, it’s good manners surely? I wouldn’t walk in with new carpet with my shoes on

So strange! I'm a social worker and always (unless the floors are filthy) take my shoes off in someone else's house. Even in my own house I ask any visitor of any description to take their shoes off. Hell, even my kids take their shoes off as soon as they get home or when visiting friends and family. Different culture/etiquette I guess?!

I'm a former Nanny and this would have put me off tbh. It shows a level of pedantry that doesn't always bode well for the future. Might seem harsh but it's true!
The same applies to families with cameras.

Having 2 young children and worries about their carpet? What's wrong with good hygiene and manners and being respectful. I always take my shoes off in people's homes, I was raised to be respectful because of modelled behaviour of my parents. My kids behave appropriately because we do, I'd want a nanny to support good manners and consideration. Also, if child is very young they'll be crawling on the carpet -it should be kept clean.

Really? I wouldn't dream of walking on someone's carpet with my shoes on, that's such bad manners and absolutely disgusting what carpets hold.
@Bluegreenyellowredorange I wouldn't want to employ someone to be in my house in their shoes. It'd be odd to ask someone in an office environment but It's not an office, it's a family home.

Precisely because the job involves caring after young children a nanny shouldn’t be wearing shoes inside, it’s unhygienic

I don’t give a flying one who you are, you’re taking your shoes off before you walk on my carpets. Anyone who thinks it’s ok to walk through someone’s home with shoes on are grim and it’s quite telling what their houses are like. And when you have young children sitting and playing on the carpet?! Even more so.

I have three rugs around my front door: two outside (one silicon for step 1 brushing, second bamboo fibre for step 2 brushing) and a third one inside for drying out the shoes and leaving them on the rug. Then I also have guests slippers of 4 sizes (2 each for men and women).

When people come into the house, I bend over and reach for slippers asking which ones they prefer. Their shoes, at that point, come off automatically. I don’t even have to tell.

I’d have asked, it’s polite to and if you didn’t and she kept it up while employed it’s a harder thing to implement! I don’t have a shoes off rule due to hard floors and probably going in the garden but I would ask if they chose to use the upstairs! Couldn’t care who they are

You’ve done nothing wrong…rude of her to walk in with her shoes on and put you in the position to have to ask.

I see clients in their home sometimes. My shoes come off at the door even when they say don’t worry. It’s basic manners that I teach my kids.

Or alternately I look at it as a home with a very young child who will be crawling, sitting, lying on the floor, probably dropping things and putting them in their mouth should aim to have clean floors and not walk in dirt and dogs mess on their shoes especially carpet?

i find it really interesting the different perspectives on this. Normally people with dogs have given up on hygiene I find.

the nanny should have shown normal manners and taken the shoes off at the front door without having been asked.

clearly not a compatible relationship. My nanny used to bring house slippers to change into on arrival. I didn’t even have to ask her it was all off her own back. She was a very clean and tidy person naturally.

I’m a nanny and have always taken my shoes off when entering someone’s home. It’s just the done thing (I know my fellow nanny friends do the same!)
Why would you want to wear shoes on a carpet where a baby is crawling around….!?
Very odd, I wouldn’t say you’ve done anything wrong at all.

She may have another interview tomorrow and be hedging her bets. She may have had trouble with her phone. Perhaps a family emergency or maybe she just did not like you or your home. Hundreds of possibilities,I would think taking shoes off is the least likely.

I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. Everyone takes shoes off in my house. I would have provided some cheap slippers for her to wear though.

I remove my shoes in everyone house. It's a sign of respect in many cultures.

She should have offered to take her shoes off herself!!! The fact that she did not do so, after asked, will be putting me off!