I thought it would be easier to find a nursery with a no outdoor shoes policy !!

[Noshoesnursery]

Every one so far that I’ve looked at they all wear outdoor shoes inside meaning the carpets and rugs are not clean ? I thought they would be outdoor shoes off at the door for children and staff and just clean indoor shoes inside ?

is it really that unusual ? It’s a deal breaker for me but I need to find one !!

Our nursery had a no outdoor shoes policy for up to 2 year old rooms.
You had to have slippers/ shoes off or shoe covers on.

Kids are filthy....outdoor shoes or no outdoor shoes!

DC's nursery (SE London) had a no outdoor shoe policy.
They all had hard soled slippers which they changed into, although they did wear them outside in the (fake grass) garden and then back inside afterwards. It meant that whilst the floors sometimes got a little muddy it wasn't dirt from the pavement (dog poo etc).

Try looking at Montessori nurseries. DD1 went to one and they all changed into slippers when they arrived. Changed back into outdoor shoes when going into the garden or trips out. They promoted independence and the children managed it themselves quickly (DD1 started at age 2, they took babies from 3m who obviously wouldn't be able to). All the other Montessori nurseries we viewed had indoor shoes too.

Only read OP not replies so apologies but…

When younger son (now at university) was in nursery I was hauled in to be spoken at by manager.

Apparently son was always taking off shoes which was against health and safety in case of a fire/fire alarm.

It wasn’t something I hadn’t considered before but makes perfect sense.

This was the boy who up until about 7 would run into house after school and strip off completely!

You need to move to Sweden, you wouldn't be able to find a nursery or primary school where the kids are allowed to wear outdoor shoes inside. They just wear socks or slippers. Somehow it's possible in other countries to put shoes on and off duing the day without it taking up 75% of the day.

Ours does have indoor shoes and outdoor shoes but I can't say that was a factor in my decision-making!

Although I think it's unlikely anything will be 'clean' when there's 20-odd kids running around. Stuff from tuff trays gets dropped on floor, etc. Non-walkers will be in a separate area anyway I would imagine.

For all those ridiculing the idea - it was the policy at my children’s nursery for all ages. Have to be honest, I didn’t give it a second thought - it was the policy when they started and we followed their instructions.

All children had to have a pair of indoor shoes which would remain in nursery. They changed as soon as they arrived and outdoor shoes went in boxes for their room. They would be at the door to change into for outdoor play and change back as they went in. I didn’t see any issues with how it was managed

This is one of my main issues I just see dog poo everywhere the last 2/3 years ?

Wayyyyy back in time, it was normal to have outdoor and indoor shoes, I did at both my schools.

The nurseries my DD's went to had shoes off policy. Take them off in the cloakroom, and inside was socks only. Staff too. When they went out it was into shoes or wellies. They have to put in costs, hats, gloves, waterproofs, why not shoes and wellies???

I think it is lazy tbh. I am with you OP.

The preschool where my DCs went had this policy, but it was a preschool not a nursery so the children were old enough to take off their shoes and slip on a pair of Crocs or similar. The reason for it was that they'd had issues with children stepping in dog mess on the way there and inadvertently spreading it all over the floors. I imagine for babies it wouldn't be an issue as they're unlikely to walk to nursery and would be in a pushchair or car.

I hope you realize that every single nursery will have a variety of bodily fluids scattered around the room no matter what, it's just what kids do. They throw up wherever they are, their nappies leak and poo and wee inevitably will end up on the furniture and floors etc, not to mention the snot and anything else you can Imagine. Shoes worn inside are the least of your worries.

We're in Germany and it's standard here. When the kids are used to it, it's just part of the routine.

I’m the mother of a PFB. But wtf?!

Kids at nursery will literally eat dirt, bugs and each other's snot. Other than in a baby room I see no point in changing shoes. Most nurseries are free flow so kids can come and go to the outdoor areas as they please. Ours would put wellies on if it was raining but otherwise no changes of shoes.

I work in one! It is Montessori and our children learn independence and learn to change their shoes, get dressed and zip up coats etc.
As for the immune system - plenty of mud in our mud kitchen (which is is a very good reason we change shoes when we come inside!)!
OP - PM me if you would like more info!

At my ds nursery they spent all day in and out whenever they choose too, so it would be a logistical nightmare. I prefer it that way as it’s more free flow and they get a lot of time outside rather than it being an organised structured activity all the time.

Exactly. You stick the feet into the shoes as you put their coats and gloves on. It really doesn't need to be a whole thing where it's taking half a day.

Entirely normal and expected here (continental Europe) for nurseries to have no outdoor shoes policies. In fact my dd's primary school has one. It's not a big school but not tiny either (about 170 kids, I think) and it works fine.

It's actually pretty standard in Canada for everyone at a day care to remove outdoor footwear at the door. It's just common sense where kids are playing outside in mud and snow for at least 8 months of the year. Even the very youngest kids very quickly learn to do it. Parents send in indoor shoes, but usually their use is not enforced, so lots of kids will just have socks on indoors. My son always wanted his indoor shoes on from the time he was able to put them on himself at around 3, but my daughter never did.

I came here to suggest Montessori too. At mine they take shoes off at the door in the baby room and wear socks, and in the toddler and pre-school rooms they change into slippers. The children do learn very quickly to get their own shoes and coats on and off. (And pour their own drinks, and slice up their own fruit, and all manner of things I would never have imagined a 3 year old would be capable of!)
They did also spend several hours a day outside, rain or shine, so plenty of access to germs - not that I think a room of toddlers is ever going to be very sterile, no matter how strict the no-shoes policy is 😆)

"Surely it’s not hard at the door to have shoes off and into slippers / clean nursery shoes at the same time as hanging up coats and bags ?" If your child is able to change her shoes, put her shoes in a bag, hang it up and wash her hands totally independently good for you. MOST under 2s won't be able to, A LOT of 2-3's won't be able to, and some 3-4s or even 4+ won't be able to. Practically either you are looking for a nursery with a 1:2 ratio for all under 5s, or you are looking for one that is happy to make children sit and wait for 15 minutes after the kids come in the morning, before and after every trip outside, and before home time. Good luck with that.

Virtually every child starting nursery will catch a long string of colds, coughs and vomiting bugs. None of these are transmitted via dirty shoes.

Look at general hygiene standards within the setting. The reality is that while the illnesses transmitted via dog faeces are terrifying they are also very rare and probably not caught in an indoor setting. Dog poo is easily identified and cleaned. It would be vanishingly rare for this to happen.

check the facilities for safety, check staff ratios and turnover, get personal recommendations. And ask how often hands are washed.

Nursery teacher for 25 years. 20 2-3 year olds. It wouldn’t occur to any nursery where I live to have outdoor shoes on indoors. They even have to take them off first thing so not to enter the room where they hang their jackets.
Of course it’s not a problem. And they have socks on indoors.

DD's nursery initially had no outdoor access, and parents had to change their DC's footwear to plimsolls before entry. I thought it was much nicer when they moved to premises with space for them to play outside, and could keep their outdoor shoes on, but horses for courses, I guess.