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 !!

Ours had no shoes in the baby room. Once they were all walking and moved up shoes are worn.

Continental europe, no outdoor shoes is a standard here for all schools from nursery to A levels (local equivalent).

Not only are the outside shoes dirty, but we consider better for our feet to be in an open, breathable and supportive sandals than tight up and sweaty in outside shoes.

It’s the same in schools actually.

Our nursery did not have a 1:2 ratio nor were children waiting for 15 minutes to remove shoes on arrival/change back into outdoor shoes when going outside. They did however have no child, staff member or parent wearing outdoor shoes inside the nursery.

Hope that helps you realise it is possible

They’ll get far worse germs and bugs off each other (a different one every week!) than off the floor. You need to relax!

He was only taking off his shoes, not his feet. The amount of places that cry health and safety because they don't want to be inconvenienced by something (putting his shoes back on on a regular day) is crazy.

In the early years setting I know it's slippers inside and wellies outside. Seems to work fine. But that's for 2 years+

I chose our nursery for almost the exact opposite reasons… it had an open door policy into the garden, meaning the kids could go in or out at any time, in any weather. Obviously no shoes changed as they’re constantly in and out. Getting fresh air was far more important to me than having clean shoes.

Im not in the UK, but my 6 month old baby has just started nursery.

And yes, in the baby rooms you have to wear footsies (like the ones you wear in hospital), because most babies will be on the floor and crawling. But in the corridor just outside, its normal shoes!

Im pretty sure once she moves from the baby room to the "starting to walk" room, that rule will probably be gone, as she will, herself, have shoes on that she will use outside in the playground!

They do it in sweden! But it's a cultural thing, in all Swedish houses it's tradition to take your shoes off at the door so it's something children will grow up with and are used to doing, even in school at 14 my daughter takes off her outdoor shoes and wears slippers around school it's just what's done

I love this!

They are doing something seriously wrong if they have to spend 75% of the day for this. 😂 Most of our 2-year olds can take their own shoes off and many can put them on too. It’s something you have to spend time teaching them. To be independent. So what if it takes time to teach them, it’s a skill as important to learn as any other.

This is bizarre! You never let your baby crawl anywhere outside the home?
We didn't even have a shoes off policy at home so may be I was just less fussy, but my kids crawled where ever we were - library, toddler groups, churches, museums, other people's houses, the garden, the park, the beach.....
Never came down with anything awful, and were generally quite fit and healthy

Exactly. It’s not good for feet to have shoes on all day.

Wow. It must be hard being so neurotic.

Im overseas and all nurseries/preschools have indoor & outdoor shoes. Babies/toddlers just wear socks or barefoot inside. At preschool kids have slippers/crocs indoors and then their shoes they arrive ans leave school in. We also have to leave a spare pair of wellies in school.
Works well here, no issues and makes sense to me!

Ours change into slippers which takes all of a minute and isn't a big deal at all, all the children do it as routine.

When dropping off/picking up though, parents often take a good few steps into the room in their outdoor shoes.

A) you'll be lucky to find a nursery space, let alone be able to be picky over this.

B) kids lick each others faces and eat snot, footwear is the least of your problem.

We practise this several times a year. They go out to their special place with socks on, and we have a bag with blankets etc to stand on if needed. It is not a safety hazard at all.

If that's your deal-breaker, then you might be better finding a childminder or nanny.

While I understand it, to a point, for baby rooms, I don't know a single nursery that does that policy for children who are walking and running around.

My dd’s primary school have separate indoor/outdoor shoes/wellies. They also never have a wet indoor playtime and the children have to bring waterproof trousers/coat so they can play out all year round.

Our own garden and patio area - but we have garden shoes and no pets and regularly wash the paving down

My daughter works in a nursery. They are understaffed and the staff they do have arexrun off their feet.

Any specific requirements may seem trivial, but they all stack up. Changing nappies is very time consuming for example. Helping the children put on coats to go outside. They have to record everything- who the children played with, what they ate, how many nappy changes etc.

Parents often make specific demands. One wanted her child to only drink Evian water. Another wanted her child to only sit on a cashmere blanket. They always say no to these requests. The staff have enough to remember without adding in personal demands.

Anyway, the germs in a nursery are primarily from interacting with other childre. The stuff off the floor is not going to be that harmful. Many of us have dogs indoors and our children survived!

Where I live nobody wears outside shoes in any school or preschool (or house) and the kids go outside a lot and it doesn't take all the day to get them all dressed and undressed. Most children learn to do it themselves by 3 or something, it's not rocket science.

It does make for a cleaner, cosier indoors environment.

Having said that, if I lived in the UK it wouldn't be a big deal to me. I don't think it's unhealthy.

The baby room at my son's nursery years ago was no shoes.

The thing I'd be bothered about isn't germs as such but dog shit. So many dogs doing their business on pavements, fields, parks. Yes it's picked up but it still remains, ends up on everyones shoes and walked everywhere 😖