To expect a no outside shoe rule in the baby room

[Motherchicken]

So I visited a nursery with my still crawling 12 month old today. I put on my nice socks fully expecting to be told to take off my shoes. But everyone in the room had on their shoes. All the other babies had on their shoes but were walking around. I guess I’m asking AIBU and expecting too much.

@LadyMinerva

Has anyone consulted the billions of women before us that have had children as to what they deem as acceptable when it comes to germs?

Yes, I'm aware life expectancy was lower..'back in the old days'.

But if it wasn't for them none of us would be here.

Perhaps we all need to relax a little bit?

It’s not just about germs though - do you really want to have to clean the floors every day because of all the dirt that has been unnecessarily traipsed through the place?

Yeah its unfortunate we aren't more Oriental in our disgusting "outdoor shoes in indoor spaces" habit OP-im not surprised and TBH would've (sadly)expected it. We haven't had shoes past the inner door-ever, I could never get my head around it..no matter where we have been living or holidaying we don't do shoes in home. We were in Japan a few years back and it felt so right!

The baby room at my daughters’ nursery has always been shoes off. Once they’re in the big room it’s shoes on.

Some baby rooms do have a slippers or socks policy, but not by any means all.

Why are people talking about soil? I understand the dog poo argument, obviously you don’t want that on the floor. But soil? Did your children never crawl outside on grass?

The nursery I worked at had a slipper policy in baby room so yanbu.

Not only for cleanliness but for preventing standing on little fingers!

The staff in baby room probably have indoor work shoes. The other babies walking is in avoidable, but visitors should be asked to use shoe covers.

Our nursery open ups directly on to the garden and they all keep shoes on. Never had any issues, both kids very healthy.

Anyone else surprised that the nursery let OP in in the first place during lockdown? It’s not advised at the moment, we’re being encouraged to move it online as difficult as that is.

In the baby room at my children's nursery all the children and staff where slippers which I thought was the norm... obviously not!

I’ve never seen that at any nursery setting
Is this a thing?

I thought no shoes was the norm too - it was at all the ones I visited. DS nursery staff have indoor shoes that they swap into and the babies are generally barefoot which is preferable anyway when they're learning to walk.

No indoor shoes at dds old nursery. The floor must be filthy.

Outdoor shoes should definitely come off. But I take outdoor shoes off at my own house and politely ask guests to do so too.
Specific indoor slippers are ok - the floors might be cold, although I hope for the benefit of crawling babies that they are not

OP, you are not being unreasonable. I am far from a germaphobe - bleach is never used in this house, and I never carried hand gel pre-Covid. But as a vet, I see how some people don't bother worming their dogs (or insist on using crap brands, despite being told they don't work), and know that Toxocara canis eggs are carried on shoes. It's rare, but it can cause blindness.

My children's nursery has several baby rooms - all "shoes-off", and I am surprised to hear this one doesn't.

@chloechloe

Shoes off is the norm in Britain too these days in my experience, not been in anyone's house in shoes in 20+ years (wasn't the case when I was a kid) and yes I have friends who bring slippers whereas I take thick slipper socks (with non slip pads on them) if visiting friends

You could and should bring it up with the care providers ,as a suggestion .

My childminder has early years kids in her setting and insists on outdoor shoes being taking off because of kids crawling around. Just good hygiene surely?

DS’s baby room was shoes off policy and the staff wore slippers. YANBU, people could have trodden through all sorts which is awful for crawling babies! We are a shoes off house but some people wander in with shoes on. It infuriates me because we live on a yard so you’re not walking on pristine tarmac to get to our house.

YANBU! I used to live in a country where I had to provide “indoor shoes” for my DC at school. And I wouldn’t go in the classroom or would take my shoes off it was just the done thing you would never wear shoes in yours or others home either. I got used to it and had to adjust coming here!

@chloechloe

YANBU. I’m always amused about the responses on these threads as I live in Germany where you would never have a need to ask this question. Everybody takes their shoes off at the front door of entering anybody’s home and it’s the same in nursery and kindergarten. In nursery etc the kids have a pair of slippers they keep there, together with their waterproofs and outdoor clothes that they wear to go outside and ingest dirt to keep their immune systems strong Simple as that!

This is one of the reasons I love living here!

When friends visit other houses they often take their slippers with them to put on on arrival. A German habit I find most amusing.

Same in my country Croatia.

The girls in the baby room at the nursery I work at wear slippers.

Have used three nurseries, shoes off in baby room (at pick up, when child is the last one left and they’re just about to start cleaning, they might say “oh, just come in”, but that’s it).