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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect a no outside shoe rule in the baby room

104 replies

Motherchicken · 09/01/2021 05:04

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.

OP posts:
christmasathomeagain · 09/01/2021 08:23

I had forgotten about this but yes it was shoes off in the baby room at my dc's nursery. It makes sense of course.

Justcallmecaptainobvious · 09/01/2021 08:25

Our baby room was shoes off, I’d expect that as standard. It’s not excessively sterile, it’s basically hygienic. Also the baby room was carpeted, whereas the older rooms had solid floors. Carpet being softer for crawling babies, but less easy to clean.

Katela18 · 09/01/2021 08:26

I don't think you are being unreasonable to expect this.

My DD's just started nursery in the baby room, and they have a strict no shoe policy. My DH and I were asked to remove our shoes when we visited.

Perhaps worth asking the nursery their policy on this though before you write them off, there may be a reason they aren't doing it xx

Royalbloo · 09/01/2021 08:26

YANBU in mine they wore slippers

17bluebirds · 09/01/2021 08:28

Doesnt this thread just show that we are all different?
Dont use that nursery, OP, but others would be happy to its just personal choice.

I've worked in several nurseries, with a mix of shoes on/off policies.
All I'd add is that I've seen a nasty accident when a baby got caught by a staff members shoe ( baby sort of crawled under her foot as she took a step forward
and tripped) and got a nasty injury that wouldnt have happened with no shoes on.

Caspianberg · 09/01/2021 08:31

Yes I would expect shoes off. I would be happy for baby to play in dirt outside, but I would expect it to be like home indoors with a comfy rug or carpet for crawling age and slippers or socks.
It can’t be good for small children to be wearing shoes all day long.

MindyStClaire · 09/01/2021 08:31

Shoes on in ours, both staff and parents. I noticed one or two of the women working there would sometimes be in slippers or socks but clearly their own choice for comfort.

Shoes off houses wouldn't be the norm here and it would definitely be seen as a rude thing to ask guests in some circles.

We had one upset stomach from nursery in two years and that was when norovirus was rife in the area to the extent the primary schools were closed for deep cleaning.

MindyStClaire · 09/01/2021 08:32

And I viewed a few places and don't remember being asked to take my shoes off in any of them.

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 09/01/2021 08:38

Maybe their 'outdoor' shoes are ones they only wear there? I hate slippers etc so I'd wear sketchers that would be 'outdoor' shoes but I'd wear them as 'indoor' shoes (hope that makes sense.

Maybe they just forgot to ask you or were about to clean the floors anyway?

I'm not sure I'd have even thought about it as I'd have been looking at other things.

But you could ask/choose a different nursery.

OhBollocksToIt · 09/01/2021 08:39

Shoes off at our nursery too.

Lottle · 09/01/2021 08:40

I totally get this. I fed this back to the nursery when they issued a questionnaire and they changed it so that the children wear slippers. Staff still wear outdoor shoes though but I guess they are less likely to have stood in something (of course they could just be their designated "nursery" shoes I didn't push it further so don't know!)

grey12 · 09/01/2021 08:55

I've been to many playgroups where we have to take our shoes off.

Nursery staff should have indoor shoes (many professionals do)

underneaththeash · 09/01/2021 09:10

I found that odd too when visiting nurseries. Most had no shoes/indoor slippers in the baby room at least.
One didn't - I just discounted that as an option and told them why when they called for feedback.

Chouxbuncity · 09/01/2021 09:13

I’d want shoes off

AcrobaticCardigan · 09/01/2021 09:18

I’m guessing it’s a toddler room rather than baby room if your baby is 12 months & all of the other kids are in shoes? Our baby room (6-12 months) has a no shoe rule. I don’t think it extends to toddler room in general, but now in these times of COVID it’s no shoes throughout whole place.

Scaredykittycat · 09/01/2021 09:32

My nursery had a shoes off policy for the baby room. Completely agree with you. Babies do not need to be crawling amongst traces of sick, spit, faeces and god knows what else.

I had the same problem with my in laws in my house. They didn’t see why they couldn’t wear shoes in my house. They’d acquiesce and remove them on entry but then put them on in the lounge to walk through the house at leaving time so I’d have to mop. Really astounded me how thick some people are.

Heyahun · 09/01/2021 09:32

On open days / visits they are usually on Saturdays at the nursery I work at - we let everyone visiting wear shoes as the floors will be cleaned again before Monday

But yea on normal days it’s no shoes - staff usually have slippers on

CaveMum · 09/01/2021 09:37

Every single room at our nursery (baby room, toddler room and 3 pre-school rooms) has a “no outside shoes” policy. Children are asked to have a pair of slippers that remain permanently at nursery and staff have shoes that are only worn inside (but obviously means they can go outside in an emergency such as a fire). There’s a shoe rack in the lobby outside each room for outside shoes and wellies for the children and the staff keep their shoes in the staff room.

thisismyusername21 · 09/01/2021 09:41

I do totally understand this. I have a germ phobia but it doesn’t get much better as they get older. When dc was at pre school. You’d walk through the pre school to pick them up from one door to another all with shoes on. The kids had to put their shoes on by the back door but parents kept theirs on. Even past the crawling stage children are quite often on the floor playing, hands on the floor etc.

2pinkginsplease · 09/01/2021 09:42

OR MAYBE shoes they wear just in the nursery.

What happens if there is a fire alarm and no one is wearing shoes?

In my last nursery some staff wore slippers and others wore trainers they used just indoors.

30not13 · 09/01/2021 09:43

I'm more concerned they let you in tbh!

Slippers are dangerous unless hard soled so ours mostly wear trainers that are kept at work.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 09/01/2021 09:44

DD1... Went straight into the 'explorer' room (usually 18months, she was 16months) and they had open access to outside. So shoes were normal. During bad weather parents tended to wait in the vestibule rather than enter the room, so no mud was tracked into the rooms.

DD2 (different nursery) babies went up to 6months, they had laminated floor just inside the room but parents couldn't go further than that. Again, in bad weather, they tried to handovers at entrance to stop mud being tracked in.
They are now 9&7, so these are not new policies.

Diddlysquatty · 09/01/2021 09:47

YANBU, I would expect this too. Maybe not the babies themselves if they are only little but would expect there to be an area parents don’t walk on with their shoes and staff have no shoes or special indoor ones they wear at the nursery like clogs or slippers. That has been my experience of previous settings.

PoppinShoppin · 09/01/2021 09:53

You are definitely not being unreasonable! This is BASIC HYGIENE!!!!

CherryRoulade · 09/01/2021 09:59

I don’t know how ours survived. Don’t parents put babies on grass to crawl in nice weather?
Never seen a children’s hospital with a no shoes rule and lots of crawling babies seem to do OK.
Children need exposure to everyday grime and a few bacteria.