Nanny wearing my slippers when I'm not there

[SilverDoublet]

This is a bit of a weird one - so I popped home today unexpectedly while the nanny was in my house with the kids. Everything seemed fine, but then when she was talking to me I looked down and saw that she was wearing my slippers. It made me feel sick. They're not the cleanest or newest of slippers, but I didn't know what to say. I don't know if she's been doing this the whole time or what but I feel like binning the slippers and hiding my slippers in future. I also feel like letting her go over it. It just makes me wonder what else she might do when I'm not there. She's from Brazil. Is this normal in Brazil to just wear someone else's slippers? Am I being weird to have a total icky feeling about this?

Typical MN that there's a pile-on accusing the OP of being racist. Would no one else be grossed out at the thought of someone else wearing their slippers? Feet aren't exactly the cleanest things and slippers are often worn with bare feet. Things like veruccas and athlete's foot are common and contagious, plus feet sweat a lot and can smell. I would hate anyone wearing my slippers apart from a close family member.

I know people in the UK who have guest slippers/communal slippers it's not a mainstream part of British culture, but it exists definitely.

Also, bear in mind that not everyone in the UK is British born, there are lots of different cultures at play here. As a nanny you work for all sorts of people, she could well have worked in a house with communal slippers before.

Oh she’s from BRAZIL? Yeah they’re all mad over there, she’ll be wearing your pants next 🙄

Course she is

and borrowing other stuff

kerp an eye out @SilverDoublet

note the sarcasm

A pair is £3. Not gonna break the bank

how many jobs /pairs do you have /need

plus assuming you are se. It’s a taxable expense

I get a new pair for every job and I’m in jobs 2/3/4 mths

I used to be a nanny and no, you’re not BU. It’s a personal item and she’s not supposed to get so comfortable in someone else’s house.

I remember once it was freezing cold in January and my feet were so cold in the house that I did the unthinkable and put on a pair of my employer’s sheep wool UGG slippers but I felt so guilty that I put them back in their exact place after an hour when I had to go to collect the kids from school. I never did that again, it made me feel icky, like I had transgressed. I brought my own from home next time. If she was wearing them in front of you without flinching then I wonder what else is she doing that’s even worse.

I can't believe people would rather sack a nanny, disrupt the children & go through a whole recruitment process over a non existent risk of her wearing your slippers.

This major life drama can be resolved with a tenner and a trip to Sainsburys clothing dept.

I don't know about Brazil, but I do know that in a lot of other countries (including Japan and France that I'm aware of) it's normal to keep a load of old slippers in a cupboard for guests to wear when they come into your house and take off their shoes, so people are used to wearing manky old slippers that dozens of other people have worn. I'm personally not a fan though... I ended up buying a small foldable pair of slippers to carry in my handbag when I visit relatives in France so I don't have to wear the second hand ones.

I agree with a pp, buy her her own pair, and gently let her know you'd rather no one else wore yours.

Depends. Was she bare foot? Do you wear them bare foot?

Does she normally remove her shoes when she's in the house? Did you leave them by the door/communal area? Was she just wearing them after taking hers off togo to the bin etc?

Why didn't you just keep your shoes on? Seems a bit weird to just freeze.

Because it was a house where people don’t wear shoes indoors and I’m from a culture that insists on taking shoes off once they’re indoors. It’s an ingrained behaviour.

They most likely considered it reckless, if they had a tiled floor.

I am in Asia, and I would not allow someone to walk barefoot because the floors here are treacherous if any liquid is spilt.

I know people in the UK who have guest slippers/communal slippers it's not a mainstream part of British culture, but it exists definitely.

Oh I'm not saying that it's not a thing at all.

It's a thing here but it's obvious which are household slippers & which are for others!

Read your post back. Do you seriously feel sick? You want to bin the slippers and sack her?

Ok, it’s not a normal thing to do but assuming she’s great with your kids, your reaction is totally irrational.

You are majorly overrreacting.

I hate anyone wearonv my footwear ehether they have socks on or not. I find it wrong.

That said, just tell her she can keep the pair she's wearing and buy yourself another pair.

She certainly hasn't done this out of malice or to get fired. It's just poor judgment. If you want, maybe mention she can keep them as you don't share footwear for hygiene reasons but don't fire her over it.

Buy her a pair, put yours in the washing machine. I wouldn't like her to wear mine, but to actually feel sick and want to sack her, YABU

Read Lesley Glaister's book Now You See Me, which is about a young mostly homeless woman who works as a cleaner, and secretly lives in the cellar of an elderly man for whom she cleans. She uses a wealthy client's jacuzzi, perfume, and wears her expensive dressing gown.

Ah thanks, I think this was slightly different as they (and we) were barefoot inside the house but they put on flip flops to go out into the garden and offered us the same. When they went back indoors they left their flip flops at the back door.

Is it worth asking the OP, what does the nanny wear on her feet when the OP is there ?

Is she wearing outdoor shoes when a toddler is crawling about on the floor ?

I wouldn’t have been bothered if our old nanny used my slippers. She used my toilet, she used my cutlery, she used my furniture. Doesn’t bother me

Were they by the front door? I think it's normal in Brazil to change footwear when you enter someone's home - in many other countries too.

Perhaps you could splash out a fiver for some cheap slippers/flip-flops and give her her own pair.

I don’t understand why OP felt she couldn’t just ask WTF cleaner was doing wearing her slippers. Is it embarrassing to mention these things in public?

Agree! Splash out £10 on a pair for her. She keeps your kids safe and happy, it’s the least you can do!

It gives me the ick because of athletes foot etc. So buy her a new pair and also get yourself some new ones, but make sure they are different & keep your new ones hidden away, toss out the old ones.

Treat both of you to a new pair each. Bin the old ones . Ensure she knows which ones are hers . Better that she wears slippers indoors than outside shoes.