Why do they refuse to take their shoes off?

[SparkleFly]

What is it with the older generation, that they absolutely hate taking their shoes off in people's houses? My parents are late 70's and never take theirs off, if I suggest it they look uncomfortable and just ignore me. Same with MIL who will occasionally do an awkward check of the soles of her shoes before carrying on through my house wearing them. My 4 year old has been brought up to always remove them in our house or anyone else's, so he'll occasionally ask me why nanny doesn't take hers off, which is difficult to explain, giving that the real reason is that they don't give a sh**

Seriously though, what's with the lack of respect, especially when they can see everyone else doing it.

I think my above post is meant fo @ForGreyKoala

You sound like a joy to be around.

I don't want to walk on your floors where your kids have sneezed and snottered!

Just clean your bloody floors!

Don't base your view of the UK on MN!

I guess you're not coming back OP, but the disrespect is on your part. Why would you insist on your parents and ILs do something they're clearly uncomfortable with?

And tell your child the truth! It's not that they don't give a shit. They just don't want to, they're not used to doing it, and you should not torture them. I'm surprised they come at all. You must make them feel so unwelcome!

I hate people wearing shoes in the house, so unhygienic. We live on a yard, please don’t tread all the mud through our house! Even the dog has his paws wiped with a towel every time he comes inside.

I look at it like this.

If you're more concerned about your floors than your guests comfort and embarrassment, I'd rather stay at home.

Even the dog has his paws wiped with a towel every time he comes inside.

Christ almighty on a row boat! This goes beyond OCD level, between someone who will wipe down wheelchair wheels and this, there are some Hyacinth Buckets and truly anti-social horrible people on here who have their values back to front.

I wipe my dogs paws too - some people like to live in dirty houses. Not me.

I wipe my dogs paws too - some people like to live in dirty houses. Not me.

Wooden floors and a mop - it’s not dirty.

Omg this is my parents bless them to bits but they drive me mad! Even when it's raining they leave them on! I offer them slippers now when they come round but they refuse! When I renovated my house I had hard floor put in the whole of the downstairs for this very reason so I don't get mad at them making my carpet dirty!!!

Wow, I didnt realise wiping the dogs paws after a muddy walk was so insane to other people 😆

This place is truly batshit sometimes

I am very far from Hyacinth Bucket and don't faint at shoes on but wiping the dogs paws for them is surely completely normal? They don't understand the door mat !

Do t be ridiculous. Not everyone wants to keep cleaning floors when it's so easy to slip one's shoes off.

Who said anything about a "muddy" walk? If shoes are muddy, it's reasonable to clean them or remove them, no one is suggesting that visitors be allowed to trail muddy shoes over your precious carpets. And unless you're using some sort of anti-bacterial wipes on your dogs EVERY TIME (not just on muddy walks) there will be bacteria on their paws - wiping with a towel won't remove germs from paws (in the same way that using a doormat won't remove bacteria from shoes).

A PP used the term "houseproud", and it's this, rather than a "germ-free" cleanliness, that drives people to deem their carpets more important than their elderly parents' or their guests' feelings. 🤷‍♂️

If you had read this thread, you'd know that slipping one's shoes off is sooooo far from 'so easy', especially if you're past middle age. That's kinda the point we're making. It is NOT easy.

Where do you people live that you encounter so much mud? I hardly ever see mud. Dry dirt, sand, yes. But mud? Rarely. Very rarely. I'm honestly amused at this obsession you all have with mud.
Unless UK uses mud to describe something else, which is possible I suppose.

@SoreAndTired1

I've read it, have you?

Then you'd see I'm mid 70's and have no trouble slipping my shoes off.

@MollyJustMight You are the rare one who has no problems, so good for you and your "I'm alright Jack" attitude, but as this thread and people have shown, many/most people that age DO have problems. You're a rarity and not representative of the majority of people at your age.

I agree with this, and am also very curious about what happens when "shoes off" people have a party.

I'm not trying to make them take their shoes off, neither are my colleagues and we have plenty of patience with all our customers as is our role and by and large comes naturally to all my colleagues myself included as we are the type of people our employer employs.
However when one of us is sounding off in the staff room which believe me you need to do working with the general public , a very noticeable majority of incidents that have upset said colleague or myself , rudeness/impatience even abuse do seem to involve this particular group of society.
Us noticing this does not make us bad or ageist people and yes we all realise there may be good reasons behind it but certainly nothing to do with our attitude towards them.

But if you do, bear in mind that some could be thinking 'I wouldn't want to take my shoes off in an Australian house either - there'll probably be some herd of horrible spiders in them or a snake in the shoerack waiting to deal with the plagues of mice pissing over everything by the time I go to put them back on'.

😁

Honestly the rubbish being spouted here is just comical.

@Seeingadistance

"I agree with this, and am also very curious about what happens when "shoes off" people have a party."

Imagine, everyone doing Dancing Queen, or god forbid the Conga in their stockinged feet.

😱

I have a few older women friends ( mid 60's early 70's) and they are not adverse to taking off their shoes in my home. When they visit they generally wear shoes easy to slip off. Two of the woman bring slippers and the other are happy to go shoeless.