Footwear policy in Daycare? Barefoot= <shivers>

[Dreamalittledream]

Just wondering what you all have in place for footwear policy (indoor). I actually supply indoor slippers for my little ones (I have a friend that makes them really cheap; non-slip soles, easy wash...awesome!). So, I keep a range of sizes on hand. But, I do ask that the kids still be sent in socks. Now...with the start of sandal weather...comes grimy feet, skinned up knees (from them tripping over those flimsy flip flops outside), and not a sock in sight. So, they're feet are still covered (by slippers I provide)...but the grimy, no socked little feet mean I'm washing them nightly. Am I being too picky about the sock thing? Do you have a 'sturdy footwear' policy in place for outdoors?

[Inspired by Reggio]

I strongly encourage closed toe shoes for outside in warm weather but ultimately it's their kid and if they trip or fall due to the shoe I put that on the accident form under plan of action to avoid reoccurance - sturdy closed toe shoes!

As for barefeet - we was our feet upon entering the house ... I have a bucket of soapy water and clothes and a towel at the front door .... this was something my gran did at her beach cottage to cut down on sand coming in the house and well works awesome ... they then either put on slippers or socks or barefeet their preference - I myself prefer barefeet so cannot tell kids they need slippers in summer months.

[Momof4]

I don't have any rules and I have a real problem keeping socks on my daycare children! I would never wash their feet, do you really do that? I send them home as is, sometimes it's pretty dirty but I've never had a parent complain. It means they had fun.

[michellesmunchkins]

Personally, I hate wearing socks. Only wear them if I absolutely have too. I also hate searching for the missing dck's sock at the end of the day, as they notoriously take them off and hide them in toy cupboards, kitchens etc...so...I prefer they actually not have socks on in the house.

Outside they wear socks and running shoes (unless a parent has sent them in sandals). Those in sandals have their feet wiped down with a baby wipe when they come in the door so that they don't transfer too much dirt onto my floors. Those who worse socks and shoes take them BOTH off at the door and then go up to the daycare rooms.

If I ever noticed something like warts etc that could be transferred to the other children or my family I would insist they have socks on at all times though...

[Inspired by Reggio]

I only wash em in the morning when we come in for nap and if needed depending on where we were for am ... I do not want the sandy grime on floors cause it damages the shine or furniture damaging grains and so forth just too much wear and tear ... I wash my own too cause they get gross in sand and mulch from the parks ... end of day they go home dirty again from outside time cause we leave from yard this time of year and well their parents can wash em or not then.

[Mamma_Mia]

I don't care either...I'm mostly barefoot these days so why can't they?
I've also used handywipes (their own) to wipe down after the park....also because of that exct reason & having my own potty training child I vacuum and mop the floors nightly.

[Momof4]

I'm like Mammamia, sweeping a couple times a day and vacuuming every morning before our day begins so I'm not washing anybody's feet but mine at the end of the day! I wash their faces, hands and yuck-noses nonstop and I'm always happy when they are big enough to wash their own hands. I'm a germophobe so as soon as we come in the door, no matter where we have been, I wash the babies and send the older children into the washroom to wash their hands. They touched sticks with dog pee and rocks with squirrel pee and germs on the bus or at the park, eeeeeew!

[Cocoon]

This is me! :) My husband says I have OCD :unsure: :D



I'm like Mammamia, sweeping a couple times a day and vacuuming every morning before our day begins so I'm not washing anybody's feet but mine at the end of the day! I wash their faces, hands and yuck-noses nonstop and I'm always happy when they are big enough to wash their own hands. I'm a germophobe so as soon as we come in the door, no matter where we have been, I wash the babies and send the older children into the washroom to wash their hands. They touched sticks with dog pee and rocks with squirrel pee and germs on the bus or at the park, eeeeeew!

[mom-in-alberta]

LoL... I sooooo never even thought of feet being an issue. :p
Probably because I almost never wear socks when I am inside. And I am barefoot outside from pretty much April to October. I hate socks. Yes, I do require a LOT of pedis.
So I don't have any footwear requirements, except weather appropriate shoes for outdoors. THAT THEY CAN PLAY IN. It's great to have a 2 year old fashion plate... until she tries to run in those "adorable" spagetti strap thin flip flops!! Grrrrrr.
To be honest, we do most of our really messy outdoor play in the afternoon before home time. So they are not napping in stinky dirty feet. ICK.

[Bookworm]

I make the parents supply slippers (robeez style) in the winter so that the kids have something on their feet other than socks so they don't slip on my hardwood floors. In the summer, I am fine if they go barefoot, as I do, and my son is barefoot most of the time anyways. For outdoor shoes in the summer, I told my parents that they were not allowed to send their children in flip flops for outdoor play for obvious safety reasons. My dck's are all still pretty new walkers and do not have the best balance, but even if they were older I would still insist on sport style sandals.

[ECE53]

I have a no crocs policy ....I have had too many trip on the stubby toes and really scrape their chins. I tell parents I prefer closed toe sandals .... Or running shoes. We wear slippers in the winter to avoid slipping in the house.

[Spixie33]

Aha ! At last someone who feels the same way I do about barefeet at daycare.

I do not allow barefeet in daycare and I let all the parents know every spring that even with sandal weather the kids have to come wearing socks. I think it is more sanitary to wear socks, keeps my carpets and floors more sanitary.

I also tell parents that it helps prevent hung toe nails as well as slivers from wood chips at the park. It also helps a bit if they step on a sharp toy or something.

I am totally having a meltdown if I see barefeet. It is a struggle sometimes in the summer because the kids do occasionally want to strip their feet but I am consistent and remind them we have to wear socks at daycare. I will also wear socks while they are here so it is fair.

I have had parents come in with children barefoot and socks in hand and make a big production out of putting the socks on....maybe they are hoping I would say they shouldn't bother but I just wait for them to get to it.

A lot of indoor playgrounds ask for socks to be worn. Feet do get dirty and sweaty in the summer with just sandals on

I say that everyone should do what they feel comfortable with

[jec]

I have no policy but ask my daycare families to give me a pair of rain boots if they can to stay here during wet season if we go out and it's raining and they have happened to wear runners that day.

Otherwise my little ones are in bare feet. They all take their socks off when they arrive but my playroom is seperate from the rest of my house ( I also have OCD) When we are in the backyard, I find barefeet are best since they are running around and in and out of the sandbox in the summer.

[Play and Learn]

Slippers here in the winter time, as there's no carpet in our home.

In the spring/summer, I just ask for good shoes. I keep a pair of rain boots here for each child. If we're playing outside with water-play, we're usually bare-foot, but otherwise they have to have something on their feet!

I usually tell parents crocs if they ask what I prefer. As long as it's not flip flops or cheap-y shoes that give blisters.

[Skysue]

I don't have any rules and I have a real problem keeping socks on my daycare children! I would never wash their feet, do you really do that? I send them home as is, sometimes it's pretty dirty but I've never had a parent complain. It means they had fun.

I make all mine who refuse to wear socks inside use wipes to clean there feet before entering my house. Who wants extra dirt in the house, on the floors, on the couch, on the playmats! Not me! Soapy water bucket sounds like a great idea!

[Mamma_Mia]

Oh and I also ask that parents provide inside runners or slippers in the winter. We go to playgroups and snowy boots dont work....plus I dont have any carpet of its a slipping danger! lol

[playfelt]

My parents leave a pair of velcro running shoes at daycare for use in the house. They change into them when they arrive and when they leave. The shoes they came in are put on for outside play. Again my preference is for runningshoes but will allow closed toe sandals.

For non walking infants the robeez slippers are fine but once they are intermixing with the other for activities I want shoes for them - ie about 15-18 months. We run, jump, drop things, get our toes stepped on, stub them, etc. and shoes help protect from this and support the feet for jumping. We have carpet in the basement playroom but hardwood floors up. The shoe policy developed after a child that was 18 months got what was called a toddler stress fracture (broken ankle) from jumping down off the mantle at her grandparents house (just under a foot jump - ie like jumping off the bottom step). She was in bare feet at the time and the doctor said for running and jumping she should have proper running shoes to cushion the blow just as we as adults wear running shoes when we work out. Have had the runningshoes policy in place ever since. If a parent truly balks at it and insists on the robeez that is their choice but the shoe policy is in my contract and an ammendment is written in their contract page in the space reserved for doing that. I am in my sock feet or bare feet afternoons at my computer and sometimes kick them off in the basement but I am not the one building towers of wooden blocks several feet high or jumping from makebelieve lily pad to the next or moving so quickly I miss corners and stub my toe - although I have done my fair share of that for sure. I have bare feet or shoes on when carrying the babies.

[Momof4]

Great ideas ladies, thanks! I guess I never thought about all this before and I've been lucky I haven't had any issues. If you saw my house you would know there's no dirt in here. I have the parents provide splashpants that stay here all year round and an extra pair of snowpants all winter. But I trust them to provide rainboots on rainy days, snowboots when needed and in summer I don't mind what they wear. But they do wear rainboots when it's wet outside because I always tell the parents the evening before what we are doing the next morning. The biggest issue I've had so far this summer is the abundance of woodchips that the children bring home from the park in their hats and shoes and cuffs. But I sweep and vacuum all of those away.