I have a set of twins here like that. They're not allowed on the rug (front entrance area). When they come in, they have "rules" they must follow:
1. Take off your shoes and hang up their coat
2. Go downstairs (play room) and stay there until all children are here

#2 is the same for pick ups.
They are not allowed to go up the stairs. If they start, they are told to go back. I do this for the reasons you mentioned above and ALSO for the safety of everyone.... too many people at the front entrance can lead to safety hazards: A child could easily run out the front door, little ones can trip on shoes, etc.

If you don't have a space to have the children away from the door, you could always have a gate or area they're not allowed to cross over. I know it's hard. These guys test the rules all the time too. They're just reminded every time they test it- I don't care if it's in front of parents or not...rules are rules for a reason.

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