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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>DCM Not Wearing Shoes?
stephanie 05:53 PM 07-17-2015
My center is attached to an apartment building, so parents can drop off dcks without going outside.

So the last few days dcm has been dropping off and/or picking up dcb without wearing shoes! I was so flabbergasted the first time she did it I didn't know what to say.

I mentioned it to my manager (who also had other things she wanted to talk to this dcm about) and she talked with dcm about wearing shoes in the center.

Obviously I don't know what dcm's reaction to this was, but it apparently went in one ear and out the other because she's continued coming into our class barefoot. So I feel like I should say something in the moment, but I don't really know what, it's just so weird to me. Do I just say, "From now on, please wear shoes when picking up your child"?

Am I overreacting about this? Has anyone dealt with something like this before?

TIA
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Thriftylady 05:59 PM 07-17-2015
Well I am barefoot as much as possible. I shouldn't be, because of being diabetic and the issue of foot injuries. But I have issues finding shoes that fit and they hurt my feet. That being said, I try to wear socks for several reasons. The most recent being that my daughter came up with a case of warts late last summer/fall. Come to find out the first one on her foot likely came from her shower at camp since she worked there all summer, and I guess the floors staying wet from constant showers they are contagious. The doctor couldn't say for sure, but said the one on her hand may have traveled through the body from there. Anyway it took a minor surgery on her hand where they had to cut pretty deep (she was awake for this, but man I hated her to have to do it), had stitches and has a nasty scar. The one on her foot, she had to have five appointments to get it all out. Perhaps DCM needs to be told she at least has to wear socks.
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cheerfuldom 08:11 PM 07-17-2015
I believe it is a liability issue to have people on the premises that are not wearing shoes. It is up to your director to talk to mom again and insist that she have shoes on. I am assuming all the staff and children are required to wear shoes and so why would it be different for parents? it is odd that she is doing this every day though, especially after being requested to stop.
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Unregistered 08:48 PM 07-17-2015
Most infant and toddler rooms require adukts to remove their shoes before entering because the germs are coming in where these littles are sitting, crawling and lying on the floor all day and they will get your gross shoe germs. The better places even have little booties that you stretch over your shoes instead of taking them off. Now, the only thing that doesn't make sense in the op's situation is that it sounds like the mom isn't wearing shoes to begin with. So she's just bringing the germs in on her bare feet and then spreading them all around as if she had worn shoes and them kept them on when entering. In that case, the bare feet are just as bad!
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Unregistered 06:04 PM 07-19-2015
Our daycare requires parents to remove their shoes before going into the infant and toddler room. Shoes and socks are just as dirty and germy as bare feet.
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CraftyMom 06:55 PM 07-19-2015
Personally I wouldn't have an issue with it.
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Blackcat31 07:05 AM 07-20-2015
If you are a center, aren't you bound by the health codes?

Especially since bare feet can drag in so many "icky" germs and you have crawlers and such or at the very least kids that spend time on the floors.

I'd check with licensing and go the legal route or banning entry unless they are wearing shoes.
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Unregistered 09:17 AM 07-20-2015
No they prefer parents don't drag in crud (oil, pebbles, fertilizer) on their shoes from the outdoors especially where babies are crawling around all day. Most parents have socks/pantihose but a few do not. Some peoples socks are just as gross and dirty from what I have seen. We offer booties but most don't utilize them.
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AmyKidsCo 12:25 PM 07-20-2015
I've had a mom pick up barefoot a couple of times. Sometimes it's because her heels were killing her feet, sometimes it's because it was raining and she didn't want to ruin her shoes. We're barefoot inside and out all the time so it didn't bother me at all.
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stephanie 05:06 PM 07-21-2015
Thanks everybody for your feedback! DCM has been wearing slippers the past couple of days, so I guess that's an improvement.

I do understand the reasoning behind removing shoes or wearing shoe covers when entering an infant/toddler classroom, but in this case DCM is (presumably) barefoot walking around her apartment, then barefoot in the stairs/elevator to the dc, then barefoot through the dc to our classroom.

Thriftylady I didn't think about there being a medical reason for her going barefoot, that is a good point! I think if I see her barefoot again I'll just say something like "Everyone at the center needs to wear shoes for health and safety reasons". BC you're right as a center we would be bound by the health code. I think it'd also be a liability issue--if she were to step on something and get hurt, the dc could theoretically be held responsible.
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Crazy Baby 11:16 AM 08-06-2015
I think it is a good thing that she is not wearing shoes. I would love it if the parents that come into my house would not walk on my carpet with their dirty shoes. Pick your battles with the parents. I think this issue has more pros than cons.
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Play Care 11:54 AM 08-06-2015
Originally Posted by Crazy Baby:
I think it is a good thing that she is not wearing shoes. I would love it if the parents that come into my house would not walk on my carpet with their dirty shoes. Pick your battles with the parents. I think this issue has more pros than cons.
But, her feet are dirty.
She's walking through common areas of the building - where most people presumably are wearing shoes with God knows what on the bottoms, and tracking that into the classroom. Now if they were wearing sandals or whatever and removed them upon entering the home, I'd have no issue with that.
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stephanie 05:42 PM 08-06-2015
Originally Posted by Crazy Baby:
I think it is a good thing that she is not wearing shoes. I would love it if the parents that come into my house would not walk on my carpet with their dirty shoes. Pick your battles with the parents. I think this issue has more pros than cons.
I know what you're saying, but it's a center, not my home. And like BlackCat said, we need to follow health code regulations. Since she's leaving her place barefoot and then walking through the daycare center, her feet would be pretty dirty.
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