Common Sense 101?

[momma2girls]

You just need a good schedule that means every kid is ready to go when their parents arrive. no parents or siblings coming in, period. make pickups as short as possible....hand out the kid and the bag and then thats that.

I try and have all mine ready to go as well.

[PitterPatter]

I have a huge sign on my door that reads
STOP, large stop sign Please remove your shoes before entry.
No one has ever even walked in my home with shoes on...
I don't even allow anyone to wear them on my tile entry way. No shoes means no shoes.

Wearing shoes inside on carpet is disgusting. all of the bacteria and germs that are brought in. Their kids play on that carpet.... And a vacuum does not remove all of the dirt and germs......

You don't know how bad I want to do this!! BUT My porch gets snow and water on it when it rains so that means thier socks would get soaked
I have outdoor carpet on my porch so it tends to hold the water/dampness.
I allow them just inside the door and the take their shoes off right there and place them on the rack by the door. Everyone seems to be following the rules now because I cracked down but problem is my rug isn't large enough to cover the area needed. All I have is a small area rug so shoes still hit some of my carpet. I tried getting a larger rug but then the door won't close because the carpeting in my home is new and very plush still. I don't want to hijack the thread but if someone has an idea to help me I would welcome it!

[PitterPatter]

If I had to let people in on a regular basis, I would have seating right by the door so they come in out of the weather and then wait there. Siblings MUST wait there too, period. But I am also totally okay with speaking up. I rarely write little notes and such that some of your do.....its faster and easier to just tell people to stop being annoying (in a nice way, ha ha). Whats wrong with saying "Hey mom, please wait right there and I will bring junior to you. I dont allow muddy shoes in the house. Thanks for understanding"

Nothing wrong with that. That's how I try to deal with it only I said "Hey Sally the kids sometimes wander in the hall with their toys so please don't wear shoes past the entry". Even "Sally I don't allow shoes on my carpet>" Problem is it all goes ignored. So I then put it in the newsletter along with the cost I spend every few months for carpet cleaning, again ignored. THEN I started gating the hall! It was sad looking, everyone came in and only had a 3' x 4' area to stand/move around in. I removed the gates after a week and now they seem "trained" for lack of a better word. When someone wanders I say "uh oh don't make me get the gate back out"

[Abigail]

I just realized that when I get people a tour of my daycare we go into the laundry room which is the entrance and I've always pointing from one side of the door to the other and said "This is the No Shoes Beyond This Point" and then continued on into the hallway with the tour.

Parents usually are dressed for work and have slip on shoes so it never takes more than a second to flip them off and walk down the hall. Another parent comes in boots and still takes them off, but she gets her kids dressed/undressed and she's really respectful. I was going to do the "drop off at entryway point", but it's just as easy for parents to walk into the main daycare room with their kids so I don't always greet them at the door now, I just keep doing what I'm doing which is playing with the kids or for my first kids I'm still getting things organized for the day and just yell HI when I hear them inside.

[MrsB]

surgical booties...

I ask the parents if they can text me when they are on their way or 15/20 minutes out. Then the child has time to pick up their toys, get together their art projects, and get coats and shoes on. I also have one of those octagonal gates up in a half circle around my door, mostly for the daycare kids when coming in from outside play. The gate is really helpful for people that are really "FORGETFUL". On the rare occasion they start to go over the gate with shoes on I hand them a pair of surgical booties and say dont make me make you wear these. Then to cut the tension I always say if you dont think I will, ask my husband, This year I put a "blurb" in my contract/handbook that tells how I require you to take off your shoes and that you will be held liable for any stain removal or replacement due to any stains. In the interview I even touch on it that it isnt just a cleanliness issue but that in my culture it is a disrespectful thing to wear shoes in the house. I offer them house shoes (slippers) if they dont want to go barefoot.