Outlawing FlipFlop Shoes

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

We also have a no flip-flops policy, but this summer it wasn't enforced. I'm not in the position to enforce the policies. Anyway, at my previous daycare I worked at we had a closed toe shoe policy, but one little girl always came with flip flops and the director never said anything to dcm about it. Well, one time we walked to the near by playground and while she was climbing the ladder to the slide, the front of her flip flop got bent under the step , with her foot still on the step, and she would have fallen off (at least a 6 foot drop) if I hadn't happened to be standing beside the ladder at that exact moment. Plus of course there was the constant trips and falls. So after that scary near-accident it bothers me really bad when children come in flip flops or slip on shoes. Besides that, when they're outside it so easy for them to just slip their flip flops off and play without anything to protect their feet (it's easier to run barefooted than with flip flops). So you have to constantly be on top of them the WHOLE time to "keep your shoes on!" You can remind them til you're blue in the face about bumble bees and other hazards, but...
SOO, an enforced NO flip flop policy is a very good idea in my opinion.

[QualiTcare]

i dunno - i wear flip flops all the time and so do my kids (until it starts getting cold) and i HATED when their old daycare made a no flip-flop policy. it's stupid. okay, i get it. you're worried their toes will get scraped. so, if their toes get scraped and i don't care - does it still matter?

when i went to open house a couple months ago at my son's new preschool, i saw some of the kids wearing flip flops and i asked the teacher if that bothered her, and she looked down at her feet - she was wearing them. she knows i'm a teacher and we were talking about it. i don't care, she doesn't care, but some people do.

it's just like clothes. some teachers get in a tizzy if a kid wears white or wears name brand clothes. why do the teachers care if the parents don't?

i say let them wear what they want to put on their child and if you're worried about their safety then send out a memo- your job is done.

[Crystal]

For me, QualiTcare, it doesn't matter if the parent doesn't care. It's not just about scraped toes. The boy I had was always getting his toes caught in doors.....the last time it tore part of his toenail off and bled like crazy. He was always tripping on them, which regualarly happened as he stepped up over a door threshold, AND he fell and hit his head one time tripping on his flip-flops...so hard Mom took him to the doctor and wanted me to pay the copay (which I did not, she had been told no flip-flops)

It is a liability issue.....if they are hurt in my care, it is my responsibility, and the parent, even if they said it was okay to wear flip-flops, can STILL decide to sue, or complain to licensing, etc.

I wear flip-flops. I get that they are comfortable...BUT, we are not constantly running, climbing, jumping, etc. Children need comfortable, SAFE footwear. If they want shoes off, they can come inside, take em' off and play, but outside, it's shoes.

[Lilbutterflie]

Yup, I see both sides to this. I'm originally from SoCal, flipflops are the norm almost year round! And my dcm is from Florida, so I'm sure that's why they always wear them.

I never did dress my own in them b/c they could not wear them right (it looked like they were scooting their feet on the ground) and they were always tripping. But I understand why parents put their own children in them if they can walk well. My own dck's walk well most of the time, but they do trip on occasion.

This doesn't bother so much... it's after they get their cuts and scrapes that bothers me. The feet are not protected, and when you scrape your toes, most of the time it's in an awkward position for a bandaid. Then it gets black with the dirt, and then infected. Like my dcb. It was black for two months despite constant cleaning!! Not to mention the accidents on the playground equipment from the soles bending backwards or coming off and causing them to slip while climbing. Hasn't happened yet, but I don't want to be responsible for such an injury!

And now it's kind of bothering me b/c it's starting to get cold. Her kids are not complaining, but their feet are like little ice cubes in the morning!

[misol]

For me, QualiTcare, it doesn't matter if the parent doesn't care. It's not just about scraped toes. The boy I had was always getting his toes caught in doors.....the last time it tore part of his toenail off and bled like crazy. He was always tripping on them, which regualarly happened as he stepped up over a door threshold, AND he fell and hit his head one time tripping on his flip-flops...so hard Mom took him to the doctor and wanted me to pay the copay (which I did not, she had been told no flip-flops)

It is a liability issue.....if they are hurt in my care, it is my responsibility, and the parent, even if they said it was okay to wear flip-flops, can STILL decide to sue, or complain to licensing, etc.

I wear flip-flops. I get that they are comfortable...BUT, we are not constantly running, climbing, jumping, etc. Children need comfortable, SAFE footwear. If they want shoes off, they can come inside, take em' off and play, but outside, it's shoes.

I agree with this.

[Live and Learn]

I love to wear flip flops myself...rain or shine::...I haven't ever had a parent send this kids in flip flops. I close for the summer. In the spring and fall I tell parents that shoes need to be "runnable" and with no little holes for bark chips and pebbles to get in. To be honest I really prefer sneakers. The children seem to walk better and have less debris in their shoes when they are wearing good fitting shoes....not a big fan of "crocs" on little ones either.

[DBug]

I love flip flops, and it's only because of the two inches of snow on the ground that I've stopped wearing them . I have no problem with the kids wearing them either, but then, I've never had kids tripping or scraping their toes. But I do get how having kids come to daycare wearing them can be a liability issue. For things like this, would it work to get the parents to sign a waiver? As in, since I'm sending my kids in flip flops, I waive my right to sue or to any compensation if my kid gets hurt as a result of wearing them? Would that hold any legal weight if it came right down to it?

The only other thing I would suggest by way of compromise, is to get the parents to bring more appropriate footwear that can be left in the child's cubby. That way they can come and go in flip flops, but still have safe footwear for playing outside.

[tenderhearts]

In my summer letter to the parents I let them know that IF their child wants to ride scooters or bicycles they will need closed toed shoes. IF they wear open toed they will not be allowed to play on those things, it seems to help because everyone will bring both pairs for me so that they can at least have the flip flops if they play in the sprinkler. I do know how the dirty feet thing goes though, I don't have a problem as much as I used to when my daycare kids were much older thank goodness

[Blackcat31]

The only other thing I would suggest by way of compromise, is to get the parents to bring more appropriate footwear that can be left in the child's cubby. That way they can come and go in flip flops, but still have safe footwear for playing outside.

This is a great idea! I ask all my parents to leave a pair of sneakers in their cubbies. I don't care what they arrive in, but they have to have sneakers for playground safety. Personally, my beef is with crocs. I HATE CROCS! Those are the worst invention ever....they are so ugly and so unsafe for little ones! They are learning to perfect their balance and their coordination and when you add flip flops or sandals or crocs to the mix?!?! I get that they are easy, but safety should be more important. Wear them everywhere but playing. I remember being in elementary school and being required to have gym shoes that were not the same shoes we wore regularly. Imagine if we had showed up for gym class in crocs!?!?

[mac60]

I put reminders in the summers notes. But, parents don't always abide by it. If a child comes in flip flops, they are not allowed on the climber or slides. I don't want to be liable for a child to get their foot/shoe caught on the climber and get hurt due to parent's choice. I hate those stupid crocs too. Those are just as bad as flip flops. What ever happened to a simple pair of tie shoes that actually fit the young child and stayed on their feet.

[QualiTcare]

For me, QualiTcare, it doesn't matter if the parent doesn't care. It's not just about scraped toes. The boy I had was always getting his toes caught in doors.....the last time it tore part of his toenail off and bled like crazy. He was always tripping on them, which regualarly happened as he stepped up over a door threshold, AND he fell and hit his head one time tripping on his flip-flops...so hard Mom took him to the doctor and wanted me to pay the copay (which I did not, she had been told no flip-flops)

It is a liability issue.....if they are hurt in my care, it is my responsibility, and the parent, even if they said it was okay to wear flip-flops, can STILL decide to sue, or complain to licensing, etc.

I wear flip-flops. I get that they are comfortable...BUT, we are not constantly running, climbing, jumping, etc. Children need comfortable, SAFE footwear. If they want shoes off, they can come inside, take em' off and play, but outside, it's shoes.

crystal, what if they signed a waiver? i had a huge issue with this with my own kids and would have gladly signed one.

while i've seen kids trip on flip flops and scrape their toes/knees, etc., i've also seen kids do the same or worse damage wearing tennis shoes. i've seen kids scrape their knees when wearing shorts when if they'd been wearing jeans it may not have happened. why not ban shorts? i know the issue or hairclips has come up before. i think it's insane to ban hairclips bc a child MIGHT take it out of their hair or it might fall out and someone could choke on it.

when does it end?

[nannyde]

crystal, what if they signed a waiver? i had a huge issue with this with my own kids and would have gladly signed one.

while i've seen kids trip on flip flops and scrape their toes/knees, etc., i've also seen kids do the same or worse damage wearing tennis shoes. i've seen kids scrape their knees when wearing shorts when if they'd been wearing jeans it may not have happened. why not ban shorts? i know the issue or hairclips has come up before. i think it's insane to ban hairclips bc a child MIGHT take it out of their hair or it might fall out and someone could choke on it.

when does it end?

Qualti can I ask you something?

Have you ever done home day care? Have you ever had multiple children from different families within the ages of birth to five coming to your home and caring for them full time Monday thru Friday?

[Crystal]

crystal, what if they signed a waiver? i had a huge issue with this with my own kids and would have gladly signed one.

while i've seen kids trip on flip flops and scrape their toes/knees, etc., i've also seen kids do the same or worse damage wearing tennis shoes. i've seen kids scrape their knees when wearing shorts when if they'd been wearing jeans it may not have happened. why not ban shorts? i know the issue or hairclips has come up before. i think it's insane to ban hairclips bc a child MIGHT take it out of their hair or it might fall out and someone could choke on it.

when does it end?

A waiver would not make on bit of difference to licensing. Any time there is an "unusual incident" here in Ca., if a child is injured in care and has to see a doctor, I have to report it. That goes in my permanent file.

I also think a skinned knee is WAY different than broken toes, shredded flesh, etc. I look at it this way. My job is to make sure that I provide an environment that is "as safe as possible". I cannot prevent skinned knees, which is a normal part of childhood. I can prevent smashed, broken toes, which is not a normal part of childhood.

[AmandasFCC]

Agreed Crystal. There's an enormous difference between a couple skinned knees and bruises and a major injury that could have been prevented by wearing proper footwear.

[nannyde]

A waiver would not make on bit of difference to licensing. Any time there is an "unusual incident" here in Ca., if a child is injured in care and has to see a doctor, I have to report it. That goes in my permanent file.

I also think a skinned knee is WAY different than broken toes, shredded flesh, etc. I look at it this way. My job is to make sure that I provide an environment that is "as safe as possible". I cannot prevent skinned knees, which is a normal part of childhood. I can prevent smashed, broken toes, which is not a normal part of childhood.

What she said.

My State doesnt require us to report injuries... I don't think. I've never had an injury other than a superficial skin scrape so I don't know if the Dr's office would report or not.

The bottom line is that parents can't give permission for us to do the wrong thing. If we know the child's footwear increases the risk of injury (as Crystal outlined... not just superficial toe scrapings but the injuries that can come from the tripping such as head injury or a broken bone) than we either provide appropriate and safe footwear or we simply can't take them out.

If we have children arrive in outdoor gear that's not weather appropriate we can't say that THIS is what the parents brought so we must use it. We can't allow the parents to simply write a note and say this jacket is okay in thirty degree weather. If we KNOW it's not warm enough we chave to either provide appropriate gear or keep the kid in. We HAVE to protect the child regardless of what the parent has okayed.

I solve this by having a full stock of footwear here so no matter what the childs age or size.. I have good sturdy shoes here for them to use. I don't want to keep all the kids in and I don't want to take the risk of having a kid fall so I make sure "I" have what they need no matter what.

I don't use clogs, sandals, crocks, or floppy shoes. I only allow sturdy full feet covered shoes that fit properly. The flip flops are just ONE of the problems with footwear.... we also come across a lot of situations where the shoes are too big, too small, or too worn. I've given up trying to make sure eight kids come in the right stuff. I just have enough in my stock to make sure everything is safe every day.

The DHS doesn't care WHO provided the shoes when a child is injured because of tripping. The care about WHO allowed the child to be out and playing in those shoes at the time of the incident. If the shoes are unsafe it doesn't matter to the DHS if that's all the parent brought for them or not. Better to keep everyone in than have a skull fracture or a busted arm.

Safe, fitted, sturdy shoes are an essential element in outdoor safety. If you can't get the parents to provide that every day for every child then you have to provide it for them, refuse to allow them in if they don't have it, or keep the child from the outdoor play. Having them play in unsafe footwear isn't an option the parents can give permission to do.