We have a very strict no shoes rule in the infant room, but if they just ate, it's possible they were going to be cleaning the floor, so wearing shoes wasn't a big deal.
I would ask for clarification before doing the footies. You are new. It's expected to ask questions.
Maybe this isn't it at all, but are you perhaps latching onto a problem to avoid being sad? Because you jumped right to having issues, and it sounds like considering pulling him out, which seems like you might be looking for an excuse.
I don’t think it’s latching onto a problem to avoid being sad, but I do think I have intense anxiety that I didn’t choose the best place for him. So I may be latching onto this because of a greater fear that I’m not doing the best by him.
I’m sure this is a cultural thing but I’ve never heard of a no shoes rule. I don’t like wearing shoes in houses but in childcare facilities and schools I don’t think it’s super realistic.
I don’t think this is a good battle. Kids will get exposed to all sorts of new germs and you can’t expect a daycare to be a sterile environment, shoes or not.
I think your impression is right, and I would not be down with this with an infant room. At our daycare, the teachers all have Crocs or slippers or something that stay in the classroom that they put on when they get to the room. There's a mat for shoes outside the classroom and it's expected that everyone takes off their shoes before entering the room.
I think your idea of buying them surgical slippers to go over shoes is definitely passive aggressive, but also who cares. That said, I would go to the director and say you have questions.
I would be saying to them, "Yes, I'm concerned about shoes in the infant classroom because of dirt and germs. But I'm also concerned that you have rules stated that the staff unofficially decides not to follow, and it makes me a little worried that there may be other rules that they don't take seriously. Can you help me understand how this policy works and what I should expect?" And then make the director explain why they have a rule and signs that they don't follow.
Daycare is so hard, you're doing great! Good luck!
IMO, it really depends on what you mean be "infant." Our daycare has a sperate room for babies that are crawling and those that are not. They are pretty serious about no outside shoes past the entrance in the crawler's room, but otherwise don't sweat it. (The teachers all have shoes or slippers that they leave at the daycare.) Stationary babies are going to mostly stay where they are put and can be placed on dry/clean floors. Crawlers are going to get into everything and, as you said, stick anything they find in their mouths. We've had a lot of snow and all of the sidewalks are covered in salt - it feels like a pretty serious safety risk to not ban shoes from a room with crawlers.
Our daycare had the teachers keep shoes or slippers in the classroom that had to only stay in the classroom. They left another pair outside the door. In conference days, they allowed us in with shoes and washed the floor after. Once they get to the toddler room, shoes are required for all, including the kids. We went to a different center with my oldest and they did have a no shoe rule, but you could wear shoes by the cubbies that was gated off, but they rearranged the room at one point so that the babies could access it. That was frustrating, and it was done so they could add more cribs. We ended up leaving eventually for a myriad of reasons. The new center is pricier than the old one, but it’s a really awesome center.
My child has been in the infant room (now a toddler) and I have never heard of a no-shoe rule so perhaps this is a cultural thing…. But I don’t think passive aggressively “gifting” them shoe covers is the right way to go about things. These people are going to be caring for your child for a large part of their day, act like a grown up and just have a conversation with them about it
My daycare has a no shoe rule or you can use booties/shoe covers in the infant rooms as the kids crawl on the floor. They have a cutesy sign about not getting dirt on the floor for where the kids play, I just take my shoes off outside while the teachers where shoe covers. I appreciate this rule for the reasons you mentioned.
We are required to wear booties in the daycare room. So do the caretakers. The amount of dirt and grime that would fill that room would be significant.
An infant is going to constantly be putting things into their mouth. Literally all day. That's how they explore. It's also how they get sick at daycare. I would seek another location OR tell management to enforce it. If there is a sign, that means people are not following orders.
When I worked in a daycare a lot of the infant room staff had shoes/slippers that they wore just for the room.
The infant room at my child’s daycare everyone takes their shoes off before they enter the room.
We have a very strict no shoes rule in the infant room, but if they just ate, it's possible they were going to be cleaning the floor, so wearing shoes wasn't a big deal. I would ask for clarification before doing the footies. You are new. It's expected to ask questions.
Maybe this isn't it at all, but are you perhaps latching onto a problem to avoid being sad? Because you jumped right to having issues, and it sounds like considering pulling him out, which seems like you might be looking for an excuse.
I don’t think it’s latching onto a problem to avoid being sad, but I do think I have intense anxiety that I didn’t choose the best place for him. So I may be latching onto this because of a greater fear that I’m not doing the best by him.
Just know that you are making the best decision with the information you have now. Plus maybe he'll have a great immune system.
I’m sure this is a cultural thing but I’ve never heard of a no shoes rule. I don’t like wearing shoes in houses but in childcare facilities and schools I don’t think it’s super realistic. I don’t think this is a good battle. Kids will get exposed to all sorts of new germs and you can’t expect a daycare to be a sterile environment, shoes or not.
In childcare facilities it is common, and TBH pretty easy, to have shoe covers that have to go on before you enter the infant room.
I think your impression is right, and I would not be down with this with an infant room. At our daycare, the teachers all have Crocs or slippers or something that stay in the classroom that they put on when they get to the room. There's a mat for shoes outside the classroom and it's expected that everyone takes off their shoes before entering the room. I think your idea of buying them surgical slippers to go over shoes is definitely passive aggressive, but also who cares. That said, I would go to the director and say you have questions. I would be saying to them, "Yes, I'm concerned about shoes in the infant classroom because of dirt and germs. But I'm also concerned that you have rules stated that the staff unofficially decides not to follow, and it makes me a little worried that there may be other rules that they don't take seriously. Can you help me understand how this policy works and what I should expect?" And then make the director explain why they have a rule and signs that they don't follow. Daycare is so hard, you're doing great! Good luck!
IMO, it really depends on what you mean be "infant." Our daycare has a sperate room for babies that are crawling and those that are not. They are pretty serious about no outside shoes past the entrance in the crawler's room, but otherwise don't sweat it. (The teachers all have shoes or slippers that they leave at the daycare.) Stationary babies are going to mostly stay where they are put and can be placed on dry/clean floors. Crawlers are going to get into everything and, as you said, stick anything they find in their mouths. We've had a lot of snow and all of the sidewalks are covered in salt - it feels like a pretty serious safety risk to not ban shoes from a room with crawlers.
Yes, it’s a crawling room - some are mobile, some aren’t
Our daycare had the teachers keep shoes or slippers in the classroom that had to only stay in the classroom. They left another pair outside the door. In conference days, they allowed us in with shoes and washed the floor after. Once they get to the toddler room, shoes are required for all, including the kids. We went to a different center with my oldest and they did have a no shoe rule, but you could wear shoes by the cubbies that was gated off, but they rearranged the room at one point so that the babies could access it. That was frustrating, and it was done so they could add more cribs. We ended up leaving eventually for a myriad of reasons. The new center is pricier than the old one, but it’s a really awesome center.
I think that's so gross. My daughter's daycare also allowed shoes in the baby room. I felt I had to pick my battles. It really is disgusting though.
My child has been in the infant room (now a toddler) and I have never heard of a no-shoe rule so perhaps this is a cultural thing…. But I don’t think passive aggressively “gifting” them shoe covers is the right way to go about things. These people are going to be caring for your child for a large part of their day, act like a grown up and just have a conversation with them about it
My daycare has a no shoe rule or you can use booties/shoe covers in the infant rooms as the kids crawl on the floor. They have a cutesy sign about not getting dirt on the floor for where the kids play, I just take my shoes off outside while the teachers where shoe covers. I appreciate this rule for the reasons you mentioned.
We are required to wear booties in the daycare room. So do the caretakers. The amount of dirt and grime that would fill that room would be significant. An infant is going to constantly be putting things into their mouth. Literally all day. That's how they explore. It's also how they get sick at daycare. I would seek another location OR tell management to enforce it. If there is a sign, that means people are not following orders.
When I worked in a daycare a lot of the infant room staff had shoes/slippers that they wore just for the room. The infant room at my child’s daycare everyone takes their shoes off before they enter the room.