Muddy Shoes: Ideas?

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

Does anyone have any ideas how we can stop the children on the hard floor before they reach the carpet with muddy shoes? When we are walking in from the playground, I always remind them to take their shoes off as soon as they get to the door. I remind them again as soon as the first one reaches the door, but somehow there's always 2-3 or more who go in and run all over the carpet before I catch them and remind them to take their shoes off (then they run around some more to find just the right spot to sit down to take them off), leaving lots of muddy footprints all over. It's not on purpose, I'm pretty sure. I don't see any defiance on their face or anything. They just aren't understanding what I mean, I guess. I have specifically told them to take shoes off before they get on the carpet, but how can I make it clearer what I mean? These children are 3 1/2 -5 years old, but it's usually the 3 1/2 yr olds who forget and keep running. What, specifically, can I say to make it clear?
It's not really even an entry way, since it's the same length of the room. There's about 3 foot of hard floor width-wise (door to carpet) and then more than 12 foot length wise (door to wall). The rest of the room is carpet, so when I stand at the edge of hard floor to stop them, there's plenty of room for them to walk around. Also, we don't have a porch or anything, so I can't have them take their shoes off outside, or their socks would get really dirty or wet. Not a major deal, but it would be nice to have some ideas so the carpet doesn't need shampooed as often For those of you with several children, how do you get their shoes off before they get everything muddy?

[cheeseheadmama]

Maybe they just aren't understanding what "carpet" is. Would it be possible to tape out some squares or other shapes on the hard floor and then tell them to "stand/sit on a square" and take their shoes off? That would give them a specific spot to go to and might keep them from running onto the rug.

Good luck!

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Preschool/daycare teacher

Does anyone have any ideas how we can stop the children on the hard floor before they reach the carpet with muddy shoes? When we are walking in from the playground, I always remind them to take their shoes off as soon as they get to the door. I remind them again as soon as the first one reaches the door, but somehow there's always 2-3 or more who go in and run all over the carpet before I catch them and remind them to take their shoes off (then they run around some more to find just the right spot to sit down to take them off), leaving lots of muddy footprints all over. It's not on purpose, I'm pretty sure. I don't see any defiance on their face or anything. They just aren't understanding what I mean, I guess. I have specifically told them to take shoes off before they get on the carpet, but how can I make it clearer what I mean? These children are 3 1/2 -5 years old, but it's usually the 3 1/2 yr olds who forget and keep running. What, specifically, can I say to make it clear?
It's not really even an entry way, since it's the same length of the room. There's about 3 foot of hard floor width-wise (door to carpet) and then more than 12 foot length wise (door to wall). The rest of the room is carpet, so when I stand at the edge of hard floor to stop them, there's plenty of room for them to walk around. Also, we don't have a porch or anything, so I can't have them take their shoes off outside, or their socks would get really dirty or wet. Not a major deal, but it would be nice to have some ideas so the carpet doesn't need shampooed as often For those of you with several children, how do you get their shoes off before they get everything muddy?

Lock the door on the way out?... Be sure to take the keys.

[melskids]

Michael's on to something.

The area by the door is only big enough for one or two kiddos at a time to stand there, before the carpet starts. We all stand on the deck and I stand in the doorway, then let each one in one at a time to take off their shoes.

[MissAnn]

Originally Posted by Preschool/daycare teacher

Does anyone have any ideas how we can stop the children on the hard floor before they reach the carpet with muddy shoes? When we are walking in from the playground, I always remind them to take their shoes off as soon as they get to the door. I remind them again as soon as the first one reaches the door, but somehow there's always 2-3 or more who go in and run all over the carpet before I catch them and remind them to take their shoes off (then they run around some more to find just the right spot to sit down to take them off), leaving lots of muddy footprints all over. It's not on purpose, I'm pretty sure. I don't see any defiance on their face or anything. They just aren't understanding what I mean, I guess. I have specifically told them to take shoes off before they get on the carpet, but how can I make it clearer what I mean? These children are 3 1/2 -5 years old, but it's usually the 3 1/2 yr olds who forget and keep running. What, specifically, can I say to make it clear?
It's not really even an entry way, since it's the same length of the room. There's about 3 foot of hard floor width-wise (door to carpet) and then more than 12 foot length wise (door to wall). The rest of the room is carpet, so when I stand at the edge of hard floor to stop them, there's plenty of room for them to walk around. Also, we don't have a porch or anything, so I can't have them take their shoes off outside, or their socks would get really dirty or wet. Not a major deal, but it would be nice to have some ideas so the carpet doesn't need shampooed as often For those of you with several children, how do you get their shoes off before they get everything muddy?

When kids come in the morning...they take off their shoes at the front door. When we go out to play, they have outside shoes (tennis shoes or rainboots) and they put them on outside. They take them off before coming in. At the end of the day....if we play outside they put on their take home shoes but don't re-enter the house. If we stay inside in the afternoon, they just put on their take home shoes.

[spud912]

I do the same as melskids. I actually stand in the doorway and only let one child in at a time. I usually have the child sit on the door jam and take their shoes off (leaving the dirty shoes outside). In the meantime, I have the other kids lined up outside waiting for their turn.

[Heidi]

I have a low bench, and always go in first, directing them immediately to the low bench. They don't leave the bench until everything is off.

Is there a way you can block off the entry area and create a narrower doorway to get the the play area once shoes are off? Low shelves maybe, so you can still see the entry area from the play area and vice versa? If you have cubbies, you can turn those into the room, facing the doorway, and create a more enclosed entryway, perhaps? Or, if it's in the budget, perhaps you could buy a super-gate system and do it that way.

[MrsB]

i have the plastic octagonal enclosure gate that i put up on the edge of the carpet and tile at the front door just to kind of keep them corraled. Then I have a couple colored carpet squares (just squares of carpet reminents that I put on the tile floor and they have to pick one to sit on while they take their shoes off. I stand on the other side of the gate and once they have put their shoes and coats in their cubbies I lift them over it. I have cut down my carpet cleaning of the entry way significantly!!

[kendallina]

My kids know that they take off their shoes near my stove (lol...it's the best way to help them understand). We've been doing it that way for over a year now and I still say it everytime we come in from outside. They know to go there, take off their shoes and then they can carry them in to put by the front door. I wonder if they're having a difficult time remembering to do it 'before' the carpet. Instead, I would have a more specific location where they need to do it. I also sometimes come in the door before the children (while they are all on the porch), then I can lead them in toward the stove and no one would be able to get past me with their shoes on.