Blog Archive
Little Hippie
We have found that Dylan will not keep her shoes on at daycare. The teachers have told us multiple times how Dylan's shoes keep coming off. We stopped putting her Pumas on for school and started putting on the Robeez like shoes (soft bottoms) again because we wanted to make their job easier. I then go to pick her up one afternoon and the teacher tells me that the principal said we need to put her in hard bottom shoes. I tell the teacher that is fine, but they were complaining about the other shoes. We then put her back in her Pumas and look for a new pair of shoes. The problem is her foot is so little for her age it is really hard to find a pair of walking shoes that will stay on and lace up. Granted there are some out there, but many of them cost more than $40 and I am not willing to spend a lot of money on something that will end up all muddy since the playground is a mess at school.
So, I found a brand new pair of Size 3 New Balance shoes on ebay and won the bid on them ($11); the problem is they won't be here until next week. Tuesday, we get a note sent home from the teachers about the problem with the shoes. Yesterday morning I spoke to her teacher about the issue and told her we had some new shoes on the way. Denny picked Dylan up yesterday and a different teacher came over to address "the problem." Denny explained once again we have some shoes on the way. I was so frustrated that I went to Target last night and bought a pair of $13 Osh Kosh velcro shoes, where you can adjust them tight. This was not my first option, but that was all I could find in her size that was like a tennis shoe. Denny dropped her off this morning and another teacher came up to him and examined her shoes and told us those would not work. Denny proceeded to tell her these were new shoes that we were going to try and we have other lace up shoes on the way. She then said that Dylan's socks were better because they were more thin so her shoes would stay on better. Really, the socks are the problem now? So then Denny asks the teacher to give us feedback on these new shoes.
I am glad that they are giving us feedback and understand that they are frustrated with the shoe situation, but we are making an effort. I can't help it they are not communicating well, which unfortunately happens a lot there. I am tempted to duct tape the damn shoes on her and see what they come back with. I told Denny that it is probably better off if he goes and picks her up today.
Is it really our fault that Dylan has turned into a little hippie?
Boy, it sounds like they need to calm down a bit. You are trying your best to get shoes for her. I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to pay big bucks for shoes that will get ruined on the playground. Try the duct tape! In Roger's world, it cures everything ;)
Dylan can come and hang out with Baby Mitchell!!! We love hippie babies!!!!!
I definitely vote for the duct tape. We can't keep any shoes on Mia either. The second we get in the car, she thinks it's time to remove her shoes. It's making me crazy, so I can definitely see how it would make "Chesterfield" (lol) crazy. However, they need to talk between themselves or something and recognize that the situation can't be solved overnight. You could drop Dylan off with several copies of a newsletter regarding your effort to find her new footwear.
Maybe if you stop cutting her toenails for several months, she can move up a size.
WTF is up with the sock thing? That's just silly.
I didn't realize shoes could be such a big issue at daycare. What's wrong with Robeez? I don't understand why they won't let her wear them if they aren't falling off. Seems like they are making this a big deal. Ah, drama!
I say, send her barefoot and tell them you are working on building up her arches. :)
I am thinking about just giving them the damn tracking number so they will stop hassling us. That'll teach'em not to mess with the Deatons!
Well, if they had Galvin or Gwendolyn in daycare, they would have to deal with Robeez. Both have flat feet (non-permanent, hopefully) and needed to be in Robeez or barefoot until 15-18 months of age.
I don't see what the issue is w/Robeez, personally. Mine are outside in them all the time; it's all that Gwen wears, now - Galvin is in Stride Rite for his good shoes and something off Ebay (Nike, Stride Rite, Carter's) for play i.e., less than $15.00.
And I'm w/Courtney on the socks...really? Too many rules at these "structured" centers; I do home daycare and am more adaptable. Good luck!
Really.....shoes.....they really want to nitpicky about shoes???? This is mind boggling. So glad Jordan and Trey are done with that...but now we have bigger fish to fry...(ie-stolen ipod, etc..)
A tracking number, Denny, that's the best you can do?!
I say, go in as a family, all barefoot - and say it's against your religion to wear shoes (and socks). That can't touch that one!
I think you should just tase them.
http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/
I like Hayley's idea--that is too funny. Tell them she is a NC-girl. NC-girls would rather go barefooted. The joke crossing the James River Bridge from NC to VA is NC folks leave their shoes hanging on the bridge and pick them up on the way back. Can't believe a 1-year-old has shoe-trauma. Where's the good ol' days where no one thought much about what the other person (or child) wore as long as it was clean and the child too.
Awesome link Emmy Ann. Thanks for all of the support everyone. So I pick Dylan up from daycare today after my dentist appointment. It was earlier than usual, so when I get to her classroom she is outside. The teacher that talked about the socks was in there, and she was happy to report that Dylan's shoes stayed on. She then proceeded to make the comment that she really did not want to bother us working parents about stuff like this and even rummaged around her house last night to see if she could find some socks to fit Dylan. I kind of felt like I was on welfare or something. I then went outside and found Dylan with so much dirt under her fingernails she could have replicated a Picasso with just her hands. The teacher also told me the shoes from Target worked well. I then read her progress report on the way home and at the bottom it said, "Shoes stayed on all day. Good job!" Do you think that is Dylan's good job, my good job or the shoes good job?
The New Balance shoes came in the mail from ebay. They are brand new and super cute but unfortunately they are too narrow at the toe. I am going to look for some other shoes this weekend no matter what the cost, and the next person that has a baby girl will be getting a nice present.
Somehow--I've never imagined shoes getting graded. Amazing where we have come after all these years. When I was in day-care they were probably happy that we wore shoes, much less the type (and welfare-socks). :)
Isn't she 1?? What is the deal with shoes? I remember when my oldest was in daycare and pretty much went shoeless most of the day. What is their problem? I mean, it's better developmentally anyway for them to be shoeless.
Girlcarew, yes she is 14 months this weekend. They said something about getting docked for sanitation codes and fire drills if all of the kids shoes are not on. Who knows, I never thought this would be what I had to think about when I had children!
Wow - this is nuts!! When I worked at day care (2 summers of hell. 2-year olds are cute, just not 10 at a time, all day long), our principal was always on our case about the kids having shoes because of sanitation and fire codes, like you said, but we never complained to parents about it! And we certainly didn't stage multi-frontal attacks on poor, unassuming parents! I bet you thought your days of worthless "feedback" were over once you left college. :-D Good luck finding her some shoes!!!
(Now that I think of it - maybe this is all part of Dylan's grand scheme to accumulate as many pairs of shoes as she can. She's feeding her inner diva!)
I think you are right Casey, she has also shown an affinity to purses.
I can't believe that she looked for socks for you. I would be bothered that she told me that she looked for socks. If she wanted to do that, she could have kept it to herself. When I taught 4th grade, we let the kids take off their shoes to be more comfortable. However, they could easily put them back on in the event of a fire drill. I'm sorry that the New Balance shoes are too narrow. What a mess! I agree with Casey, she must really want to have lots of pairs of shoes!
NIki, I am sorry for the trauma/drama you have been through. Guess those white combat shoes ya'll used to wear didn't come off for a reason. I think they cost about $27.00 at Stride Rite. I hope the width issue is not her Daddy's foot because we had to special order the wide load shoes when the boys were small. I love the little Robeez. Oh well, in the grand scheme of things, this will look small in 20 years, Haha, Love ya, Gigi
Rose, unfortunately the Stride Rite shoes are into the $40+ range now. It is just hard to justify spending that much on something she will grow out of and get so dirty. The Target shoes seem to be working, but I am on the lookout on ebay for a good deal. I know it is a little thing, but when you have a lot of little things going on at one time it can be very frustrating. Thanks for the support!