User: johnthomas725

Hey Mark. Wow, I think I should consider myself very lucky! Although I thought my mum was strict, she was nothing compared to yours. Although my mum was quite free with her slipper, or sometimes, a bare hand, I never got smacked with a hairbrush - ouch!

And yes, a bit like you, although brief removal of slippers was generally tolerated (for example, whilst sitting on the sofa, watching the telly, sometimes I'd like to slip my feet out to just wiggle my bare toes freely) any actual wandering around the house in bare feet was usually frowned upon. At the time, I never really understood why, but as you suggest earlier, it was quite possibly to do with sweaty feet damaging the carpets.

And yes too, about the sense of annoyance from my parents, when I'd ask friends round, whom didn't have slippers. In some cases, I was simply instructed "why don't I take my friend and go play outside" (meaning, play outside, and stay outside), or perhaps in the large shed we had. If the weather was particularly bad though, then the friend was (sometimes grudgingly) allowed indoors, but my mum made sure any wet or muddy clothing was removed, and that our shoes and socks were taken off before we were allowed through the inner door.

That was another thing - there was an 'unwritten rule' which said that when I'd come in from playing outside - and this applied to any friends I brought back with me - I had to enter through the back door, into the kitchen, and my (and my friend's) shoes and socks had to be left outside the back door, as the assumption was (and this was almost always true) that our shoes/trainers and socks would be rather smelly and sweaty, and my parents didn't want them 'stinking the house out'.

Sometimes, I (and my friend) would find our slippers had been brought into the kitchen, ready for us. Other times, they hadn't, and we had to cross the kitchen floor (which was rather cold linoleum) in bare feet.

I do know what you mean though about being embarrassed about putting slippers on in front of other people, especially friends. Even though most, if not all, my friends were also slipper wearers, it always felt rather humiliating to unlace and remove shoes ... and then strip off socks too ... what was worse, was telling them the rules, before they came to visit. Some of my friends were OK with it, and understood, others reacted badly, either being reluctant, or in one case, quite disparaging, which made me feel even more miserable. But once my friends knew and understood the rules, it wasn't so bad, and invariably, they had a similar rule at their home also.

And yes, there did seem to be a general rule amongst families that whilst (in some cases) it was acceptable for an adult guest to just remove shoes, and stay in socked feet (if they had no slippers to wear, either their own, or 'guest' slippers), this same rule did not apply to my friends - again, it was the (all too often true) assumption that boys socks were sweaty and stunk, and so it was slippers or bare feet. And if the boy in question had no slippers, then he was left in no doubt that he should have!

It's a funny thing, but some of my friends ... most of them actually ... were, like me, quite poor. And yet, even though our shoes were cheap, and our clothes a little shabby, we always had slippers to wear, and when these became worn, they were replaced much more swiftly than socks. Socks were seen almost as a loathsome, but necessary evil, but I got slippers as a gift from various relatives, at birthdays, christmas etc.

Hi Mark, yes, my mum could be just the same at time. Quite a fearsome lady, and she was just as strict with the rules, as my father was - perhaps more so, and she was quite adamant about the family changing into slippers when we came in. And she wasn't afraid of smacking my behind neither - with, what else, but a slipper. She could take her slipper off, give me a sound whack, and put it back on her foot again with a single movement.

Yes, we had a little 'slipper rack' by the front door, where we kept our slippers - it served as a powerful reminder of the rules, as well as looking quite inviting and homely.

On the other hand, my parents hated the sight of shoes being left around the place. That was another 'capital offence' - leaving your shoes or socks sprawled randomly by the door. It was considered lazy and untidy, and merited a sharp word, or occasionally, a smack for repeat offences.

Shoes needed to be picked up and taken to the small shoe cupboard located nearby, where they were placed neatly in another rack, but hidden from view. Socks were either tucked neatly inside the shoes, else taken straight to the laundry basket, if they were particularly smelly and sweaty.

This was true even of guests - though normally for adult guests, my mum (or dad) would tidy away the shoes, considering this to be good practice as a host. For my friends, when I was a child, they were expected to tidy away their own shoes and socks, and if they didn't, it was me as well as my friends that got a good hiding!

We weren't a wealthy family, but a proud one. My friends were rarely allowed in the sitting room to play, that was for adult guests. We were ushered into my bedroom, or outside to play. But the house was always kept tidy, and the carpeted floors spotless.

Having your shoes and socks taken away by the teacher was the 'standard punishment' at my junior school, if you were caught kicking another pupil. They were returned at the end of the school day. It happened to me once - I got kicked by a boy in the playground, so I kicked him back, and he went running crying to the teacher. I told the teacher I'd been kicked first, and we were both told sternly that kicking another boy was naughty, and we had our shoes and socks confiscated, and told this was so we wouldn't hurt anyone else by kicking them. It was very humiliating and we weren't allowed in the playground for the rest of the day, but had to stay indoors, in bare feet, writing an essay during break.

Wearing shoes in the house is a dirty, disgusting habit. I won't allow shoes to be worn in my home, just as when I was growing up, my parents didn't allow anyone to wear shoes in theirs. At the very least, shoes should always be removed before entering. Most people I know change into clean, comfy slippers when they come in, leaving shoes outside, or in the hall or porch. This was, not only are the floors kept clean, but the home seems much more friendly and welcoming.

Glad to hear that Mark! Yes, my experience growing up (30+ years ago now) was just the same. Everyone in my family wore slippers, I had them as far back as my memory goes, and old family photos show me as a very young boy, along with the rest of the family wearing them indoors. And it was just the same with everyone I knew back then too - As a boy, I'd go and visit my friends, and they and all their family would be slippered-up indoors too. It just seemed perfectly normal and expected. Of course, there were minor variations in rules and wearing habits, but you're quite right - I never saw anyone wearing shoes indoors, unless it was a deliberate attempt to subvert the rules ... as sometimes happened with young boys (myself included)...

I know that back then, some of my friends hated having to take shoes off indoors, and hated wearing slippers. Sometimes I felt reluctant too, especially if strangers were visiting or already present, or if I was expecting friends to visit me. And yes, I did get caught occasionally (as a child) falling foul of the rules, and I was punished for it too (quite rightly, in retrospect, though at the time I didn't appreciate it!)

But rules were rules back then. No arguing, no excuses! The rules were simple: when you come in, it's shoes off, slippers on.

My parents didn't approve of wearing socks in the house (they were seen as smelly horrible things, only worn with outdoor shoes) but they were tolerated if a guest had no slippers to wear (e.g. some of my friends making an unexpected visit) or occasionally, if it was very cold in winter, or if you were literally just nipping back inside for 30 seconds.

And yes, I know what you mean about your father being in slippers the moment the door closed behind him! Mine was just the same, and the same was expected of the rest of us, and any close family and friends. It was almost a ritual - crossing the inner threshold in slippers, shoes having been left behind.

I remember the front lounge carpet being absolutely spotless because of this reason. The same for the upstairs.

I love your idea of a sign requesting shoes off, that's a great idea. Although sad that such things are necessary.

These days, I love the feeling of coming home from work, and immediately taking off shoes and socks, and relaxing in comfy slippers. And as the homeowner, I now appreciate the value and benefit of those same rules. And when I visit my relatives, I'm still expected to change into slippers as I enter their homes. I may be older now, but in their eyes, the same rules still apply!