etiquette at family homes

System

I wouldnt dream of asking people to take off their shoes in my house..... Even hubby strolls through in his work boots. Its something i frown on but he does it nonetheless.:mad:

I went to my friends house not so long back to find a sign on the living room door. "Shoes off please" in big red letters. I go to take my shoes off and she told me it was for her husband.:D

Pixiechic

With my OH its not so much taking shoes off, it's where he chooses to put them once he has taken them off.

He doesn't put them in the shoe rack in the hall, he seems to prefer to leave them in places like the bottom of the stairs or in doorways! :cool:

Pechow

No smoking, no shoes (though I don't actually recall ever having to ask anyone to remove them, people just do) unless you're a workman or something, and you follow the rules for interacting with the parrots or you don't interact with them at all. Though that's more for the benefit of the birds, and because people don't realise that certain things can be scary etc to them.

I guess the shoes thing is mostly to prevent mud or anything being trailed in, if they're wiped well then who cares.

Miss_Poohs

We don't have house rules but there's no way I'd let anyone smoke in my home - that's not up for debate, other than that - come on in.

Alpha58

lostinrates wrote: »

I think the situation is such that the two sides will never agree on the various drawbacks and benefits of shoes to no shoes.

I think you are right.

My OH was brought up in a home where shoes were taken off. I wasn't. I see their de-clogging as a bit anal. She sees mine as odd for not doing it. We will never agree which doesn't mean either one of us is either right or wrong.

Smoking - quite agree, it's rare to find a household where anyone smokes inside, even with smokers. Even they realise how disgusting it smells!

Gavin83

maman wrote: »

It's strange how the 'no shoes' rule seems to be spreading. It's not something I've ever done and I find it strange when people arrive and take off their shoes because it's what they do in their own homes. I tell them not to but it seems an ingrained habit. Probably to do with keeping fitted carpets clean I suppose??

I always take my shoes off at home and when entering other peoples homes, it just seems polite to me. I wouldn't insist on visitors doing it though.

It's pretty common abroad, there are places where everyone does it. I've even been to countries where some hotels and shops ask you to remove footwear before entering.

Gloomendoom

A chap I know won't allow people to wear shoes on his boat, in case they mark the pristine whiteness of it.

Torry_Quine

Alpha58 wrote: »

I think you are right.

My OH was brought up in a home where shoes were taken off. I wasn't. I see their de-clogging as a bit anal. She sees mine as odd for not doing it. We will never agree which doesn't mean either one of us is either right or wrong.

Smoking - quite agree, it's rare to find a household where anyone smokes inside, even with smokers. Even they realise how disgusting it smells!

My husband smokes indoors althugh he never smokes in anyone else's home other than one person who is also a smoker. He doesn't smoke in the bedroom or kitchen though.

Fag_ash_lil

I am very easy going and therefore personally don't have any rules when i have friends / family / visitors ..

I prefer people to feel at home by treating my home as they would theirs ..

Most of my friends , family etc know that they can help themselves to any food, drink etc that they want ..

As for windows being opened ... I'm not at all bothered whether they open them or close them ...

I am a smoker ... so therefore smoking is never an issue in my home.... I would not even think about smoking in a non smoking friends house ... I would automatically smoke outside .. ( even though friends have said i am welcome to smoke in their houses ... i would not feel comfortable doing that .)

I don't live in a " show house " , unlike some of my friends .... i live in a " home " and i think that's why alot of my friends prefer to meet up at my home rather than theirs ! ... At the end of the day if somebody spilled something, it's no big deal ... it can be cleaned up ... If they had dirty shoes , well the carpet can be cleaned too ....



To me , life is too short to be worried about rules at home ...

pollypenny

Gavin83 wrote: »

I always take my shoes off at home and when entering other peoples homes, it just seems polite to me. I wouldn't insist on visitors doing it though.

It's pretty common abroad, there are places where everyone does it. I've even been to countries where some hotels and shops ask you to remove footwear before entering.

I think it's too familiar to be in stockinged feet, or bare feet, in someone else' s house.

In countries where shoes off is the norm, you are usually given clean slippers to wear.