I come up with a plan. A method of containment.
I preach. I beg. I threaten.
And yet nothing and I repeat nothing can hold them in their place.
Instead...haste, laziness, forgetfulness and a two-year old who is infatuated with them (and prefers to wear a different one on each foot) keep them from their snug little homes. They are instead littered throughout (and outside) the house.
One day. One day, only Jamey and my shoes will be sitting (hopefully) in their assigned places by the door and I will miss tripping over and grumbling about the little shoes strewn everywhere.
No, I won't.
Oh, fine. Yes, I will.
(Please understand. I am ever so thankful to have more than enough- mostly hand-me-down- shoes to put on the feet of my family, no matter where they may end up.)
Anyone willing to share their shoe battle plans?
well...it is summer time. forget the shoes!
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about putting shoes away? I get so fed up! So what's the plan right now in my house in regards to shoes? Anyone who leaves out more than 2 pairs of shoes (they are supposed to be inside the coat closet) gets fined 25 cents!! The rule has been in effect for almost a week, and so far no fines!
ReplyDeleteGirl- I'm with you :) Each person in the family has a bin at the back door. You put your shoes in your bin when you come in the door. When the bin gets full you put your shoes away in your room. Sounds like a good plan? Just like the toy room has bins, bins that are labeled! You know who is the only person who actually uses the labeled bins to put stuff in ME! Oh and my porch and back yard are both scattered with shoes. You are not alone in this struggle.
ReplyDeleteNo solutions here!
ReplyDelete(For awhile there, I stored the kids' Sunday shoes on a high shelf upstairs. That helped the last-minute Sunday morning I-can't-find-my-shoes panic.)
Fun post and so similar to my life. I do not know what to do. We have a shoe shelf right by the door.
ReplyDeleteI remember a woman telling me that one day I would miss things like this~ and that is what keeps me sane in an otherwise chaotic time!! lol
I'm not sayin' this actually works all the time, but here goes. Each of us has a shoe box under our beds. Each of us is supposed to be allowed one pair of mud or winter boots and one pair of shoes by the front door and the rest are supposed to be in our shoe boxes. Late fall and early spring it gets especially crowded since we need mud boots, winter boots and shoes by the door and there are six people in the family.
ReplyDeleteWe also keep a basket by the back door (where we come and go) for shoes. But alas, they are NEVER all in the basket!
ReplyDeleteSounds like my house! I still haven't found a solution! My friend does cubbies and we may try that. I think it might work as long as it's in a part of the house where we don't play. My three and two year old daughters are OBSESSED with shoes as well!!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading (or lurking :) for a while. My plan is not fool-proof, my kids are a little older and I only have 2 ... but we have 2 shoe cubbies right inside the front door that they are to put their shoes in. Most of the time, they do (although we have forgetful moments, lazy and or rushed moments, too). We don't wear shoes in the house, either, so that helps.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that I have found makes (a little bit of) a difference, is to seriously limit the amount of shoes we have. Dressy shoes, athletic shoes, flip-flops, and puddle boots...mostly covers us for winter.
ReplyDeleteNow, I simply cannot convince my 13-year-old daughter that's enough! Not really trying...
If only I had the answer to that, I would end much of my own annoyance. Shoes strewn about irritate me to no end. Your containment looks better than mine on most days. I like the idea of a chest to throw them in and close up.
ReplyDeleteWish I had the answer, I was hoping you were going to tell me a really great solution. Glad to hear I'm not alone ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy answer to that problem and other clothes and toys laying around the house... If I ever need to clean up after my kids and they didn't respond to picking it up themselves, I would get a box throw all the stuff in it and place the box in the basement. It's incredible how much stuff never makes it back upstairs.
ReplyDeleteOh, do I ever understand the "Shoe Nemesis!" :) I've yet to find a workable solution (I've got a nearly-two year old who is also infatuated with them!), but I like your bench with a lid that lifts idea! And your reminder that, one day, we *will* miss this. :)
ReplyDeleteI must confess, in my home it is my shoes strung throughout every room: boots in the mud room, tennis shoes by the front door, flip flops in the bathroom, house slippers under the kitchen table. The kids are grown and gone, I have only myself to blame(head hung in shame) sigh! Going to look for an empty basket now :)
ReplyDeleteI try to remind myself- one day, I'm going to miss this- one day, they will have the same problem in their home...and I will laugh!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so familiar. It seemed for a while there, we were always hunting for shoes or socks when we needed to leave the house, and something was always missing. I have never figured out how to fix this problem. :)
ReplyDeletelove this. Thanks for reminding me I'm not the only one tripping over tiny shoes and mismatched flip-flops.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat. I can't even find my 2 year olds flip flops right now, and she has 2 pair! If you find a solution, please share!
ReplyDeleteI tell myself it looks like a magazine photo shoot to have shoes under the coffee table or next to the dining room table or beside the bathroom door or. . . oh never mind. The rest of the house doesn't match.
ReplyDeleteMy kids usually have 2 pairs of shoes: play shoes and dressy shoes. That does help.
Shoes are my arch-enemy as well1
ReplyDeleteMy kids get 2-4 pairs of shoes (depending on the season) and don't know any different. We don't have any last-minute "Where are my shoes?!" issues or organizational issues or tripping issues :). I highly recommend this! I too, get TONS of hand-me-downs and it is really hard to say "No" to such generous donations. I graciously take the items and sort them: 1) to my washing machine (age/size appropriate) 2) to my rubbermaid bins (sorted by age, kept in the basement) or 3) to the goodwill box (in the laundry room). Don't let these piles of shoes take over your gorgeous, organic, simple lifestyle. Okay, I'll get off my shoebox now ;)
ReplyDelete