Come in and Have a Seat

Our house has become quite a neighborhood gathering spot for the kids. I both love and loathe the fact that a series of local boys traipse freely in the front door and out the back…over and over again, as if they are doing laps around the house. I love that parents trust us and the kids make themselves at home, but I loathe that they track “things” all through the house because they don’t stop to take their shoes off and/or empty their pockets before they come through the door. As we all know, boys are always on the move. Slowing down, let alone stopping to do something, is far from their nature. When I was thinking of a way to get the boys to take their shoes off before they came into the house, I knew I had to be creative. Luckily, I have great spaces inside both the front and back doors. I found two sturdy yet sophisticated Cedar Lake Log Slab Benches and ordered them in lengths suitable for the spaces. An attractive yet durable rug went down on the floor, covering the entire expanse from entry to under the bench. The entire ensemble provides a visual reminder to the boys that shoes belong on the rug only, and they have a great opportunity to come in, sit down, and shed the shoes. Now, whether or not my solution works is yet to be determined. Stay tuned.