The Croc has become the multi-purpose shoe in our family. We have indoor Crocs with faux fur lining to be worn on the deck and back only. We have garden Crocs and we have walking around Crocs which are the same as garden Crocs but with fewer weed bits poking through the holes.

 The girls have them in just about every colour of the rainbow and they have withstood the shoe toss and all day bike-riding tests time and again.

Croc was one of the baby’s first words and thankfully she now pronounces the “r” as she shouts it anytime she sees a pair of rubber shoes worn in public.

We wear them all summer to putter around the house, the girls have even found a way to sport them with dresses and skirts which doesn’t necessarily scream “polished” or “refined” but they’re kids so they can get away with it.

I tend not to fall victim to paying full price for actual Crocs and am fine with whatever rubber shoes with holes in them are on sale at whatever store it is I’m shopping at. I’ve never understood paying $30 for brand name Crocs when the knock-offs are $5. Do real Crocs have better holes? Are the holes a slightly different/more accurately carved shape? Are they made from a different grade of rubber?

So the first day of school earlier this week my girls arrived on the playground wearing their shiny, new back-to-school outfits, socks (as it was a little nipply out) and for footwear, fake Crocs.

It wasn’t a discussion I wanted to have at two minutes before take-off. If the girls were comfortable in their summer rubber shoes filled with holes, who was I to stop them?

Clearly, someone should have stopped them. Every child on the playground was wearing brand new knee-high boots with skinny jeans and so were all the parents. Wait! I thought we could transition into this a little more slowly. I was still wearing a tube top and visor as early as five days ago and now we’re just jumping into fall, without an email or tweet with a heads up?

I heard parents calling after their children’s friends, “Hi Jaqueline! Did you have a great summer? Love your new boots.” And I started to look for items from nature to jam in the holes of my girl’s shoes to at the very least produce the first ever “fall Croc.”

There I was, one day post Labour Day in my white pants and jacket, oblivious to the Croc rule that apparently everyone else just knew.

I’ve posted a sign that I think will be helpful to other parents (although, I think I was the only one who just didn’t get it) and kids who have not yet purchased a pair of knee-high boots.

“Fill Your Holes! Lace Up Your Boots! It’s Open Season and we’re hunting Crocs!”