“I lived on a working cattle ranch all of my life. I was one of Daddy’s hired hands, and I was paid by room and board. So it was a rough way of life, but it taught me a lot,” McEntire told local Oklahoma news channel News 9 in 2024.”I love Oklahoma, the heritage, the history, everything about it I love.”

While her incredible and unstoppable career has taken her out of Oklahoma, McEntire wants her houses feel as homey as possible. In fact, her rule for any guests who drop by is: “you stay comfortable,” and don’t worry about what to do with your shoes.

Reba McEntire doesn’t enforce a shoes-off rule in her homes

Considering the country icon wrote a book titled Not That Fancy that’s full of simple life lessons and easy recipes, it’s no surprise she follows a similar approach when it comes to how she runs her homes (yes, plural).

In a May 2025 interview with People, McEntire revealed that she does not mind if guests want to keep their shoes on when they come over to her houses in Los Angeles and Nashville. “Nobody has to take their shoes off when they come in the house, and it’s nothing fancy,” she told the magazine. “It’s just livable. Breathable, and a place to come in and have fun.”

The “I’m a Survivor” singer added that she likes to fill her homes with “personal memorabilia, things that have stories” and her “favorite gathering place” is “always” the kitchen.

Ultimately, McEntire just wants anyone who walks into her home to feel comfortable. “My main rule when anybody comes over is to feel at home, be completely relaxed, and have fun,” she told Better Homes & Gardens in 2023. “People will start taking their boots off when we’ve been out there at the barn, and I say ‘Hey, this is the farm house, you don’t have to take your shoes off at all.’ It’s ‘shoes on, you stay comfortable.’ Come on in, just be comfortable.”

While McEntire is pretty laidback when it comes to shoes in the home, she’s always run a tight ship with one specific household chore. When she was growing up in Oklahoma, McEntire’s dad taught her and her siblings to make their beds as soon as they got up for the day. McEntire says she’s continued to do so ever since.

“Daddy made us kids all make our beds when we got out of it in the morning, and that’s what I do still today,” she told Better Homes & Gardens. “I taught [my son] Shelby the same thing. It’s very important to make your bed in the morning, that is a standing rule.”

Reba McEntire’s parents taught her all about Southern hospitality

Born and raised in small town in Oklahoma, the Grammy winner grew up learning all about Southern hospitality and prioritizing community from her parents, Clark and Jacqueline McEntire.

“I knew growing up that Momma and Daddy couldn’t afford to feed everybody, but if they walked in that front door, Momma asked: ‘Were they hungry? Would they like something to drink? We have sweet tea, unsweetened tea, whatever you like,'” she told Realtor.com in May 2025, adding that she’s continued with the tradition.

“When people come see me, the first thing I say is: ‘Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink? When was the last time you ate?’” she said. “Now that is Southern hospitality.”