What other option do I have besides sanding the paint off my hardwood

You could try paint stripper and see how it goes... Honestly though if you want to refinish them in any way you may have to sand them... They do make "liquid sand papers" that you might consider looking into

Oops! Will remove latex mistakes.

If you want to restore it, I think that is the best answer, sanding them. You could always clean and lightly sand and re-paint them.

Before doing any sanding I would strip the origina finish and start with a nice bare wood to sand and refinish however you like to?

Try a trusty head gun and scraper. I use my heat gun a lot.

Best bet is if you know if it is a latex or oil based paint? Some types of paint, such as oil-based gloss enamel, cure to such a hard consistency that you may have trouble removing them with a plastic scraper. Instead of graduating to a knife, which may scratch the finish, try warming the paint with a hair dryer. Set the dryer on maximum heat and hold it about 3 inches from the paint for 10 to 20 seconds. After removing the heat, you'll probably find that the scrapes off more easily. Avoid more powerful sources of heat, such as heat guns; they can damage the finish. Then use a mineral spirit for the reminder. Several solvents will remove oil-based paint, but mineral spirits is the strongest one you can safely use on hardwood, and you should use it sparingly. Dampen a rag, dab the floor and then touch the finish. If the feels soft, stop using the solvent and downgrade to rubbing alcohol, which will probably be effective with some elbow grease. If it is Latex: use a Latex paint remover is the ideal solvent for removing latex paint, but it won't work on oil-based paint.

Try Citirstrip which is a safe non toxic paint remover

If you're going to paint it, just paint over it. But if you're intention is to stain it, do it right, sand it first. You'll be happy that you did it right the first time. Best of luck.

You could repaint. However, I would opt for sanding and refinishing. This helps the resale value of your home and is much richer looking.