We just put in new hardwood oak last month in our new house, and between moving in and a 3 year old busy boy, the floors are already scratched to shit. It's not the softness of the wood - it's the clear coat, which just isn't that hard.
Best tip is to buy the minwax marker in the color of your floors - like this type:
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/maintenance-repair/minwax-wood-finish-stain-marker
You just go around and draw in all the scratches and then wipe it off with a paper towel. And keep the floors as dust-free as possible. The combo of those two, and the scratches will mostly disappear from the naked eye unless you're looking close.