Need Suggestions For Small Space

[dEHmom]

I have 3 kids of my own, 2 are in school. I have a few daycare kids, and with licensing soon coming up, hopefully, I will have a total of 8 kids including my own.

Right now I have a low strip of 6 coat hooks that all the kids can reach. But this isn't even big enough to allow for my 2 kids school bags, and all 3 kids coats. They are always falling off, and the hooks just can't handle it.

I have a very small (approximately 5.5 ft x 4 ft) entry way. The back door (5.5ft side) faces the basement door (5.5ft side). and another side (4ft) is the doorway to the kitchen. so 3 sides basically are doorways. on the wall with the basement door there is about a 2ft space between the basement and kitchen doorway. and about a 1.5 ft space between the backdoor and the extra wall.

Right now the extra wall has coat hanger bar (shower bar?) hung above the doorways from the backdoor and the basement door to hang all the big coats (mostly adult jackets). the kids coat hooks are actually inside my kitchen under a big chalk board.


I know this is probably really hard to picture. But does anyone else have a very small entry way sort of like this, that can offer some advice on how they deal with all the backpacks and coats? It's difficult because the doors still need to open and so it limits me on how much space I can actually utilize in the entryway.

[SilverSabre25]

Could you hang hooks in each child's room for their own coat and their backpack, or at least the backpack?

[daycare]

I have the kind that go over the door with three hooks...One for their showering towel, one for jacket and one for back pack..

My kids have to keep their stuff in thier rooms

[dEHmom]

you know, i did think about that, but i have a hard enough time trying to keep their rooms clean, without having that added to it. My house is super small. I wish we could move or build up and put the bedrooms upstairs.

Either way I would still need to figure out something for the entry way, because licensing requires that I use that door, and those kids are going to have boots and jackets too.

[permanentvacation]

Check out IKEA. They have some really neat stuff for organizing. Also, check out places online or if you have a store around you that sells daycare furniture. Some of it can be really expensive, but you might find something that works. You can google daycare furniture to find websites for that. Another idea is to google dorm furniture. College dorms are always small but the type of furniture they use allows alot of stuff to neatly fit in the room.

[NiNi.R.]

what about custom built cubbies?...that's what i have for my small entry way and in each cubby there is a plastic basket that each child can leave their shoes and jacket in.

I don't know if that will work or not for your space.

[permanentvacation]

I purposely put the lower hooks for my daycare kids just out of their reach so they couldn't pull on them and rip them out of the wall. I have 2 sets of six hooks each. The hooks are already attached to a wooden board that has 2 holes for screws in it. I put one fairly high about the middle of my forearm when I stand with my arm in the air. The second set of hooks, I put below the top set allowing enough space for the kids bookbags and coats to fit under the top set of bookbags and coats. I don't know if you have to put yours within the children's reach though. My way, the parents must hang up their kids' stuff. I know it would be more appropriate for the kids to hang their own stuff, but in a small area, you do what you have to do to make it all work!

[permanentvacation]

You said that you have adult coats hanging in the entrance way, you might want to have all of your family's items located in a different part of the house (each person's bedroom for example) so you can have only daycare things in the area that the daycare kids will be going in/storing their items in.

[dEHmom]

my house is just way too small to have separate daycare space. and the bedrooms are too small to put our stuff in each bedroom. plus with my dh snowmobiling and with work, my bedroom would stink like snowmobile exhaust and paint. yuck!

I'm hoping dh will build me cubbies soon, but knowing him that won't happen for another year or 2.


i just had a neat idea, not sure if it would work or not. But I'm thinking, because we have lots of dressers kicking around, I'm hoping one of them will fit on it's side nicely in the back door way. Then I'll screw a couple hooks in each drawer, and then it'll be like a slide out closet for each kid. Hmmmm.....hoping that works!

[Meeko]

Look up!

Most of us have wasted wall space.

Remember that not everything must be at child level. Maybe put some narrow shelving up and use cute baskets etc for outerwear. It will actually stay neater if the kids CAN'T reach their backpacks etc.

[Michael]

I have 3 kids of my own, 2 are in school. I have a few daycare kids, and with licensing soon coming up, hopefully, I will have a total of 8 kids including my own.

Right now I have a low strip of 6 coat hooks that all the kids can reach. But this isn't even big enough to allow for my 2 kids school bags, and all 3 kids coats. They are always falling off, and the hooks just can't handle it.

I have a very small (approximately 5.5 ft x 4 ft) entry way. The back door (5.5ft side) faces the basement door (5.5ft side). and another side (4ft) is the doorway to the kitchen. so 3 sides basically are doorways. on the wall with the basement door there is about a 2ft space between the basement and kitchen doorway. and about a 1.5 ft space between the backdoor and the extra wall.

Right now the extra wall has coat hanger bar (shower bar?) hung above the doorways from the backdoor and the basement door to hang all the big coats (mostly adult jackets). the kids coat hooks are actually inside my kitchen under a big chalk board.


I know this is probably really hard to picture. But does anyone else have a very small entry way sort of like this, that can offer some advice on how they deal with all the backpacks and coats? It's difficult because the doors still need to open and so it limits me on how much space I can actually utilize in the entryway.

I know you must have a smartphone. Can you provide a picture of the space?

[DaycareMama]

Could you just put another row of hooks above your existing ones? Use the higher ones for your kids stuff and book bags? Book bags here need to be out of reach.

[dEHmom]

alright, so i worked on it a bit, and this is my end result for today (although my kitchen is suffering MAJOR right now because I pushed everything out into my kitchen.

I had a little fun on the chalkboard before I took the picture, just for ****s and giggles because I was last on the thread about private parts. it'll be tomorrows lesson plan hahaha

I opened the doors just so you could see where they are.

[Meeko]

alright, so i worked on it a bit, and this is my end result for today (although my kitchen is suffering MAJOR right now because I pushed everything out into my kitchen.

I had a little fun on the chalkboard before I took the picture, just for ****s and giggles because I was last on the thread about private parts. it'll be tomorrows lesson plan hahaha

I opened the doors just so you could see where they are.

LOL at the chalkboard!

[Michael]

Funny with the blackboard, I was about to say, WTH! I am thinking that you could better use that space if you use bins going horizontally and not stack them. You should be able to get three rows. Also suggest Storage Pulley Hoist for the backpacks/etc. Looks like you have some headroom you can utilize.

Storage Pulley Hoist