Setting up home care before interviews?

[DanielleS]

I am looking to take on 2-3 after my child is born and about 8 weeks old.

I am on maternity leave now and busting my butt to round out all of my DCF requirements, get marketing materials and looking for places to run ads (in addition to working out a friendly referral agreement with the preschool I worked at before maternity leave)


Everyone here as been phenomenally helpful!

So, here's another dilemma.

I want to go ahead and provide my own pack and plays, an extra swing, saucer etc. I plan to remove my dining table, put down some foamy interlocking flooring and turn that into the daycare room (2 pack and plays, a changing table, a toy/sensory activity corner, a cube shelf for cubbies).

It's a lot of cost to start up and I intend to charge a fairly nominal (for my area) enrollment fee to cover the costs of these things, plus offset the cost of the extra laundry, cleaning supplies and what not.

So, should I risk going ahead and shelling out the money to do this? That way, when parents want to come see my house, they have a better chance of visualizing exactly what it will be like? I'm a total tightwad, so spending the money when there's no guarantee of recouping it.

Could I get away with just kind of staging it with my own babies things? Like a pack and play, bouncy seat, swing etc. and let them know that flooring and extra pack and plays are on the way??

TIA for all your sage advice

[TheGoodLife]

I personally would just put one PNP up- it makes spaces look more open but they can visualize. I personally would just use what I have for now and keep an eye on garage sales which would be starting soon. If there's not enough or you need things for see kids just but a few items to "stage" since you have time! Good luck and congrats on the new baby

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I had mine set up before enrollment and was able to enroll 4 kids who started the day I opened.

[TwinKristi]

Yes I would have it all set up in advance to show perspective families! It is a cost you'll have to eat until the families start signing up but you'll get it back easily!

[Heidi]

You'll want it to look inviting but not too cluttered. Are the babies going to be sleeping and playing and eating in that room? If it's not a huge room, that'll get old for all of you really quick, just to warn you.

Your baby will most likely sleep in their own bed, in their own room. Another child might sleep in a pnp in another room. Older children (2+) usually do ok in a group on mats or sleeping bags in the playroom.

I guess I would concentrate more on good toys and an inviting display and less on equipment. I'm of the "less is more" when it comes to equipment though, anyway. I'm not a fan of bouncers, swings, and things that blink. My toys are simple (blocks, balls, dolls, a wooden kitchen, cardboard books, rattles, musical instruments-bought or homemade, cars, good plastic animals, small bowls and spoons, recycled plastic pots, pans, plates, cloth or wooden "food").

Check out resale shops and garage sales for baskets for the toys. When you pay 50 cents for a wicker basket, you don't freak out so much when the kids break it accidently. We also have a overstock store nearby, and I found little bowls that the kids use a million different ways for a buck.

There is a décor group here if you want to join it. You can get some ideas about decorating and setting up your program.

[spud912]

I used a lot of what I had on hand when I first opened, but did purchase a lot of the essentials (toy storage, table with chairs, changing pad and cots/cribs). I did a major overhaul about a year and a half into it and completely changed my set-up using our tax refund. I've also accumulated way too many toys as time went on.

In your shoes, I would try to use what I had on hand and set up the room to the best of my ability. Then I would fork over some money and supplement with the essentials (like toy storage and a table for the children is really invaluable). It will help "sell" your daycare and set you apart from the hundreds of other SAHM's. It's totally normal in any new business to be in the red the first year and then go into the black as time goes on.

[DanielleS]

You'll want it to look inviting but not too cluttered. Are the babies going to be sleeping and playing and eating in that room? If it's not a huge room, that'll get old for all of you really quick, just to warn you.

Your baby will most likely sleep in their own bed, in their own room. Another child might sleep in a pnp in another room. Older children (2+) usually do ok in a group on mats or sleeping bags in the playroom.

I guess I would concentrate more on good toys and an inviting display and less on equipment. I'm of the "less is more" when it comes to equipment though, anyway. I'm not a fan of bouncers, swings, and things that blink. My toys are simple (blocks, balls, dolls, a wooden kitchen, cardboard books, rattles, musical instruments-bought or homemade, cars, good plastic animals, small bowls and spoons, recycled plastic pots, pans, plates, cloth or wooden "food").

Check out resale shops and garage sales for baskets for the toys. When you pay 50 cents for a wicker basket, you don't freak out so much when the kids break it accidently. We also have a overstock store nearby, and I found little bowls that the kids use a million different ways for a buck.

There is a décor group here if you want to join it. You can get some ideas about decorating and setting up your program.

Thanks for the tips!
I am with you, especially since there will only be infants and won't really be independent yet. I have some high contrast soft blocks, a few infant soft-books and little things with rattles and (plastic) mirrors. Just something to entertain for tummy time. I have a couple of boppy things and some of the gym mats for them to be on.

For the most part, I anticipate us spending a lot of our time in that room, or outside. My house is pretty small, I can see the dining room from almost all of the rooms (kitchen, front door, living room) and we don't really use it. We may spread out through the rest of the living room (the whole front half of the house) as we get bigger/as I get sick of it. I plan on keeping it to one room so that it's easy to keep the dog out and so I can shut the door at the end of the day and relax on the couch without being in the middle of daycare. With infants, would you need more space?

I plan on sleeping mine in his room, two in the pack and play if they'll adjust (we had 6 babies in my preschool and they all slept in the same room, no troubles), if they won't I'll put one in my room or the living room. I just wanted there to be a place that very obviously looked inviting, safe and kid-friendly.

[daycare]

I didnt read all of the responses, but I am also one of the higher charging In home for my area. I staged everything of my own child when I started and as i grew so did my inventory...... I bought the best of the best when I had the money. Just make sure your house is clean, you are prepared with conducting the interview and confident. having a lot of cool things won't mean you have a great program.............

[Crazy8]

so you are just taking infants?? I had my playroom set up before I started interviewing, so I would go ahead and move the table, get the flooring, the cubbies, etc. to get that going but since you have a few infant toys and a pnp already I would just set it up with that and then buy more based on the ages of the children you enroll.

[DanielleS]

so you are just taking infants?? I had my playroom set up before I started interviewing, so I would go ahead and move the table, get the flooring, the cubbies, etc. to get that going but since you have a few infant toys and a pnp already I would just set it up with that and then buy more based on the ages of the children you enroll.

I am exclusively taking infants.

I was working in a most excellent pre-school here before I got pregnant. I intend to return to teaching, but it made more sense for me to take infants (which they don't have any more room for) and to "graduate" them into the one year old class at my school when they are ready. Then, I'll evaluate and either take more infants, go back to work and teach bigger kids, or keep bigger kids at home.

They've agreed to pass me the people they have to turn away, I have agreed not to compete with them (I couldn't, they are amazing and I honestly would not believe that an older kid would get as meaningful an experience with just me) for a little while.

[Heidi]

I am exclusively taking infants.

I was working in a most excellent pre-school here before I got pregnant. I intend to return to teaching, but it made more sense for me to take infants (which they don't have any more room for) and to "graduate" them into the one year old class at my school when they are ready. Then, I'll evaluate and either take more infants, go back to work and teach bigger kids, or keep bigger kids at home.

They've agreed to pass me the people they have to turn away, I have agreed not to compete with them (I couldn't, they are amazing and I honestly would not believe that an older kid would get as meaningful an experience with just me) for a little while.

Infants only! Cool!

I would decorate with soft colors on the walls (butter yellow or a friendly green, maybe), and either real wood or white laminate shelving. You could take a "tower" shelf and turn it sideways (the shelves would need to be hot glued in). Maybe attach some cute fabric to the top with quilting at the corners. Then, each little hole for a toy or small basket of toys. Attach a mirror to the wall right above, maybe painted white, too. Kind of like this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=RIE+infant+environments&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS545US545&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=bX0GU9PrEs2EkQeezIGICw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1242&bih=562#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=Dbb_0xa2zx8qzM%253A%3BECPZcvOLiGezvM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.urbanmamas.com%252F.a%252F6a00d8341c629753ef019b008435fc970b-pi%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.urbanmamas.com%252Fchildcare%252Fchildcare_provider%252F%3B3264%3B2448

Here's what I meant by the tower shelf sideways:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/254031235205831447/

A crib mattress on the floor can be a "climber" for infants, and become a cozy corner for you to sit in.

The one thing I think people don't think of during interviews is smell. Bake some cookies right before they get there, if you can!

There's more pictures on pinterest, too.

Can you tell I get excited about decorating? If I could just do that and make a living, I would!

[DanielleS]

Ooooooooh I LOVE the mirror. I could definitely do that! I would never have thought of that, but it is amazing.

This is on my wishlist for toys/soft books etc

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003R50PMS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1ZK24YA6NOFGD&coliid=IKYJR9RDAS4HT

Attached to walls, obv. I would probably not put the wheels on the bottom thing either.

I feel like I'm in the same school of thought with everyone else
more crap =/= better care. So I'd like everything to be able to be put away easily and look neat, tidy and organized.

Love the cookie idea!
During the winter I keep a crockpot of mulled cider going at all times. Makes the house smell AMAZING and covers up the kind of hot, musty smell that happens when you can't throw all the windows/doors open.

You guys are awesome! This feels a lot easier with people's ideas and input.