Do You Think I Should Give It A Trial Run Or Just Go For It - Re: Daycare Space

[Soccermom]

So after going over posts and comments on my previous post about have a seperate daycare space, husband and I have finally agreed that it may be best to create a seperate space for daycare....BUT the only real option I have is to use our current living room which is directly off our kitchen. It has its own entrance and daycare parents would pick up/ drop off there instead of coming all through my entire house into the play area downstairs.

We have some contractors coming in to give us an estimate to build us an addition to the back of the house to give us an upstairs living space for the family but I assume the cost will likely be astronomical.

I don't want to feel like I am living in a daycare so I would opt to decorate in neutral browns and beiges with natural wood furniture to match the rest of the house and I would also have a lot of hidden storage. And of course all the stuff I love is all 30% off right now at Sears.....but I can't buy it unless I am sure of what the heck I am doing LOL

Should I store my current living room stuff, buy the kiddie stuff and give it a trial run upstairs before opting to start the build? I worry I won't love it anymore than the current situation I am in now.

I love my upstairs living room soooo much! It is my favorite place in the whole house. I am so scared I will miss it dearly.

[SquirrellyMama]

I love my upstairs living room soooo much! It is my favorite place in the whole house. I am so scared I will miss it dearly.

I would be afraid you would really hate daycare in your living room if you love the space so much. If you decide to go ahead I would definitely do a trial run.

Kelly

[josie2014]

Running upstairs with kitchen downstairs,I have small tree step stairs sometimes drive me crazy ,I always say after you open home daycare your home going to be half day care and half your ...You can try before starting big change...I change my living room this week my hasband said again...we don't have living room anymore . It's okay if not works I change...is getting better.I need bigger home...

[cheerfuldom]

Move everything you have right now and try it for a week before purchasing new. I recommended in that other thread that you put the family room downstairs and move the playroom upstairs. That sounds like the only way to make things work outside of adding to the house (pricey!) or moving. also, you may just need to let go of the idea that the house is "yours". like someone else said, a good portion of the house is a daycare and there is no way around that. i know it ****s, i completely understand, but that is just what it is. its easier if you just accept that and work around what you can but dont expect the space to be truly yours, you know?

[midaycare]

Move everything you have right now and try it for a week before purchasing new. I recommended in that other thread that you put the family room downstairs and move the playroom upstairs. That sounds like the only way to make things work outside of adding to the house (pricey!) or moving. also, you may just need to let go of the idea that the house is "yours". like someone else said, a good portion of the house is a daycare and there is no way around that. i know it ****s, i completely understand, but that is just what it is. its easier if you just accept that and work around what you can but dont expect the space to be truly yours, you know?

This

[Heidi]

Move everything you have right now and try it for a week before purchasing new. I recommended in that other thread that you put the family room downstairs and move the playroom upstairs. That sounds like the only way to make things work outside of adding to the house (pricey!) or moving. also, you may just need to let go of the idea that the house is "yours". like someone else said, a good portion of the house is a daycare and there is no way around that. i know it ****s, i completely understand, but that is just what it is. its easier if you just accept that and work around what you can but dont expect the space to be truly yours, you know?

I feel the same way. I've resigned myself to sharing my space. We do have a family room downstairs, and it's exposed, but really, although it's a family room, it's my dh's space. So, I can either keep everyone holed up in an 8x12 spare bedroom, or I can open it up and use my living room/dining room/kitchen combo as well. There is no space that is "mine".

I looked into adding on, but it'd be around $50K. If we were in our 30's, maybe. But, dh wants to retire in 8-9 years, and I may, as well. So, borrowing money for an addition when the house will be paid off then isn't really doable.

[Meeko]

It is possible to share space and still keep your "home".

My downstairs (walkout basement) is almost exclusively daycare space. However, my family room is where the entrance is and so that particular room does double duty. We decorated in a way that it doesn't look too "kid zone", unlike the rest of the daycare which is designed just for kids.

The cubbies in the photo are for the kids coats, blankets, change of clothing etc. All their clutter stays hidden. Under the bench are bins for shoes. Sign in area is on top of the bookshelves by the door. My bulletin board is more "country" style than office style.

The lateral file ("family" sign is on top of it) hides all my pre-school files etc and looks like a piece of furniture. I prefer it to office file cabinets.

Between the couches is a large wicker ottoman which holds "special" toys that only come out every now and then.

The coffee table is large and heavy duty. I whip off the decor and they play legos etc on it. It has two huge drawers in it that hide a ton.

The couches have skirts. Under the skirts are board games etc.

Just look for hidden space or things that will serve double duty.

[sarah33]

Wow, I love your space!!! That is exactly what I have tried to do in my living room, but not as successfully. I still have a pack'n play/changing table combo tucked away in the corner.

I have found what is the most important aspect of being able to live with a daycare in your home is to decorate to your taste level and style.

That way, at the end of the day or on the weekends, my eyes pass over it and it doesn't bother me. I like the colors and furniture and juxtaposition BECAUSE I spent a long time looking at items to figure out what works best for me.

I chose happy, sophisticated colors to bring the child/adult sensibilities together. The parents like it when they walk into the room as it appeals to them, too. And the kids are happy as well with the different textures and subtle/modern colors. Pick colors that work well together, and you will be happy.

But like the other posts have said...a home daycare is just that...in your home! You have to be okay with that.

I absolutely would not have a daycare where it was not close to a kitchen and a bathroom. Those are must haves! I spend too much time getting meals/snacks ready and on potty training/emergencies to be on a different level. That sounds exhausting as you would have to bring ALL of the kids with you each time you needed to go to those spaces.

I would not do an addition until after 6 months to a year in your current space. I had some basic pieces when I started a year ago: Ikea shelving, Land of Nod activity table and chairs, our family room couch, toys, games and puzzles, along with a couple of tot seats, a mamas and papas seat, a bouncer and a GoPod...plus the crib and PNP. It is just within the past month or so that I have really decided what I would like to do with the space and started seeking opinions and spending money on changing it all around. We took the large leather couch (88" long and 50" deep!) to the "man cave" downstairs, and I bought school-age furniture to replace it. Our kitchen table/chairs will become my husband's poker table in the basement as well.

Things get re-arranged and put where you need them...but really only after having kids in the space on a regular basis. That way, you can see what works and what doesn't work.

[mountainside13]

It is possible to share space and still keep your "home".

My downstairs (walkout basement) is almost exclusively daycare space. However, my family room is where the entrance is and so that particular room does double duty. We decorated in a way that it doesn't look too "kid zone", unlike the rest of the daycare which is designed just for kids.

The cubbies in the photo are for the kids coats, blankets, change of clothing etc. All their clutter stays hidden. Under the bench are bins for shoes. Sign in area is on top of the bookshelves by the door. My bulletin board is more "country" style than office style.

The lateral file ("family" sign is on top of it) hides all my pre-school files etc and looks like a piece of furniture. I prefer it to office file cabinets.

Between the couches is a large wicker ottoman which holds "special" toys that only come out every now and then.

The coffee table is large and heavy duty. I whip off the decor and they play legos etc on it. It has two huge drawers in it that hide a ton.

The couches have skirts. Under the skirts are board games etc.

Just look for hidden space or things that will serve double duty.

Aw! I love your space !!!!

I currently have the finished basement just for daycare. The kids don't bring the toys upstairs. The only time we are upstairs is to eat, drop off and pick up. I'm a lot happier not having to look at daycare stuff all the time!

[kathiemarie]

What I did was I bought a tuff storage shed (12X14) and put it in my back yard. I think we paid a little more than $4,000 for it. It has windows, a Dutch door, vent so it stays cool. We put in door/ out door carpet down. Made it real cute. I use that as our "play room". The kids love it and look forward to going in everyday. I have 2 bins with toys in the house that we play with while I get lunch or we wait for pick up or for all of our friend to arrive in the morning. I'll try and post pictures today but it will be later because we are off to the beach...

[Soccermom]

I love your daycare spaces!! They are so nice!

I am going to see what the contractor has to say about $.....but likely will purchase the items I want in order to create an upstairs daycare space and dowstairs living space for the family instead of building onto the house. (I can have the DCPS come in through the front door - I will have to make a nice walkway though...) As long as I keep the couches upstairs, we can still use it as a sitting room on the weekends I guess...Your pics have totally inspired me!!

I love the idea of hiding a lot of the toys in neural bins Meeko!! That is totally the look I was going for!

I love this forum!

[Soccermom]

But like the other posts have said...a home daycare is just that...in your home! You have to be okay with that.

I have always had a hard time accepting that LOL I love kids but I also love my adult space and decor.

I do have a bathroom downstairs so it is nice and the kids bring their own lunches so I don't have to spend a huge amount of time in the kitchen preparing foods...I do the dishes during quiet time but still...it would be ideal to have the space all on one level for sure.

I was thinking of adding a room exactly like yours off my existing kitchen but like I said, I will have to see the price first right? Makes no sense to do childcare for 10 years in order to pay off the space I built for it in the first place LOL That is something dumb that I would do without thinking though