Need help with my setup please

[SunshineMama]

I have children ranging in ages 1-6. Our playroom is upstairs. I have a train table, play kitchen, dress up area, small piano and music corner, and a closet full of other random games and toys, that we take out at any given time. The kids, especially the older kids, always seem to keep getting bored, and just complain to leave the playroom every time we are there, so, we spend most of the time downstairs.

My downstairs is extremely open. I cannot gate off one single area, except for the office. I have toys in our great room, and the kids like to run around everywhere. Sometimes, they want to keep migrating from upstairs to downstairs. The gate blocks off the stairs, so I have to lift the big kids over if they want to go upstairs. I can hear and almost see the playroom from the downstairs, because my house is so open.

Recently, this was not a big problem. I had mostly quiet kids who were happy to play one place or another, but I just took on 2 new loud boys, 4 and 2. They arrive at 6:30am, and wake up everyone in my house. My home feels like it is being taken over, with toys and kids, and they want to go up and down all day. I know something needs fixing, but I am not sure where to start. It is easier for me to have everyone downstairs, because I can be in the kitchen (aka command station) observing everyone, making snacks, lunches, cleaning up, etc). But, they are trashing my house. I'd love nothing more than to have 1 room only for daycare, but I cant feed the kids in there, we have to do it in the kitchen, and, I also don't want my own kids confined to one room all day in their own house.

Id love set up ideas, or things that ya'll do- especially those of you with very open concept homes that cant be gated off.

[spinnymarie]

Right now my daycare takes up the whole first floor of my house. Kids can go anywhere - except upstairs, and I discourage the kitchen as much as possible without being able to gate it.
Honestly, the up and down would drive me nuts and I'd just move all the toys downstairs and use them at that time. The other option would be to have scheduled times in the upstairs - we play upstairs for 45 minutes right after breakfast and 45 minutes right after naps or something. That might change it up a little, enough for them, but I can't have kids out of my sight so I'd be doing that with them.
My house looks like a daycare with toys everywhere all the time. But we are also moving everything to the basement shortly, so I can tolerate it for a few more months.

[Heidi]

Could you make that upstairs room your private get-a-way, and make the living room your daycare?

As for your own kids, they could either stay with you, or if they are old enough and trustworthy enough, they could go in their own rooms. The upstairs "playroom" is now mommy's space and off-limits.

I'd do living room: dramatic play, block area, larger manipulatives that are toddler safe, a math area, a reading nook, and maybe a gross-motor place if you have the room.

I'd put art supplies, small pieced games, and a few games for "older" kids in the kitchen. If space allows, you could also put a sensory table in there, and some life-skills items like a kid-sized broom, wisk and dustpan, etc. Only the children old enough to clean up after themselves would be allowed in there, and I'd gate it off with a super-yard if needed.

[SunshineMama]

Heidi, honestly, there's no way I could make the living room the daycare room. It is THE main room of our entire house. If I had to look at daycare toys 24/7 I would go out of my mind. The ones I have out are bad enough as it is.

Spinny- the basement idea is nice. Mine is unfinished, however. I wonder if there are any subsidies available to get your basement finished for a daycare?

[llpa]

I agree w PP re scheduled times in one place or the other. Mine is a rented space but the dcks know that at certain times they can use one space but not the other. It's the only way I can be with everyone and see everything. In the room where I prep lunch they can use table type toys and games and we also do circle time in there and eat lunch. The other room is where we do free play and naps. Sensory bins are in there along w dressup blocks kid kitchen, cars and trucks, blocks and many other items as well as art.

[Heidi]

Heidi, honestly, there's no way I could make the living room the daycare room. It is THE main room of our entire house. If I had to look at daycare toys 24/7 I would go out of my mind. The ones I have out are bad enough as it is.

Spinny- the basement idea is nice. Mine is unfinished, however. I wonder if there are any subsidies available to get your basement finished for a daycare?

well...there's "finished" and finished.

As long as you have a second exit, there are pretty inexpensive ways to finish it for daycare. It also depends on where you live. How cold to the winters get?

[Annalee]

well...there's "finished" and finished.

As long as you have a second exit, there are pretty inexpensive ways to finish it for daycare. It also depends on where you live. How cold to the winters get?

I have seen home daycares in basements that are very nice just by painting the walls and the floor then using throw-rugs. Paint was all they bought. If the exits are there for licensing, I think it can happen! Good luck!

[SunshineMama]

well...there's "finished" and finished.

As long as you have a second exit, there are pretty inexpensive ways to finish it for daycare. It also depends on where you live. How cold to the winters get?

It's Ohio... but our basement is never super cold. Even last season, when we had the arctic winds, it never got bad.

I have 2 windows in the basement, but would have to convert one of them into an egress window.

[Annalee]

It's Ohio... but our basement is never super cold. Even last season, when we had the arctic winds, it never got bad.

I have 2 windows in the basement, but would have to convert one of them into an egress window.

If the kids slept on cots instead of mats since it is a concrete floor would help as well. The daycares I mentioned used a space heater that is not hot to the touch in their basement which seemed to work well!

[spinnymarie]

We are finishing it ourselves. We have to do some things as far as licensing, and we needed drywall and lighting and they won't allow us to have a concrete floor, but it has still been relatively inexpensive - especially compared to an addition!! We put a kitchenette down there, already had a roughed in bathroom, and a large space for playroom and separate room for baby napping.

[mia]

I run mine out of basement.... have never had a problem... I use to do both up and down and hated it..... I find it soooo much easier and nicer to have it all in one spot ( all but kitchen, but I do have a micro and a mini fridge ).

When we moved in a few years back it was not finished yet, I still had it set up as Daycare.... I lost a few possible clients do to it not being finish ( no to scare you or anything ). It is finish except for a washroom and an egress..... both are next on reno list.....


Good luck

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I wouldn't be able to deal with the up-and-down, over-the-gate thing.

My child care space is the main living area of my home, and I like it that way. For me, it means I feel like I'm "home," which is an advantage to family child care in my mind. And for the kids, it's cozy like home.

These two quotes had me wondering...

The kids, especially the older kids, always seem to keep getting bored, and just complain to leave the playroom every time we are there, so, we spend most of the time downstairs.

If I had to look at daycare toys 24/7 I would go out of my mind. The ones I have out are bad enough as it is.

...maybe it's time to re-consider the toys? If you don't want to look at them, and the kids don't want to play with them, maybe it's time for a change. I'd suggest spending some time observing with pen and paper in hand: what are they playing with? What are they not? What toys are aesthetically pleasing to you? Which are ugly to you? When they want to come downstairs, what is it that they're wanting to do down there? Where do you like to be? Why?

I have few toys out, and only ones that I find to be beautiful, beautifully displayed. So it doesn't bother me to have them in my main living space.

I always find that when the kids are not using a space well, a good study of that area, and a re-organizing or weeding of the space improves the play.

If you send pics, I love making environment suggestions...

[Heidi]

I wouldn't be able to deal with the up-and-down, over-the-gate thing.

My child care space is the main living area of my home, and I like it that way. For me, it means I feel like I'm "home," which is an advantage to family child care in my mind. And for the kids, it's cozy like home.

These two quotes had me wondering...





...maybe it's time to re-consider the toys? If you don't want to look at them, and the kids don't want to play with them, maybe it's time for a change. I'd suggest spending some time observing with pen and paper in hand: what are they playing with? What are they not? What toys are aesthetically pleasing to you? Which are ugly to you? When they want to come downstairs, what is it that they're wanting to do down there? Where do you like to be? Why?

I have few toys out, and only ones that I find to be beautiful, beautifully displayed. So it doesn't bother me to have them in my main living space.

I always find that when the kids are not using a space well, a good study of that area, and a re-organizing or weeding of the space improves the play.

If you send pics, I love making environment suggestions...

What bothers me is not the toys; it's all the other stuff. Booster chairs or kids sized chairs, cubbies for coats, licenses and parent notes and compliance sheets (must be posted) and brochures (required) and fire inspections. That, and that if I have anything out, like a piece of paper, or a pen, or my laptop, or a plant; it's never really "out of reach". 3/4 of my toddlers can now get on the couch.

[SunshineMama]

That is another issue that I am having. They all want to climb all over my couch. It is covered in their snot everyday, and its so gross!

OP Good suggestion about making some changes to have the toys be aesthetically pleasing! Ill look into that!

[Heidi]

That is another issue that I am having. They all want to climb all over my couch. It is covered in their snot everyday, and its so gross!

OP Good suggestion about making some changes to have the toys be aesthetically pleasing! Ill look into that!

Sunshine, did you see her stuff on the decor group? Very pretty stuff! NWOJ is a Reggio inspired program, but home based.