Do You Ever Do Yard Work

[SilverSabre25]

Me too! I want one so bad and have forever! With four of my own children and then with daycare we generate alot of dishes to wash. I do alot of paper plates during the day for the daycare.

My house is neat and tidy in the mornings but by pick up time it looks as if children were taken care of instead of the house. I have apologized to the parents about it and they would rather have a messy house in the afternoon and know that I was busy with their children. When they nap I don't do my kitchen because it is right next to the schoolroom and I'm afraid the banging and clanging will wake them up.

I have also had daycare parents ask me if I clean the house while the children are here. That was a first for me and I took it as I would rather see your house messy than clean when I arrive. I was right on the money with that one. If they see painted pictures drying on the counters, paint brushes and pots in the sink they can see we were busy with painting. The list couldn go on but they would rather see what they child did all day than a sparkling clean house.

I do very light yard work outside with them. Maybe weeding the flower beds or something like that. Usually someone wants pushed on the swing, help going up to the slide and down, or something like that. I love when they open play and watch their little faces as they explore something new. Bubble blowing is the best, to watch them chase them and when they actually catch them and the squells that follow.

I wish my dcparents preferred to see things a bit messy at the end of the day. Most of them seem fine with it but a couple have always seemed perturbed by the mess (especially in the playroom) at the end of the day. Most of those aren't with me anymore...but it did always bother me the critical look they would give the playroom and kitchen when they would come in.

[Unregistered]

My daycare is separate from my house so when the last child gets picked up I'm done working for the day. I get everything done that needs to get done while im still "on the clock". A lot of daycare centers require their employees to not only care for the children but clean too. I vaccuum at the end of the day and parents often arrive when im doing so, no one has ever said a word.

[dEHmom]

I would NOT be able to survive without my dishwasher. I hate washing dishes by hand.

me too but when our dishwasher hit the scrap pile, I bought one of those wands you fill with soap, so you dont' have to stick hands in the sink, just run the water.

I WILL NOT stick my hands into dish water. Its gross, and when something touches my hand in there, I will scream and run, but I will never stick my hand in to grab the plus either. EW i'm cringing thinking about it.

[GretasLittleFriends]

It depends on the yard work. I will rake. We mow 6+ acres and use a riding lawnmower. This does get done when daycare kids are here, but my DD (15) does it and we are either inside or in another part of the yard from where she is mowing. She almost always starts with the regular play area. If she is weed-whipping we are inside.

We grow a HUGE garden. Last year it was 75' x 150'. The daycare kids like to help plant. They do NOT like to help weed though. :confused: Their favorite part though is harvesting! I swear they eat raw as much as they pick. Which, of course, is more than fine with me. Green beans and snap peas seem to be their favorites. If I need to work in the garden (because the weeds are out of control) we drag our dirt toys out and they will play for hours. We don't have a sandbox, we have a garden. Some times when I'm feeling especially generous I'll take one of our toy bins and fill it with water. They will even make me 'garden stew' which usually consists of mud, rocks and discarded weeds. My parents know that in the summer we spend as much time as we can outside and that their kids will get dirty. None of them mind. Of course they enjoy the bonus of getting some garden fresh produce that their little one helped plant and pick.

[GretasLittleFriends]

House work is another story. I can usually fold laundry and wash the dishes... by hand. I really want a dishwasher, but right now with the kitchen layout there isn't a good place for one, not even a mobile one.

I cannot do major deep cleaning often when the dckids are here. It depends on what combination of children are here. Most deep cleaning is done late nights (after 8p). My parents all understand if there are toys scattered, or the entry/mud room needs to be vacuumed. They all live in houses and have children and by no means keep immaculate houses.

[Zoe]

This spring our project has been to completely redo our yard. It was AWFUL when we moved into our house last fall so I'm very excited to be able to do this. My hubby does the majority of the work (installing the patio, tilling the soil preparing it for the sod, etc). But during daycare if we're outside I help out by picking up and tearing out roots, moving rocks, that kind of thing. I even have the kids help out too. It's like a nature scavenger hunt!

I've got all kids over the age of 3 and they're very independent. My yard is fenced in and I keep an eye and ear on them at all times. I would get bored so quickly if I had to just sit there and watch them when they're occupied. I need something to do!

[dEHmom]

would you guys ever ask your dcp's how they feel about it?

I am worried now. More often than not, my house is pretty clean when parents come to pick up, and kids stuff is near the door. I mean, is that wrong? Obviously their children get lots of playtime during day, but by 430 I need my house clean, supper ready for 5pm, and I'm out the door usually at 545. So I don't want to come home at 10 pm and clean, kwim?

Plus DH is MOOOOOOOODDDYYYY if the house is untidy when he gets home around 4pm.

When weather is nice, we clean up our mess, and go outside. I clean (mop/vacuum) while babies are sleeping, and then when they wake up, outside we go. Usually mess is contained to one bin in one area of house.

[Zoe]

would you guys ever ask your dcp's how they feel about it?

I am worried now. More often than not, my house is pretty clean when parents come to pick up, and kids stuff is near the door. I mean, is that wrong? Obviously their children get lots of playtime during day, but by 430 I need my house clean, supper ready for 5pm, and I'm out the door usually at 545. So I don't want to come home at 10 pm and clean, kwim?

Plus DH is MOOOOOOOODDDYYYY if the house is untidy when he gets home around 4pm.

When weather is nice, we clean up our mess, and go outside. I clean (mop/vacuum) while babies are sleeping, and then when they wake up, outside we go. Usually mess is contained to one bin in one area of house.

That's what I do too. The kids clean up their mess in the house then we go outside. So when daycare is over, I can "come home" to a clean house.

It's your daycare, as long as you are properly supervising them and keeping them safe from sharp tools, it's fine! Don't worry about what the parents think of how clean or dirty your place is.

[GretasLittleFriends]

would you guys ever ask your dcp's how they feel about it?

Yes. Communication is key. If you're worried about it, talk to them about it openly. That gives them a chance, if they have any sort of problem to address it as well.

I started from the very beginning, at the interview, to explain to each of my parents that I plan to treat their children as my own while they are here. That means they are welcome to help me do chores, if willing and capable. They like it when I let them vacuum. They will help me wash windows too sometimes. I also explain at the initial interview that while our yard is nice, large and well maintained it does need upkeep, as well as the garden. I explained from day one that I will do things in and out while their kids are here. If they don't like it they don't come here. More often than not they tell me they like that I let the kids work and learn things like that.

[Checkinkids.com]

I think it all just depends on what you're doing. Raking, pulling some weeds, picking fruit - all ok. But anything that would leave you unavailable to a kid that needs something, I think would bother a parent. It also depends on the age of the kids on the playground. If I tried to rake with a bunch of toddlers around, I think they would all want a turn - which would be fun, but I think the leaves might need even more raking by the time we're done. ::

[jenh171]

Yep...just did some raking yesterday while the kids were playing. I had that thought too...that I wondered if the parents would see the piles and be displeased that I was cleaning up the yard while working, but I really think it's okay if the kids are playing to get something done. Also, I'm not the kind to stand around for an hour doing nothing...I have to get something accomplished! So if they're playing nicely, I'll pick up the yard, drag the trash out, etc. I've even cleaned some windows while they're playing!

[SilverSabre25]

Today I sat in one of our nice lawn chair and basked in the sun while knitting. It was so nice. The kids just needed verbal corrections, and knitting is a great activity to do while watching the kiddos because you can look up from it.

[dEHmom]

last summer I pressured washed my living room carpet (gigantic area rug). helps bring out the fluffiness again .

[countrymom]

i was outside with the kids, cleaned the trash out of my van, took my computer outside, I will start to bring my crochet stuff outside and sit in the warm sun. I cleaned up some stuff in the yard, today I was hauling away some bails of hay and they wanted to help, which is great.
I agree with the above posters who treat the kids as their own, I do too and let them help with the housework alot (ok, they fight over the dishwasher) but I think its important that they see how to maintain areas and what keeps a household going. I'm so amazed how many children don't know how to clean up after themselves, it sounds so basic but yet kids don't know how to do it. I do need to go this weekend and buy some plastic rakes. My own children fight over who gets to wipe the windows.

[AfterSchoolMom]

I was inspired by this thread today, and while DCG played outside, I picked up all the sticks in the yard and swept all of the horribly pollen off of the porch.