Do You Allow DCK's On Your Furniture?

[SandeeAR]

For those of you doing daycare in your own home, do you allow them on your couch, chairs etc?

I did in the beginning and thought nothing of it. Until the now almost 3 y/o was 2.5 and refuses to potty train. She will hold it for long periods and then FLOOD a diaper. She did this on my couch one day. My covers are not removeable, so it soaked the cushion. I told her she couldn't get on the furniture anymore.

I'm not letting the toddlers even start up on my furniture.

I thought at first, I was wrong to do this. Then I got to thinking, in a center or at school, they don't have couches, loveseats etc. They sit on the floor or a kids chair.

What do you do?

[nannyde]

I don't have any furniture in their area. I do floor based play.

[JenNJ]

Ditto nannyde. I have a large playroom with no furniture. If they want to sit up on something I allow them to sit on the wooden windowseat only.

[Blackcat31]

I do not have furniture either. Wooden wipeable surfaces only.

When I did have furniture, I only allowed those with undies to be on it and if they didn't sit properly, they were banned from it. After awhile, everyone was banned from it so I just ditched it all together because what was the point if no one was ever allowed to use it.

[nannyde]

Ditto nannyde. I have a large playroom with no furniture. If they want to sit up on something I allow them to sit on the wooden windowseat only.

My poor kids don't even have a windowseat

Floor based nets super agile kids who get a TON of exercise every play time.

Gravity doin it's j-o-b

[MN Day Mom]

When I did childcare in living area of my home I did not allow them on the furniture... more so because of the fighting over who gets to sit where etc.

When my childcare finally got its own space, I was all floor based. Recenty however I added child sized couch, chair etc to their dramatic play area. But we are still mostly floor based.

[youretooloud]

They sit at our kitchen barstools, but that's it. I bought those with the kids in mind. Otherwise, they have their own furniture and floor mats. They may not sit on our family furniture.

[morgan24]

Mine only sit on my dining room chairs when it's lunch. Their play space has child size plastic chairs that they can use, but not abuse. If they don't use them right they lose the right to use them at all. I don't think there is anything wrong with not allowing them on your furniture.

[Meyou]

My playroom has no furniture either although I do have some throw pillows and a futon mattress in the closet to put out occasionally for a movie or extended booktime.

[AnythingsPossible]

Our daycare space is also our main living space. If I told the kids they weren't allowed to sit on the furniture, I think their parents would be a bit perturbed when their children came home and said Ms K won't let us sit on the furniture. I look at it as I decided to open my home to other peoples kids, so I deal with what comes with it.
Yes I get very aggravated when I am wiping buggers off the couch for the 50th time, but I can't imagine the stress in trying to keep them off of it. They do not jump or play rough on the furniture though. If they start that, they are told they have to sit on the floor.

[MyAngels]

The kids use the main living area of our home, as well as their dedicated playroom. I do allow them on the furniture, with the usual rules of no jumping, etc. I also bought kid friendly furniture, though, so spills and accidents aren't usually a problem. I guess I figure I'm a family daycare home, and since I don't expect my family to stay off the furniture, I don't expect the day kids to, either.

If I thought that one particular child would be a problem (like the OP's dck) I might implement special rules or place a pad on the couch and ask them to sit there only.

[daysofelijah]

No, I did at the beginning, but I got grossed out by all the drool and boogers that they would leave.

[MommyMuffin]

For those of you doing daycare in your own home, do you allow them on your couch, chairs etc?

I did in the beginning and thought nothing of it. Until the now almost 3 y/o was 2.5 and refuses to potty train. She will hold it for long periods and then FLOOD a diaper. She did this on my couch one day. My covers are not removeable, so it soaked the cushion. I told her she couldn't get on the furniture anymore.

I'm not letting the toddlers even start up on my furniture.

I thought at first, I was wrong to do this. Then I got to thinking, in a center or at school, they don't have couches, loveseats etc. They sit on the floor or a kids chair.

What do you do?

Wrong to do this? No way!!! It is your house, your rules! Get some bean bag furniture if you feel bad they dont have a place to sit.

I think you were far too kind to allow it in the first place. My dcks do just fine not sitting on my furniture. Plus, having toddlers climbing on the furniture was a safety hazard in my house.

[JenNJ]

My poor kids don't even have a windowseat

Floor based nets super agile kids who get a TON of exercise every play time.

Gravity doin it's j-o-b

Yup! They aren't allowed toys on the bench, only books so it has become our reading area by default.

[Luna]

I used to allow it but I got tired of trying to clean the snot & slobber all the time, not to mention pushing it back into place when the kids were done shoving it all over the place. The only one who misses using the couch is the oldest one, and only because he wants to use it as a jungle gym.