How Much Of Your Home Do You Show Parents?

[littlemommy]

The interviews I have done have been in the living room. From where the parents sit, they can see the kitchen. I have had parents ask where the baby's sleep, which is upstairs in a pack n play in our bedroom. So far, no one has asked to see that area. I'm not sure I would be comfortable showing them our bedroom. It seems a little too personal. They would have seen my entire house if they walk upstairs, besides the unfinished basement.

How much do you show? What do you feel crosses the line?

[nannyde]

child occupied areas and laundry room

I can't avoid the laundry room because it's the entryway into the basement.

[wdmmom]

Dining room is where the interviews are conducted. Main floor toy room is open to the dining room so they see that. I have a lower level toy room/sleeping area. I show that room as well but in order to get to the lower level, parents have to go through my kitchen.

I would never place a child in my bedroom and I would never show anyone my bedroom.

[CheekyChick]

I show the parents our cubby room, restrooms, playroom, infant room, school room, kitchen, and playground. Basically, I show them every room/area their child might be in. Personally, I could never leave my child somewhere that I hadn't thoroughly checked out. I never show the parents our personal bedrooms.

As far as not allowing the parents in your bedroom, if their child is going to be sleeping in your bedroom, I would show them your bedroom. If you want your bedroom to be off limits, I would move the P&P's to a different area of the house that they are welcome to check out.

Out of curiosity, are you registered or licensed? In my state, we can't have children on the second floor unless their are two sets of stairs.

[AnneCordelia]

I show parents every part of my home where the daycare kids will be. I show them my livingroom and diningroom (daycare room), kitchen, bathroom, upstairs sleep areas (I nap them in my room and my DDs room), and the backyard. They do not get to snoop through closets, see the den, see my boy's bedroom, or go down into our basement which has a playroom for MY kids as well as office/laundry/4th bedroom. They only see where their kids will be.

[GotKids]

The main floor of my home is used for childcare. They see the play room with the different centers and infant play area which was intended to be the formal dining and formal living room, they see the family room which is now our sleeping room/art room/and where we do block and table activities. They see the bathroom on this floor as well as our kitchen and back yard. The doors to my laundry room, garage, and basement all have key locks because of regulations so they are not shown to parents neither are our upstairs bedrooms.

[SilverSabre25]

I show them the playroom and the naproom and the daycare bathroom, all on the lower level. They see into the laundry room too because for some odd reason there's a screen door instead of a regular door (came that way).

Upstairs, they see the living room and the kitchen, and can see down the hallway to the bedrooms but I don't show the bedrooms.

Crossing the line would be bedrooms, even our upstairs bathroom, because the children never go there.

Crossing the line was the family that demanded to see at least my DD's room. During the interview (I do the tour first) DD had wandered off saying she was going to go play in her room. The parents I was interviewing said they needed to see DD's room--"We need to see everywhere the children will play." When I explained that no daycare children are ever allowed in DD's room, that it's her private space, the parents just looked at me blankly and repeated that they HAVE to see it. That was the end of that interview...

[TBird]

I show the parts where the children are cared for.......

Downstairs

• Foyer
• Dining Room
• Living Room
• Kitchen
• Bathroom
  
  Upstairs
• Family Room (That's the daycare room)
• Upstairs Bathroom

All the other areas are just "in passing". Bedrooms have nothing to do with anything but I do like them to see the layout of the house. When I became licensed the inspectors looked in every room!

[littlemommy]

I show the parents our cubby room, restrooms, playroom, infant room, school room, kitchen, and playground. Basically, I show them every room/area their child might be in. Personally, I could never leave my child somewhere that I hadn't thoroughly checked out. I never show the parents our personal bedrooms.

As far as not allowing the parents in your bedroom, if their child is going to be sleeping in your bedroom, I would show them your bedroom. If you want your bedroom to be off limits, I would move the P&P's to a different area of the house that they are welcome to check out.

Out of curiosity, are you registered or licensed? In my state, we can't have children on the second floor unless their are two sets of stairs.

Yes, I am licensed. It is legal to have children on the 2nd floor as long as there are 2 exits. There is a roof outside the window that could be jumped off of. The fire marshal and the licensing lady both okay'd it.

I would like to put the pack n plays in other rooms, but in our small house it's not really an option. I have the toddlers sleep on mats in the living room, and put the infant I have in my bedroom during naptime, otherwise he keeps everyone else from sleeping.

[Meeko]

Legally, the parents have a right to see any area of your home that their child might be in. They do not a right to see any other areas. If you have children sleep in your bedroom, you have to show them if they ask. As a parent, I would want to see where my baby would be sleeping.

We do day care in the house my son lives in. We use most of the home for day care, but my son has two bedrooms at the end of the hallway. One is his bedroom, one is a "living room" for him. They are behind a gate in the hallway and nobody is allowed in them. Licensing peeks in those rooms when doing an inspection, but do not enter the room.

I also have my kitchen gated off. It keeps the kids out, and licensing can only peek in. They can see over the bar counter easily. It makes inspections go much faster when they don't have to open the cupboards etc. My kitchen is my space and I don't like people nosing about. They can easily see it is clean and tidy, but I once had a mom take it upon herself to look in my fridge while looking around my kitchen when it wasn't blocked off. I couldn't resist telling her that her child would not, at any time, be in the fridge during her day with us. I know she could tell I was ticked off and they didn't sign up their daughter! I was glad! Folks need to have boundaries!!!

[sharlan]

I show the entire downstairs and the backyard. I emphasize the locks on the pool gate and shed. I do not show the upstairs as only my grandkids sleep up there.

[CheekyChick]

Yes, I am licensed. It is legal to have children on the 2nd floor as long as there are 2 exits. There is a roof outside the window that could be jumped off of. The fire marshal and the licensing lady both okay'd it.

I would like to put the pack n plays in other rooms, but in our small house it's not really an option. I have the toddlers sleep on mats in the living room, and put the infant I have in my bedroom during naptime, otherwise he keeps everyone else from sleeping.

Oops. I really meant to say two exits... I can completely understand your dilema. I think most parents would want to see where their infant will sleep, but it's your personal bedroom. I'm guessing if you show them the space once, that will sastify them.

[permanentvacation]

My daycare room is my living room. We sit at the dining room table where you can see the entire living room and I conduct the interview there. When I did 24/7 care and I used the upstairs bedroom for sleeping, I would tell the parents that they sleep upstairs in the bedroom and describe the type of bed (crib or toddler bed) that their child will be sleeping in. Typically the parents did not ask to see the beds, but some would and I would walk them upstairs to show them the daycare bedroom. ( I always closed my personal bedroom doors before the interview just in case the parent wanted to see the daycare bedroom.) However, I have never had the children sleep in my personal bedroom - I have always imagined a baby in the playpen and them throwing up all over the side of my bed or them somehow getting ahold of something in my personal bedroom and destroying it. I just never felt comfortable putting a daycare child (even a baby) in my personal bedroom. I think that if I did use my personal bedroom for daycare napping, if the parent asked to see where the child naps, I would show them my bedroom. I think the parent has the right to see where their child will be so they as parents can get a visual and decide if they are comfortable with the set-up for their child. Just make your bed and make sure there's no clutter - the parents aren't going through your bedroom drawers or anything, they just want to see where their child will be sleeping and make sure that they will be in a safe location.

[littlemommy]

DS has a playroom of his own that is off of our living room. I could move some stuff around and put the pack n play in there. Then my entire 2nd floor would be off limits. I'm just worried about nap time if I would get another infant. It's tough to have a crying kid down here when other kids are trying to nap.

[Angelwings36]

I show the parents our main play area which is downstairs, the craft room, downstairs bathroom and they see the laundry room as there is no door on it. Only if a parent asks do they ever see my upstairs (other than the kitchen which is off of the daycare entrance). If they ask I show them the upstairs living room (this is where the children have quiet time), the upstairs bathroom and I show them my spare room so they have a sample of where the children sleep. I have play pens in the spare room, my sons room and our room upstairs but I never ever show my son's room or my room...way too personal for me. Besides the fact that I feel it's too personal for me my husband and son would be upset with me if I was showing 'strangers' their bedrooms. Never really had a parent have a problem with it, but they are also made aware right off the bat that the upstairs is only ever used for eating or sleeping. Once the child is enrolled in my care the parents only have access to my front porch anyways...the rest of the house is off limits unless I invite them in.