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Good morning ladies,
I just found myself wondering about how everyone is set up. Do you all have your daycares in the basement? I'm lucky enough to have both a basement play area and a main floor play room. Our kitchen is open concept to the main floor play room which is good because I can keep an eye on them while I'm making lunch but bad because I can't stop them from wondering in. I just have to be vigilante when I'm making hot lunches on the stove. Feel free to share! :)
My home is a 5 level split. The main floor is kitchen and living dining room. This area gets used at meal times only. The next level down is ground floor with a walk out to my fenced back yard. The living room in here gets used sometimes. I keep a small basket of toys on this floor and the kiddos play here as I prepare meals and snacks. The kitchen overlooks this floor so I can easily supervise. As well on this floor is the kids bathroom and the naproom.
The next floor down is one of the basement levels (I have 2) and I have turned the entire floor into a playroom. I have an old sectional couch down there, all the toys and craft supplies. There is a little table down there that they sit at if they want to colour or do thier puzzles.
I like this set up as at the end of the day my job goes away. I still need to make the main floors of my house tidy and presentable but if I don't want to deal with all the toys, or even just look at my "job" then I don't have to.
My living room is my toyroom/sleeproom, my dining room seats 6 for meals and for creating, my kitchen and 1/2 bath are all the rooms on my main floor and it is all used for daycare. I love my setup because when I'm in the kitchen it's easy to see into the other rooms and I can run back quickly if necessary. The children are never out of my line of sight.
That's so funny! I have the exact same house layout! I just wish I had a bathroom on my lowest level (the basement playroom)....aww well, on the 'dream list'. I too love that I can close the door & forget about it at the end of the day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Toregone
Weird! But I have to say I find it the ideal layout for what we do. Short of having a converted garage or seperate basement entrance or something I find the 5 level split to be an awesome home daycare layout.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamalittledream
Toregone, I love the sound of your house!! I sounds like it has lots of character! :)
I have the same house too! lol.. we plan on opening Jan 2013.. i am still going back and forth about using the main floor room that has the attacted bath as the daycare room or the basement. Part of me just wants the basement to be our family room but i would love for the daycare just to be out of the way as well.... still haven't decided
I LOVE my house. I have no idea why split levels fell out of populatiry. I only have 1300sqft which for modern homes is small. However I have 3 living rooms and 5 bedrooms. 1.5 baths. And none of the bedrooms are small at all. Everything is quite spacious.
When my hubby and I decided to take the plunge and buy vs rent we only considered split levels. Just so much more room. I have an entire living room with no TV. Just chairs, end tables and a bay window. This is MY room lol. I read here, surf the net, relax.. everything. Totally my area.
I have a 3 floor home - upper level used for napping and I leave the pack n plays up til Friday and the cots slide under beds or into closets, main floor I have several decorative baskets that house toys for during arrival and departure and meal prep and I have a tall pantry cupboard in the dining room that houses quiet act irked and creative and sensory options as the wake from quiet time, we eat in my kitchen at a child size table also where we do any art/sensory during arrival time, lower level has a full playroom with all the centre type areas dramatic play, blocks, creative art area, book nook, floor toys and so forth. I have a bathroom off this playroom but we also use the upper floor bathroom during arrival/departure if needed.
Basically I use my whole house :rolleyes:
I have a 4 level split. The first level is where my kitchen/dining room are and I'm guessing the "formal" living room. This whole floor is used for my daycare with the "formal" living room area dedicated as my daycare playroom. The playroom area is separated from the kitchen with a 3/4 wall but joins the kitchen through the dining room. This level is bright, warm and airy with lots of really big windows and is about 500sq feet. The second level (upstairs) is where our bedrooms are and the kids nap up there. My 3rd level (lowest level before the basement) is our family room. This space is off limits to daycare (it's only for my family to use) and the only time they see it is when we are going outside to the back yard as this room walks out to my back yard. The 4th level is out unfinished basement that the daycare also never sees. This is where our spare bed is, my workout room and my son's hang out area.
I love my split level! It's about 1500sq feet not including the unfinished basement so there is a ton of room for my 4 member family :)
I just reread your post. What do you mean you can't stop them from wanderin in? Of course you can! Put your foot down and tell them which room they must stay in or get a baby gate. My children are only allowed out of the toyroom/living room to go to the bathroom or when I call them for a meal. They must all stay in the same room for safety reasons, so that they aren't wandering all over the house. They do wander out once in a while when I'm cooking, but I tell them to go back to the toyroom and they do.Quote:
Originally Posted by jazmic
My guys are all around 18 months so I'd need a baby gate. They don't seem to make one as long as I would need to completely close off the kitchen from the living room. Trust me. I've looked into options. That's why I don't necessarily like the open concept thing in terms of daycare. I put on a show for them when I'm making lunch and they do usually stay put for that. But I'm used to watching out for them now when I'm in the kitchen. :)
Hey Jazmic!
I had a similar situation in my previous set up. I made a long " rope" type thing from bright coloured material that I could stretch across the room and the kids would stay on the other side while I made lunch. Since it was not to keep them from falling down stairs it didn't have to be a secure barrier...just a visual reminder. I attached it to the wall with Velcro strips so was easy to remove or hide after daycare hours!!
Love that idea! I'm keeping that one in my stash of ideas for future use! Thanks! I'm guessing you put it at the kids' waist height approximately so they wouldn't trip over it or walk right under it...just a reminder...I like it :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wonderwiper
Can you do one of these but have it laying straight across? and add in extra extenders if needed?Quote:
Originally Posted by jazmic
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index....uctId=11663791
or one of these? http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index....ductId=2875247
Thanks for the tips, guys! :) Mamma_mia, I checked into those. They don't come long enough. Wonderwiper, I love that idea! I think they are old enough that it might just work! Plus I can make it as long as I need to! I'm going to try it out! You guys all rock!:thumbsup: