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As a day home provider or a parent, what are your thoughts on the following for sleep arrangements??
1. Kids on different levels of a bi-level house. Obviously I can't be on both levels but if I would have a monitor on one level and keep checking on the kids.
2. Does anybody put kids to sleep in the play area whether it be in play pens, on mats, on couches, etc?
3. Would you put or feel comfortable with children sleeping in a room with exercise equipment (treadmill, weight bench?)
I'm a daycare provider.
1. I wouldn't mind having children on different levels, as long as I can hear them. I would explain to the parents (during their interview) where their children will be sleeping. My dck sleep on the main level (we have a bungalow), and usually I'm in the basement doing other work.
2. In daycare centers - toddler, preschool, and kinders - they put the cots out in the play areas. If that's where your daycare area is, then I think it's ok to put them there.
3. I would not feel comfortable (and I'm not even a parent yet) with a child (any child) sleeping in a room with exercise equipment. They could get up randomly (need to pee, night terror) and hurt themselves quite badly! As it may be dark (as it would be nap time), they could trip.
On another note: When I was growing up, we had the exercise/weight bench in the basement - my dad would go downstairs to get something, but wouldn't turn on all the lights, and would walk into the bench. Don't even ask how many times he split his shin open!!! lol
My little ones that are in playpens are in upstairs bedrooms. I have them all in different rooms but have put two beds in my room when that necessary. The others sleep on the mainfloor in the diningroom which is also converted as an upstairs play space. Our main playspace is in the basement. I need to keep the door closed and locked because of my own special needs child so would not allow sleeping down there unless it can't be helped. Generally I am in the kitchen doing my lunch or Brianne's lunch or in the family room on the main floor like right now where I have a desk and this laptop. I can hear the kids in the rooms upstairs fairly well but do not use a monitor.
A comment on the weight machines. I wouldn't feel comfortable with the children having access to the area they are in at any time even playtime because there are going to be times the caregiver is not there such as toileting and they are dangerous for children. They should be put to one end and gated off from the kids either with a gate or furniture.
I also agree on the comments about the equipment. I used to have some in one corner of my basement (playroom) but it was blocked off with a long safety gate. You never know what can happen ! With the age group I have now ,they all sleep on cots in the playroom. My own 2 kids sleep in their rooms ( won't settle down otherwise)
My children are on a rotation system when it comes to where they sleep in the house :)
When they are new (the first month) they sleep on the main level just outside the kitchen so I can be cleaning, doing prep work etc if they need some extra lovin during quiet time.
Once a child is comfortable and napping at least most of quiet time I move them to the bedroom level.
Children stay on the bedroom level until they are at least 2 yrs old. Once the child is old enough to go on a nap mat they usually come out of the bedrooms and nap either on the mid level or the main level of the house, depending on how many 2 -3 yr old I have in care. Here you might think ill of me but my mid level has my work out equipment. The equipment is separated by a couch but I have never had a problem with children wondering over to touch the equipment. The children on the midlevel would not be potty trained yet so don't leave their mats.
Then once the child is between 2 1/2 - 3 and depending on how long they nap they are moved down to the daycare. The daycare area has the children who don't sleep the whole quiet time. This allows them to get up and play quietly or watch a movie and not disrupt the other children.
Thanks for the input.
I have decided against putting the kids in the room with the exercise equipment. The door is normally closed to that room when we are playing and the kids would be in playpens so wouldn't be able to touch it, but I'm still going to pass. When I thought about it a bit more, it would be nice to use the room, for my own convenience, but it's not such a good idea from a safety stand point.
Im having problems with my dck that is 4 years old sleeping in the play area. I just keep catching him playing instead of lying down. So for me, no more playroom. Im going to have to move him to the kitchen area.