An immaculate house while doing childcare?

[Spixie33]

So yesterday I was bored and decided to look up other ads in my area. I noticed one daycare in my area where the parents had written a few reviews so i read to see what they said.
Two of the reviews from two different parents said that the provider's house was always immaculate
I was like WTH? How is that possible?
I keep my house clean, I vacuum and mop almost daily, I try to tidy every day but I would never be able to say my house was immaculate and I doubt any daycare home is immaculate when 3-5 kids run through it every day. How is that possible? There is usually a stray toy or three laying around in every corner
Anywyas...just venting and musing because this has now been in my mind for 24 hours and I am still baffled and wondering how that is possible and what I should be doing to keep my house better. Talk about pressure ! lol

[sunnydays]

As a parent, i would actually be a little worried if my daycare provider's home was immaculate all the time. That would make me think that the kids are not allowed to make any mess or that she is stressed out trying to keep everything spotless all the time. I keep my house clean and first thing in the mornig, everything is clean, but by the end of the day, I cannot say the same. I wouldn't worry about it as long as you are keeping things clean and sanitary.

[playfelt]

Sounds to me like she doesn't have a lot of daycare specific furniture or toys or that maybe they go out to playgroup everyday so the house is simply used as a gathering place in the morning and for lunch and nap meaning she has all afternoon to clean the kitchen then outside to pick up and the kids dont' even walk through most of the house.

It could also be a caregiver that has a totally programmed day so that the kids don't ever get time to make messes because they are herded from one activity to another and spend a lot of time sitting in circle or at the craft table etc.

A newer house will look neater just because it will look cleaner. Scrapes along the baseboards and walls will look like dirt no matter how scrubbed they are. Repainting all the baseboards and trim is on my way too long to do list for this very reason.

How old the caregivers own children are makes the most difference. If she only has a baby then they play on the floor a bit and then go to bed so dont' make messes. If her kids are older and out of the house then assume hubby doesn't make a lot of mess either.

I gave up long ago trying to keep it clean. Now if we want to make a pile of stuffed animals in the corner ready for tomorrow then fine. If we are in the middle of builidng something it can stay out. Had a blanket fort in the livingroom for almost week this past summer. Kids are here to have fun and we do. If you want it cleaned after hours then hire me a cleaning lady. I'm done for the day.

[Judy Trickett]

Maybe she has a dedicated daycare space? If she is only using a designated part of her home then I can see how the rest could stay immaculate.

[Skysue]

There is also a differance between clean and I don't look at clutter of toys as dirty! My home is clean and prestine but yea there are toys all over at time! That's probobly what they mean!

[mom-in-alberta]

"Immaculate" will NEVER be a term that is used to describe my home, much to my own dismay.
Some people are naturally tidy and organized. I am not one of these people.... LoL
But perhaps their definition of immaculate is "there are toys out, but the floor is never sticky, and the dishes in the sink are clean". That's as immaculate as I get.

[paz]

I am a clean freak and clean as I walk from 7 am to 10 pm this is a normal thing for me! I have designated areas where the kids play and toys dont come out of the room..we have several activities during the day like dancing, reading, crafts, etc which some are done in my kitchen table. I like my house to be spotless all the time but it does not mean kids are not allowed to move or make mess.. Kids follow my house rules from day 1!! regardless of age. At the end of the day everyone is happy and learn the most important lesson..Respect and discipline.

[Dreamalittledream]

I was a neat freak pre-kids; oh do I somedays miss those days of clean tidy spaces staying that way...however, would I trade it for my happy kids? No way. I grew up with a clean freak Mom & Grandmother (to this day I do not touch walls as I pass, it was so well trained in me not to leave marks as I went). There are basics that I have chosen to I have both my own and my DCKs adhere to (table/eating manners, take it/play/put away, bathroom etiquette (I have boys!) etc.). But do I spend my day cleaning? Nope, my workday is spent mostly on the floor playing with the kids, or with my feet up chilling @ naptime. Ironically, I did overhear one daycare parent say to another how my home is always so immaculate; think she needs glasses!

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya ~ I have had clients actually say this to me 'how do you keep the house so immaculate' and I look around and think WTF it looks like a bomb hit it .... immaculate in relations to a house that has never had a child walk through and one that has a full of kids may require two different definitions

My house is always 'tidy' at the beginning and end of the day because I HATE clutter ~ everything in my playroom has a labelled home and I teach the children to pick up after themselves as the day goes along. I clean up after messes as they happen and so forth as best they can but for ME I can always see the crumb I missed or the fingerprint smudge of paint on the wall or the play doh clump in my foyer carpet and so forth but CLIENTS the fact that the wall is not fingerpainted entirely or the play doh is not in my couches and the house is not strewn with toys to trip over it is 'immaculate'!

They expect our house to look like this

[Dreamalittledream]

Love that picture Reggio!! Can you just imagine?!?!