Basement daycare

[Wonderwiper]

So , I'm still working out the logistics of working in my new daycare space. How do those of you with only basement space deal with food and going outside? Do you bring everyone upstairs for food? Seems like a real pain to do that as I will have 3 non walkers. I have a microwave downstairs and was thinking of picking up a mini fridge this weekend. Also, when going out, do you get everyone gathered upstairs and then start getting everyone dressed? I'm really excited to have a separate daycare space that I can just close the door on...just have to work these little niggles out! Thanks for any advice!

[Inspired by Reggio]

My main playroom is in my basement and does not have a walk out to outside or a place to put in a kitchen and I would not be willing to give up my personal 'craft area' down there to put in a kitchen because that is the place that I escape to to recharge my battery

So we have no choice but to come upstairs to get ready for outside time as the children's cubbies are on my main floor and we come up to eat lunches and snacks because there is just not room for a full kitchen down there where I could do 'meal prep, the actually cooking, and clean up' from meals and for me to have to do the meal prep and cooking BEFORE children get here or having to bring the food and dishes and so forth up and downstairs for heating and so forth three times a day to wash up and so forth would be way more of a PITA IMO than having the children come up and down the stairs and be able to do prep and cooking and clean up in my fully equipped kitchen that is just more spacious and comfortable while they are engaged at the table and keeping it all within my 'work hours' ... plus I admit I am a bit of anal clean freak and I would not want 'food mess' anywhere near my play area for them it is just easier to keep that contained to the actual kitchen.

I have a very bad back myself so have empathy with having to carry children up and downstairs ~ the first thing we master when a newbie arrives to my program is the STAIRS ... my 10 month old is already able to crawl up the stairs and just needs assistance with coming back down them backwards crawl style ... all my other kids are all stair independent because well we get lots of practice

[Crayola kiddies]

I have a basement daycare ... But I have an entrance into the basement from the garage so no one comes into my house. So I get the kids ready and head out. And I have a kitchenette in my basement that has a bar fridge, microwave, sink, and I have a toaster and a two burner hot plate. So I do all my cooking and cleaning up down there too. My husband built it.... He bought the cabinets from Home Depot and I have three double cupboards up top and then under the counter I have a bank of drawers and the bar fridge on one side and just a cupboard on the other and there is a regular sized sink .... I am totally self sufficient down stairs and so when I go up at the eñd if the day it's totally separate and I do t feel like I'm at work all the time

[sunnydays]

I have a basement daycare, but I am very lucky to have a full kitchen down there were I do meal prep, the kids eat, and I clean up. I would love to have a door to outside, but I don't, so must bring them up for outside time. I have all of their gear except for boots downstairs on hooks, so they get dressed downstairs and then we go up and they put their boots on before we head out through the garage. It is a pain getting the young ones up and down, I must say. They are slow to crawl up (I have one who is almost two and still refuses to go up...just sits there until I have to carry him up as we will miss my son's bus if not). To go back down, I take the little ones one at a time as they are not so good at crawling down and I don't want to risk any accidents on the stairs. I leave the others strapped into the stroller in my closed garage (the bigger kids all go down first so they are not left in the garage alone). It is a PITA and I can't wait until they can all go up and down without help. I know I need to let them practice more, but we are always heading to the bus and if I wait for them to inch their ways up, we wil miss it. Maybe I need to do stair training at other times of day one kid at a time...hmmm...I may try this

[Inspired by Reggio]

I should also clarify with my crews use of stairs ~ stair safety is important to me they learn early that we go up or down one at a time so no one accidentally gets pushed or shoved and has the space to feel confident ... the bigger kids go first and than wait at the top or bottom sitting on the landing until we are all up.

Plus I never enroll more than two children under 2 because of my back and that being my threshold before I get too buggered up again ~ in fact I try to only have one infant at any given time and the other child more toddler age 18 months or so ... so at least three of my crew are always well trained in the stairs leaving me time and hands free spotting for the two 'youngest' who would be in various stages of mastery themselves ... so for example currently I have a 10 month old and an 18 month old and everyone else is well over 2. So than the 18 month old has been with me since he was 8 months old and therefore has been doing stairs since he was 10 months old and crawling adeptly ... so is quite skilled at going up and down on his own and is now in the stage of wanting to 'walk' up and down them holding the rail instead of crawl leaving me the 10 month old to spot ... this strategies are what works for me to remain accident free on the stairs with so many wee ones using them.

[mimi]

My daycare is in the basement with an entrance through the garage where the parents come in for drop off. Pick ups occur upstairs as that is where we are at the end of the day.
My kitchen is upstairs and that is where we eat. I and the kids like the change of scenery for lunch. Snacks are simple and served downstairs.
When we go outside we use the basement entrance/exit as it has more space to dress all in their winter gear. Warm weather we just leave by the front door.
Your non walkers will quickly learn to go up the stairs. I always follow behind just in case.
It is nice to have the seperate space so at the end of the day, the door is shut and family time begins.

[Wonderwiper]

Thanks everyone! Reggio...I have a kitchen/ family room combo with an island so no table! I have a kitchen table in the daycare. I have cupboards and a small counter top so I think I could do basic snacks/ meals downstairs. No sink area though, except in the washroom. Hmmm, lots of things to sort out!

[playfelt]

Most of our toys and play is in the basement but we come and go from the front door on the main level, eat snacks and lunch in the kitchen and have the diningroom as an upstairs playroom as the place toys are contained when on the main level. Since Brianne uses some of these toys evenings and weekends she still needs access to stuff too when I can't be in the basement and she isn't allowed to be up on the bedroom level unattended.

I like that the kids have a place to play while I get house/family things done such as a tub of laundry first thing in the morning some days or cooking supper at the end of the day waiting for last pick up.

Also for the babies that take naps they use family bedrooms. Often we are on main level till they start naps and then we go to the playroom while they are sleeping. It means less carrying on the stairs and more freedom to make noise for the bigger ones.

Same as Reggio though on the using the stairs. They are encouraged to crawl up the stairs as soon as they start care and most love the freedom to be on the stairs - a norally forbidden thing to them. Coming down I carry them or use the time for training. I turn them around and they learn to crawl backwards down the stairs - no sitting on the bum and sliding as there is too much chance of leaning forward and falling. I set them up side by side and manipulate their legs to show them what to do. Doesn't take long and they are doing it themselves.

[Mamma_Mia]

the first thing we master when a newbie arrives to my program is the STAIRS ... my 10 month old is already able to crawl up the stairs and just needs assistance with coming back down them backwards crawl style ... all my other kids are all stair independent because well we get lots of practice

Yup I too encourage them 'doing' the stairs with me there. I can't carry them.....actually I'd rather NOT.