Daycare separate or incorporated into home? Opinions needed! :)

[Daycare123]

Hi everyone!

I currently have my daycare quite separate from my home-the playroom is on it's own floor.

I am considering creating a playroom within my home. I find that I could be using free play time to make snacks/lunch and prepare crafts where as right now I am confined to that floor. It would also give us A LOT more family space.

I would love to know everyone's thoughts!

Thank you!

[mimi]

I too have a dedicated playroom downstairs so when I am doing snack/lunch prep everyone comes upstairs where we normally eat and sits at the table or highchair and "chats" while I prepare the meal. Anything the requires oven time I just quickly secure the gate downstairs and turn on the oven and later again quickly slide what we are having in the oven and then bring the crew upstairs. If I have a child who is upset by my absence, then I just put them in their highchair so they can watch me.

[Wonderwiper]

I guess it really depends on your preference. This is my second daycare space and we do everything.....play, craft, eat, sleep, washroom etc. in my basement daycare space. My old daycare was main floor and I would never go back to that!!!! I love leaving daycare behind at the end of the day!!

[Daycare123]

I should probably clarify that I do not run my daycare at full capacity...I would not move things if I had 5 kiddos!

[Sassygirl]

And its perfect!!!
I have all toddlers so its great having the sightlines to see what they are doing when I am in the kitchen prepping/cleaning up. Front door, living room (daycare room has couch, tv, and all the various toys and I have cupboards at the end of the day to store most of the toys) kitchen, dining room and backdoor to my backyard are all on the same level. I can see it all! Very convenient. I have 1 huge pressure mounted Evenflo gates sectioning off the playroom. Naptime is upstairs in the bedrooms.

[Fun&care]

I have a bit of both worlds...my entire basement is a play room/ nap room but I have a separate space on the main floor ( it's like a breakfast nook type space) that we use for eating, crafts and waiting for pickup and drop off. It's also gated so the kids can't just get out and roam around the house.

[Artsand crafts]

I am in the main floor too. It's very convenient having the kitchen and washroom in the main floor. I would love to have my daycare in the basement or any other part of the house where I could close the door after daycare hours. However the only way I would move to somewhere else is if I had a kitchen and washroom there.

I sounds like the option of moving to the main floor sounds better and the plus is that you will have more family space.

[Daycare123]

Sassygirl- Yes this is what I am thinking!

[Daycare123]

Artsand crafts- I agree. I likely wouldn't bother if it didn't create so much more room for our family. I have a kichenette and bathroom on my daycare, but nothing to cook with down there and god forbid I should forget to bring down EVERYTHING I will need for the day! I am just finding that I would be able to use time more wisely if I had access to my kitchen. right now I have to scramble around just to get snacks prepared!

[Artsand crafts]

Artsand crafts- I agree. I likely wouldn't bother if it didn't create so much more room for our family. I have a kichenette and bathroom on my daycare, but nothing to cook with down there and god forbid I should forget to bring down EVERYTHING I will need for the day! I am just finding that I would be able to use time more wisely if I had access to my kitchen. right now I have to scramble around just to get snacks prepared!

I guess bringing food and everything to another room away from the kitchen is doable, but I find very convenient to have the kitchen right besides the play area. In the morning during arrivals I can do some lunch prep or kitchen cleaning while watching the kids free play, same thing before lunch. After meals I still can clean up eating area and kitchen while watching the kids.