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AliceK
25-04-2012, 12:39 PM
I recently replied to another thread and it got me thinking. I have a playroom and also my lounge which is seperate. I have a rule that the children can go into the lounge but that it is a quiet room so if someone wants some quiet time to look at books or watch some TV etc then they can do so in the lounge. However, since I've lived here and had this rule it is forever being broken by all the children of all ages 2 upto 7yrs. They are constantly taking toys in there and leaving them all over the place, they take my throws off the sofas and the cushions and roll about all over the floor with them, they jump all over the sofas, they play physical games with each other (this is a No No in any room). I spend all my time repeating myself about all of this but to no avail. So I was thinking I will make this room out of bounds. What do you think? It's not like they don't have everything in the toyroom, they have loads of older cushions that i don't mind them having all over the floor, they have blankets etc. But my lounge is MY stuff, my cushions are not cheap, nor are my throws, nor are my reclining leather sofas. I have just cleared out the playroom, taken the tent out of there which had got ripped :angry: and was taking up a load of space anyway. Have had a move around and made the space better and I am now going to try and not let anyone in my lounge. Whatever they want to do they can do it in the playroom or the hallway which is quite large. Do you think I am being unreasonable? I think the last straw was yesterday when a 3yr old pulled my curtain pole and curtains down in my lounge :angry:

xxx

silvermist
25-04-2012, 12:44 PM
I recently replied to another thread and it got me thinking. I have a playroom and also my lounge which is seperate. I have a rule that the children can go into the lounge but that it is a quiet room so if someone wants some quiet time to look at books or watch some TV etc then they can do so in the lounge. However, since I've lived here and had this rule it is forever being broken by all the children of all ages 2 upto 7yrs. They are constantly taking toys in there and leaving them all over the place, they take my throws off the sofas and the cushions and roll about all over the floor with them, they jump all over the sofas, they play physical games with each other (this is a No No in any room). I spend all my time repeating myself about all of this but to no avail. So I was thinking I will make this room out of bounds. What do you think? It's not like they don't have everything in the toyroom, they have loads of older cushions that i don't mind them having all over the floor, they have blankets etc. But my lounge is MY stuff, my cushions are not cheap, nor are my throws, nor are my reclining leather sofas. I have just cleared out the playroom, taken the tent out of there which had got ripped :angry: and was taking up a load of space anyway. Have had a move around and made the space better and I am now going to try and not let anyone in my lounge. Whatever they want to do they can do it in the playroom or the hallway which is quite large. Do you think I am being unreasonable? I think the last straw was yesterday when a 3yr old pulled my curtain pole and curtains down in my lounge :angry:

xxx
:eek: Crikey I would have been really cross! I have a playroom and use my lounge as the quiet area too. So far I havent had any problems but I do not want my mindees trashing my lounge, its my home so no, I dont think you're being unreasonable at all. Stand your ground!:thumbsup:

Twinkles
25-04-2012, 12:45 PM
My lounge is out of bounds. It is a tidy , toy free zone. The only time we use it for minded children is if we have a lot in the school holidays and we need the playroom for snoozing babies.
Even then the children are allowed to sit on the sofas and watch a dvd. Always with adult supervision.

Do you have a tv in the playroom ? Our after schoolers watch the playroom tv just before hometime.

Gherkin
25-04-2012, 12:46 PM
I had a gagrage conversion done the other year which means that we barely use the lounge anymore, only for napping. It means when my children get in from school they have somewhere they can go seperate from the mindees. The only mindees who are allowed in my lounge are two siblings who are family friends and both them and my children know they need to tidy up after themselves or they will be limited to being in the playroom with the little ones. It is just lovely to have somewhere to sit in the evening that hasn't got toys everywhere.

AliceK
25-04-2012, 12:48 PM
:eek: Crikey I would have been really cross! I have a playroom and use my lounge as the quiet area too. So far I havent had any problems but I do not want my mindees trashing my lounge, its my home so no, I dont think you're being unreasonable at all. Stand your ground!:thumbsup:

Thank you. I've only just done it after lunch today and so far today I only have my DD and 1 mindee here, the test will come later when I pick up the 3 school children and tomorrow when I have 3 LO's all day plus the BS and AS. hmmmmm, time will tell :laughing:

xxxxx

Bridey
25-04-2012, 12:50 PM
I don't have this problem at all. Any sort of a hint of this sort of behaviour gets nipped in the bud before it even starts. You could keep the children in one room which would obviously make supervision easier. Alternatively you could make the quiet room one in which the older ones earn the privilege to use and lose it for inappropriate behaviour.

toddlers896
25-04-2012, 12:51 PM
I often wish I had a playroom. I was thinking of converting my dining room into one but after reading this thread i dont think i will bother. It doesnt seem to make much difference as they will play wherever if allowed, plus my didning room probably isnt big enough to confide them to one spot.
Thats terrible that the kids are pulling curtains down.

AliceK
25-04-2012, 12:51 PM
My lounge is out of bounds. It is a tidy , toy free zone. The only time we use it for minded children is if we have a lot in the school holidays and we need the playroom for snoozing babies.
Even then the children are allowed to sit on the sofas and watch a dvd. Always with adult supervision.

Do you have a tv in the playroom ? Our after schoolers watch the playroom tv just before hometime.

No, I have TV's in every other room in the house except the playroom. I'm planning on getting them to tidy the playroom just before tea which is normal and then after tea for the last 20mins of so before they go home they can either sit in the lounge WITH ME and watch some TV (as long as I have finished in the kitchen) or if I'm busy they will have to sit quietly in the playroom. I might at a later date get a TV installed in the playroom :thumbsup:

xxxx

AliceK
25-04-2012, 12:53 PM
I don't have this problem at all. Any sort of a hint of this sort of behaviour gets nipped in the bud before it even starts. You could keep the children in one room which would obviously make supervision easier. Alternatively you could make the quiet room one in which the older ones earn the privilege to use and lose it for inappropriate behaviour.

This is a very good idea. But first of all I'll let them experience life without the lounge for a few days as an incentive. TBH it's the older children who are the worst behaved :panic:

xxxx

AliceK
25-04-2012, 12:55 PM
I often wish I had a playroom. I was thinking of converting my dining room into one but after reading this thread i dont think i will bother. It doesnt seem to make much difference as they will play wherever if allowed, plus my didning room probably isnt big enough to confide them to one spot.
Thats terrible that the kids are pulling curtains down.

I know :panic:. I think she was twirling round and round with the curtain which I've seen her doing before and told her off for but lets just say she can be rather challenging at times.

xxxx

silvermist
25-04-2012, 12:56 PM
Thank you. I've only just done it after lunch today and so far today I only have my DD and 1 mindee here, the test will come later when I pick up the 3 school children and tomorrow when I have 3 LO's all day plus the BS and AS. hmmmmm, time will tell :laughing:

xxxxx

Good luck, let us know how it goes hun x

Bridey
25-04-2012, 01:01 PM
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This is a very good idea. But first of all I'll let them experience life without the lounge for a few days as an incentive. TBH it's the older children who are the worst behaved :panic:

xxxx

Good idea!

As long as you are firm and consistent (and it certainly sounds like you mean business!!) and do not hesitate to remove an 'offender' from the room for the rest of the session/day/week/month/year (delete as necesssary LOL) then they will soon learn what is and isn't acceptable behaviour.

newbie
25-04-2012, 01:07 PM
I have a playroom and try to stop the minded children from going into the living room now. I like the fact that my own children who are alot older have somewhere they can go and chill out after school away from the mindees. Plus the mindees don't respect any of my furniture and belongings :(

Hayley102
25-04-2012, 01:09 PM
I have a playroom and we converted our dinning room and kitchen into a kitchen dinner. The mindees are not allowed into the lounge. We have a TV in the playroom. It works quite well and my own children enjoy being able to get away from everyone after school if they so choose.

mushpea
25-04-2012, 03:40 PM
we have a playroom but access is through the living room so I can't really stop them from comming in here but it would be lovley if I could although would it really be home from home then if they werent allowed in here.

rickysmiths
25-04-2012, 04:04 PM
I am lucky enough for the first time in 18 years to have a playroom and I must say our grown up sitting room never has more than a travel cot in it.

I have a small TV that a minded parent gave me, in the playroom but to be honest we had it on last night for the two older after schoolies to watch a DVD but I can't remember before that when we last had it on.

It the moment I am sat at the kitchen table typing, the two older mindees are sitting just along from me at the dining table playing snakes and ladders. The two two year olds have the music box out and are playing with the shakers and rattles. All in sight and happy.

I have replied to your other thread. i would not tolerate behaviour like than and would stamp on it hard.

babs
25-04-2012, 04:22 PM
when the littleones i have were babies i used living room but for them and the playroom for older ones to come and go ,once they could master the step to the playroom on their own ie, crawling or walking down it they play in there, i do still use my living room but mainly for a sleep room in day. the little ones sometimes ask for a box to be brought in which i dont mind and they are all good and pick up before we get another box out. or we sit in there 1/2 hour before 1st pick up to watch tv once we have cleaned playroom up and fed guinea pigs..

Chimps Childminding
25-04-2012, 05:47 PM
I don't use my lounge for minding except if its the holidays and the weather is rubbish I might let the older ones in there to read or watch a dvd!! But I have a glass door from the lounge into the dining room where I mind, so I can see if they are behaving, and the first hint that they aren't they get brought back in with the babies :D

caz3007
25-04-2012, 06:02 PM
I am lucky enough to have two living rooms. One you have to go through to get to the kitchen and the other room, so thats our play room. Its actually the bigger of the two as well. Our lounge is only used for sleeping and we do have toys in there, but they belong to my DS. I used to have much older 11 year old after schoolies and they were allowed in there away from the little ones to watch tv and it was a one warning and then out.

I certainly wouldnt allow younger ones in there as tbh its not as toddler friendly now. We do have a tv in there and do use it sometimes if the weather is bad, also hubby watches the footie on it at the weekend :)

Little Pickles
25-04-2012, 06:13 PM
We have a playroom which I use for minding, our lounge is strictly out of bounds for mindee's ! Its our sanctuary !!! :littleangel: