Do any of you use an upstairs room?

[sprinkles]

We live in a three bedroom house which is quite large and I am registered to use the conservatory as the play room and also the living room too. I just had a thought though - do any of you use an upstairs room/bedroom as a play room? The bedroom is much bigger than the conservatory and since we already have another room, with no plans for children any time soon, I wondered if moving the play room upstairs would be an option? And still have the option of moving back downstairs if we wanted. The conservatory is like a greenhouse in this weather and is actually unbearable so the kids would end up bringing all the toys into the living room anyway. I also thought it would mean come 6pm, I can close the door on it all and have our living room and conservatory as our space! Lots more wall space too for hanging things up etc as, obviously, conservatory is all windows!

Would love to hear what it's like for anyone who does this?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I use all of my house - gives me options

[QualityCare]

If you haven't got upstairs registered would you need to inform ofsted of changes, l don't use my upstairs for minding at all, if you did decide to have an upstairs playroom what would you do about preparing snacks and meals would you leave children, take them all downstairs and so disrupting a game or activity, you may have two non walkers, to me it would be a lot of up and down stairs. There will probably be some replies from minders who do this and there are no drawbacks. Good luck with your decision.

[sprinkles]

If you haven't got upstairs registered would you need to inform ofsted of changes, l don't use my upstairs for minding at all, if you did decide to have an upstairs playroom what would you do about preparing snacks and meals would you leave children, take them all downstairs and so disrupting a game or activity, you may have two non walkers, to me it would be a lot of up and down stairs. There will probably be some replies from minders who do this and there are no drawbacks. Good luck with your decision.

I'm in Scotland but am just thinking about the pros and cons before asking my inspector about it.

I would be keeping the downstairs as well but main room upstairs so we can still bring activities etc downstairs. My table and chairs for little ones is in the living room and would stay there. I don't provide meals or snacks so it is minimal preparation for them.

Obviously I would then need to register the upstairs bathroom too but it is actually a lot bigger than the downstairs loo anyway.

It may not work but it was an idea I thought I would look into :)

[Carol-Ann Woods]

I am in Scotland too and use both downstairs and upstairs for childminding.

I use 2 of my 3 bedrooms for sleeping children along with my main bathroom (where my wall mounted chaning unit is situated) and have a playroom upstairs aswell as a large top landing
(30 foot by 11 foot) which also has a chill out area with a sofa, TV, DVD etc.

[sprinkles]

I am in Scotland too and use both downstairs and upstairs for childminding.

I use 2 of my 3 bedrooms for sleeping children along with my main bathroom (where my wall mounted chaning unit is situated) and have a playroom upstairs aswell as a large top landing
(30 foot by 11 foot) which also has a chill out area with a sofa, TV, DVD etc.

Your house sounds huge lol! Your landing is nearly as big as my living room lol!

So what do you do when preparing meals etc?

[Bumble Beez]

I use all of the ground floor of our three bed semi for minding...however upstairs is registered as that's where the toilet is.
I only use one of the rooms for babies to sleep in from time to time but never for playing.
Wish I had that option tho :)

Sarah x

[sprinkles]

I use all of the ground floor of our three bed semi for minding...however upstairs is registered as that's where the toilet is.
I only use one of the rooms for babies to sleep in from time to time but never for playing.
Wish I had that option tho :)

Sarah x

I don't have a specific room for them sleeping so thought we could go downstairs in the afternoon and any sleepers can sleep in upstairs playroom?

What do you all do if you use an upstairs room for sleeping? Do you use monitors etc?

[Petshrinklj]

I'm not registered yet but I plan to register two of my upstairs rooms. One for sleeping (mindees not me lol) and I have one teeny room that I'm hoping to make into a library. As I have a ridiculous amount of kids books. So it will hopefully be a snugly quiet room to hopefully wind down before nap time. However at the moment both these rooms are full of boxes that haven't been unpacked yet and loads of random things that I just don't know where to put so they get thrown in these rooms.

[hectors house]

Lots of houses these days have 3 floors with lounges on middle floor (new build town houses) so can't see that having an upstairs playroom is too much of a problem especially if you don't do meals and you have upstairs bathroom. Not much different from half of the baby rooms in Nurseries around me, most of them seem to be upstairs - you would need to think about what you would do with children if door bell rings though. This is reason I haven't got a paddling pool in garden as too much hastle to get 3 mindees out of pool and indoors soaking wet for me to open door to a cold caller:angry:

[sprinkles]

Very true! I put it to OH today and he said he had the idea last night but never said anything (I think he's trying to take my credit!) so I've emailed my inspector to ask him what I would need to do. Tbh, our bell never goes unless it's the postman and the room we will be in is directly above the front door so I can easily see if it's anyone worth going to the door for.

[Bumble Beez]

I don't have a specific room for them sleeping so thought we could go downstairs in the afternoon and any sleepers can sleep in upstairs playroom?

What do you all do if you use an upstairs room for sleeping? Do you use monitors etc?

Yes I use a monitor and check periodically too...works well :)

Sarah x

[Bumble Beez]

I'm not registered yet but I plan to register two of my upstairs rooms. One for sleeping (mindees not me lol) and I have one teeny room that I'm hoping to make into a library. As I have a ridiculous amount of kids books. So it will hopefully be a snugly quiet room to hopefully wind down before nap time. However at the moment both these rooms are full of boxes that haven't been unpacked yet and loads of random things that I just don't know where to put so they get thrown in these rooms.

Ooh a book nook...I would love a book nook :( lots of cushions and beanbags etc, colourful wallpaper, different book character cuddly toys...etc etc etc...I'm getting all carried away now!

Sarah x

[lynncjt]

As your in Scotland you need to check out the fire regs.

I looked at registering upstairs but for me it was going to cost to much to conform to the fire regs - I would either need fire doors downstairs or mains fire alarms in all rooms downstairs! I'm in an old house - if you're in a newer house it might already conform.

[bindy]

No harm in trying it out. It could work really well. I was forever changing roomsi into play rooms, had to try all before I knew what would work best for me.

[sprinkles]

As your in Scotland you need to check out the fire regs.

I looked at registering upstairs but for me it was going to cost to much to conform to the fire regs - I would either need fire doors downstairs or mains fire alarms in all rooms downstairs! I'm in an old house - if you're in a newer house it might already conform.

Mains fire alarms in all rooms??? I've already had to put a mains fire alarm in the downstairs hall and on the upstairs landing which are interlinked! I have a heat detector in my kitchen and another mains connected alarm in the living room as they had to be put in to meet building regulations when we converted our garage into a utility.

I've emailed my inspector to ask what I would need to do so will see what he says.

[scottishlass]

Mains fire alarms in all rooms??? I've already had to put a mains fire alarm in the downstairs hall and on the upstairs landing which are interlinked! I have a heat detector in my kitchen and another mains connected alarm in the living room as they had to be put in to meet building regulations when we converted our garage into a utility.

I've emailed my inspector to ask what I would need to do so will see what he says.

I have same as you with mains powered alarms in upstairs and downstairs hall interlinked. I was told if using a bedroom for sleeping children I would have to add a mains powered alarm to that bedroom too even though there is one right outside the door in the landing - dont know of this is only for sleeping that you have to do this though xx

[sprinkles]

I have same as you with mains powered alarms in upstairs and downstairs hall interlinked. I was told if using a bedroom for sleeping children I would have to add a mains powered alarm to that bedroom too even though there is one right outside the door in the landing - dont know of this is only for sleeping that you have to do this though xx

I hope it's only for sleeping - spent enough money on alarms already! I'm hoping it's because they are unsupervised when sleeping. Will see what my inspector comes back with.

[lynncjt]

It's up to the fire brigade to agree not our inspectors.

If you google 'scotland childminding fire regulations' there is a link to the SCWIS site with the document for childminders.

[scottishlass]

I hope it's only for sleeping - spent enough money on alarms already! I'm hoping it's because they are unsupervised when sleeping. Will see what my inspector comes back with.

Yeah it probably is - the mains powered alarms were so expensive - defo my biggest thing I had to buy xx

[sprinkles]

It's up to the fire brigade to agree not our inspectors.

If you google 'scotland childminding fire regulations' there is a link to the SCWIS site with the document for childminders.

I meant I would find out what I all need to do from my inspector first.

That document confuses me - so many different pictures etc saying where alarms should be!

I'll maybe email my fireman and ask him :)

[Carol-Ann Woods]

Your house sounds huge lol! Your landing is nearly as big as my living room lol!

So what do you do when preparing meals etc?

Hi there, I also use my downstairs hallway (7 foot by 16 foot) and the children play there while I'm preparing snack and lunch etc, I have a safety gate at my kitchen door so we can see each other.

[oxfordshirecm]

I registered the whole house- I use two bedrooms to sleep little ones in

[Samijanec]

I just use downstairs, I was told I'd need fire proof doors I I wanted the children to sleep upstairs. To be honest I like he

[Samijanec]

Grr didn't mean to post. As I was saying I like the fact that my upstairs is just my space.

[oxfordshirecm]

Fire proof doors? Really? Who told you that? Mine aren't and Ofsted didn't say anything on my inspection either :/

[lynncjt]

I just use downstairs, I was told I'd need fire proof doors I I wanted the children to sleep upstairs. To be honest I like he

I was told the same - bit of a shame really I would have like to offer overnight care but would not be worthwhile financially!

[lynncjt]

Fire proof doors? Really? Who told you that? Mine aren't and Ofsted didn't say anything on my inspection either :/

I believe the rules up here in Scotland are a lot stricter and it's the Fire Brigade that check not the Care Inspectors. (our version of OFSTED...!)