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View Full Version : How to create the right environment without a nursery feel?



littlebears1009
29-05-2014, 01:31 PM
How do you guys make your home look stimulating and like it is for childminding whilst also keeping it looking like a home not a nursery? My hubby is very supportive of me doing this however does not want our house to look like a nursery, very understandable as neither do i. I currently have my toy boxes and toy storage in my utilty at the back of the house and let the little ones go round and choose a box or two to bring into the living space. (I have a few small daily toys perm "hidden" in the living room) The only thing is when you walk onto the house it looks nothing like a chilminders home because everything is in one room and gets stored away. Even all the art work is on the walls in their, and unfortunately we only have 1 large living room and no play room!

Lal
29-05-2014, 01:43 PM
I'm really interested in any ideas on this too. :)

tess1981
29-05-2014, 01:56 PM
Do you have to make it look nursery like in England. In northern Ireland we advertise as home based child carers. All my equipment gets packed away into a large cupboard or larger items in the garage art work displayed on fridge and sent home after a few days parents on first visit are told of what I have and offer but I want the children to feel at home so I keep it looking like a home. They ask for stuff they want and I keep a box of toys out during the day

Mouse
29-05-2014, 03:43 PM
I think you become quite inventive, so your house can be childminding like during the day, but back to a home in the evening.

For example, Ofsted are hot on children seeing writing around the place, but that doesn't mean you have to have posters up or labels on toy boxes.

Things like this are good as you can hang them up in the daytime, but take them down again at night.

PICTURE POCKET WALL HANGING PHOTO FRAME ALBUM A4 SIZE 18 ARTWORKS | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PICTURE-POCKET-WALL-HANGING-PHOTO-FRAME-ALBUM-A4-SIZE-18-ARTWORKS-/261131997976)

I also have laminated photos of the children with their name written underneath. I stick them to the door in the morning, then pack them away when the children go home.

Rugs are another trick. Put a child-friendly rug down in the day time, but fold it away when there are no children there. I have various different rugs - alphabet & numbers, world map, animals etc. They make the place look child-like during the day, but are easily removed.

I do have a playroom now, but when I didn't, you really wouldn't have known I was a childminder out of working hours. There was no sign of anything to do with children as it all got packed awway each day.

littlebears1009
29-05-2014, 04:03 PM
Ok thanks. The rugs and wall art are brill ideas. I have a road/village rug, never occurred to me to leave it out as a rug even if they arent playing with it!
Just worried that when parents come for a visit they wont choose me as its bland even tho its not, i just store everything well!

Lal
29-05-2014, 04:52 PM
I feel a little trip to ikea for inspiration may be in order.......

littlebears1009
29-05-2014, 04:52 PM
I feel a little trip to ikea for inspiration.......

Oh dont tempt me :-D

Mouse
29-05-2014, 05:14 PM
Ok thanks. The rugs and wall art are brill ideas. I have a road/village rug, never occurred to me to leave it out as a rug even if they arent playing with it!
Just worried that when parents come for a visit they wont choose me as its bland even tho its not, i just store everything well!

I only ever have parents come for a first visit while I'm not working. Before I had the playroom I would get one box of toys out, suited to the age of the child they had, but they basically saw the house as a normal home. Even now I usually see parents in the lounge, not the playroom, so again, they see a normal, family home. I'll show them the playroom, but we don't sit in there.

What I also do is keep a photo album with pictures of children playing, of activities I have set up, of craft we've done, trips we've been on, how the house is set up when I'm minding etc. It gives parents an insight into what the house is like during a normal working day. Subsequent visits are done while I'm working, so parents get to see how things are with children around then.

I have to say, despite the very laid back, childminding-free first visits, the majority of parents do come back & sign up :thumbsup:

Happy Bunny
30-05-2014, 09:55 AM
I am lucky enough to have a small box room downstairs that I store all my toys in.
On my kitchen wall I have canvas paintings which the children have done, but that is it.

I like my home to be mine at the end of the day.

I hide all the outside toys behind the summer house when not working.

I only use my kitchen/dining area whilst working (the lounge is MINE lol) I set up a drawing table, get 2 sets of resources out, when the children want to do something different I put the other toys etc away.

We go out nearly everyday somewhere so are only in half of the day.

My house will never be a nursery and as one of my lovely parents put it, ' I chose you as I want my child brought up in a home not a nursery'