May seem like an odd question?

[handeme]

Hi everyone, I am new to this and have not yet had e pre-registration visit from Ofsted but it is coming up shortly.

I just wondered, is your home very much still your home?

I live in a 3 bed semi and I don't have a dedicated play room/area (if I did I would have lots of childrens posters, number etc displayed)

On a daily basis we will used garden, kitchen diner and living room as the main are area. My little bedroom for nappy changing and my little boys room for sleeping babies (in a travel cot) and then finally the bathroom.

I have always expected childminders houses to have brightly coloured posters displayed on the walls and boxes upon boxes of toys stacked all around the house. Mine is very different. I have a huge toy/store cuboard where all the toys are stored, out of sight. I get the toys out when the children come but then they are stored back away and I don't have any posters up.

Is this OK? I really dont like things on the walls (although my little boy does have some toys story posters and number/alphabet posters on his wall in his bedroom)

If need be the bluetack will be out and I will place things on kitche doors etc !!

Sorry to go on.

C x

[Mookins]

sounds like my house but we have a lounge diner, all toys are stacked away of an evening, posters and artowork are on the doors in the hallway and a display board i bout which goes away every evening

the only thing i have trouble hidingis a huge highchair but that gets tucked away in the nappy changing room and the door shut

would love a conservatory and keep it all in there but untill im mega rich what i do now will be fine xxx:clapping:

[MAWI]

I have toys stored in all sorts of places, it has taken over my house. I have a cupboard (open shelved) in the kitchen diner area and role play cooker and little table/chairs, these are the only thing that stay permanantly. However, Art work/posters are on a removable display that comes down at weekend/holidays.
I have one board with Certificates and Ofsted cert on in hall but thats it.
I do like my home to be my home when Im not working.
I am going to have a playromm built, so that will solve all my problems. But until then........:)
Everyone will be different.

[suzyblue]

My house has been completely taken over! But then I dont live with my partner so I dont have anyone moaning about it!:clapping:

[angeldelight]

Sounds very much like my house used to look .......... those were the days ha ha

I think its early days for you yet and you will find as the years go on you do buy more things and it can take over a little

I never had posters up anywhere though and toys used to be put away out of sight.

I am lucky enough to now have a playroom and its great and I now have those posters that I always wanted but hubby moans that my stuff is everywhere still .......folders, craft things on the table ready for the next day , the list goes on ha ha

Have you thought about using your little bedroom for a tiny play room, you could put all the toys in there and have some posters up .......... the children do not have to play in there if it is too small ?

Good luck with your pre-reg inspection

Angel xx

[handeme]

I don't have a problem storing the toys and craft items I have a large toy/store cubby hole where they can go, was really just wondering if I need to display posters all around my home?

I would have posters all around if I had a play room but don't.

c x

[BlondeMoment]

I'm the same! I live in a two bedroom house and I have one spare bedroom where everything is stored. It gets brought down before the working week and is then put back up there at the weekend when it's my house again. All the children's toys are kept in boxes which just stack up.

As for the things to display - I have the children's best art work on my fridge and kitchen door which I'm happy to have stay there as it's quite sweet.
For the official stuff I have a cork board hung in the hall with my registration details and the EYFS poster we're supposed to display. That comes down at the weekend too LOL!

Ofsted visited me last month and I got a "good" so they were fine with all that. You can't sacrifice your home! It gets depressing and you'll never be able to switch off from work if you can't clear everything out of sight

x x x

[Mazz]

I'd love to have one room to use just for minding, but thats never going to happen, i have a huge cupboard that i keep almost everything in, and most of it comes out on a sunday night and goes away on a thursday when i finish work .. i use my conservatory for most of my minding but i would not want all the toys etc all over the weekend. I keep my posters for registration etc permanently on the hall wall, behind the front door, and things like kids drawings we put on the windows in the conservatory, then they get taken down on a thursday and put in their journals.

[Pipsqueak]

yep my house is still very much homelike.
We are lucky - the extension allows me to use one room for all thing childminding related - i am posh and call it my playroom.
I have tried to be clever with space and storage - failed miserably though and I have to remind my kids that we do not need to bring all the toys down from their rooms either.

Actually its coming up to a good clear out in my playroom...

as for posters and hanging mobiles etc - again reserved for my playroom.

[mama2three]

I have no playroom , but my walls are covered in displays , artwork , house rules , calendar , posters.........I just take them down every evening as they are on artists canvas so very light and quick to do. I use the top of my expedit unit as a display shelf with canvas behind any objects / creations etc.
I would love a playroom though!!

[miffy]

No playroom here either.

Posters in lounge and hallway are taken down each night but my kitchen is covered in the children's art work, alphabet friezes, calendars and posters and only gets cleared when I'm on holiday for a week or more - I've just got used to it I suppose and luckily hubby doesn't mind!

Miffy xx

[singlewiththree]

My house has been completely taken over! But then I dont live with my partner so I dont have anyone moaning about it!:clapping:

Mine too and I'm living with just my 3 children so the toys are all accessible, it might change as my girls get older. I have ikea metal strips on the wall and the pictures are stuck with magnets to it

[oneofeach]

http://www.bakerross.co.uk/product-A4-Artwork-Holders-EK350.htm

I've got a couple of these that I hang on doors, they can be taken down if I want my house back.

[clio0602]

My house sound s exactly the same layout as yours and I have 2 notice boards one in the hall and one in the dining/play area. My whole house has been taken over and I have toys in every room exept the bathroom :panic:

I bought some large seagrass trunks last wk to store all the toys in the lounge as they were taking over. I really need to sort out and prob get rid of some things. I also have boxes on my landing :( Think maybe this wkend I will have to get everything sorted :o