What sort of house do you have

[toddlers896]

Thanks for all the replies, I think I must be in the minority lol. I do have you boxes on wheel that are stored away and other resources to hand but there is nothing on show in my house. You would never know I was a cm if you popped in for a coffee, the buggy stays in the garage and apart from art work to go home, daily diaries and my daily folder on the side that's it. Looking at your replies with fantastic playrooms ect I think I may have to change my home a bit

I wonder if it puts parents off?

If you are happy with it the way it is then I wouldnt change.
My house sounds like yours. If you came for a coffee at the weekend you would never know i do childminding
apart from the notice board on the kitchen wall. All my toys are in boxes and get put away on a Friday night,
and all artwork goes home daily too. I take pictures of the artwork and it goes in a file and also the kids learning
journal as evidence.
The only way I would change mine is if I had a seperate room that I could use as a playroom but i dont so i dont
want to have posters all over my walls or toys here there and everywhere. Ime not a nursery, ime a home from home
childminder and my parents are happy with what they see.

[kel1983]

we store toys in our spare box room, pushchairs in the summer house, and a large plastic shed outside our back door. The toys and equipment still end up being in the lounge and dining room in the evenings. we do however try and put everything away at weekends. I bought a hanging display with pockets for certficates etc which could be put away but this has been hanging up since we bought it.

[migimoo]

I just have my living room,approx 12'x18', and I try to keep my childminding stuff all at the far end with carseats/buggies in the shed,I have an Ikea unit that I try to put everything away in at the end of the day but must admit...my kids are 9 and 12 and I wouldn't have all these toys in the room if I wasn't childminding so looking at it all every day does annoy me a bit

I just tell my hubby to think of how much I hated my old job and how i'm earning more now too when he moans about stuff being everywhere.......mind you he hasn't found the sparkle den or wooden kitchen boxes i've hidden behind the tumble drier yet

[lynncjt]

I'm lucky that I have a dining room that I don't really use so that is the playroom. Still decorated as a dining room and all the toys go in boxes so if I want to use the room at weekends then the boxes can be taken upstairs, but during the week all I do at night is close the door!

[Carol-Ann Woods]

I am up in Scotland.

I am lucky that i have a separate toy room upstairs as well as using my 30 foot by 11 foot top landing (for chute, rockers and small ride ons buggies etc, with a separate chill out area with a sofa, bean bags and Tv, Wii, laptop etc) my 16 foot by 7 foot bottom hall (handy when cooking and tidying), we also use the kitchen for eating and most of the crafts.

There's a handy 10 foot by 4 foot porch/vestibule at the front door, where I have my notice board, named drawer units for the kids shoes and belongings, kiddie coat stand for the wee ones and a couple of storage seats where they can sit to change over shoes etc.

My mindees don't get access to my living room or dining room but use the family room, only to get into the back garden..

I'm very fortunate to have lots of space for my daughter 10 and the 5 mindees (3 preschool and 2 school age), but lots of tidying too, toy room stays as it is but everything else gets cleared away from the top landing and bottom hall on a Friday so I get my home back at the weekend.

[francinejayne]

Thanks for all the replies, I think I must be in the minority lol. I do have you boxes on wheel that are stored away and other resources to hand but there is nothing on show in my house. You would never know I was a cm if you popped in for a coffee, the buggy stays in the garage and apart from art work to go home, daily diaries and my daily folder on the side that's it. Looking at your replies with fantastic playrooms ect I think I may have to change my home a bit

I wonder if it puts parents off?

My house is like yours! When I first started childminding my house looked like a nursery, then I took a step back and realised that it had taken over my home, which I didn't like (I don't have a separate play room), so I changed it.

I hang my certificates from my kitchen door in an A4 plastic hangy thing, they go away at the end of the day. I don't have any art work on the walls. All toys are put away other than a garage, the kitchen and the workbench, but they are out of the way and not too noticeable. If you came to my house you would just think I had a small child rather than I was a cm, and that's the way I like it - it is my home first and foremost. It has never put any parents off, so I would only change things if you are happy to do so!