How many kids / how big a house?

**Nature'sKids!** · 11-10-2011, 02:28 PM

I know how many you're allowed but what about the size of your house? How big is your house and how many have you got?
I could have two ey kids but have two of my own too - live in a 3 bed semi with a small(!) kitchen diner, small conservatory and decentish size living room. Ds (4 1/2)will roam free in his room upstairs too. (are mindees allowed to do this?)
Thoughts? Experiences?

**Helen79** · 11-10-2011, 02:43 PM

I live in a teeny 2 bed flat and I'm allowed 4 mindees plus my own 2 children.

Mindee's will be allowed upstairs if you register the rooms and you're happy for them to be up there. My bedroom and the kids rooms are registered so that younger mindee's can sleep in there.

**Nature'sKids!** · 11-10-2011, 02:49 PM

Well they're going to have to go upstairs to usethe loo anyway! Lol

**AliceK** · 11-10-2011, 02:49 PM

We live in a decent size 3 beds. I'm lucky to have a seperate playroom and also a big kitchen / breakfast room where all the children can eat / messy play etc. I have the upstairs registered and sometimes DS will take one of the after schoolies up with him to play but I have to be able to trust them or they aren't allowed. I used to use my bedroom for babies / young toddlers to sleep in but as soon as they come out of a cot they sleep downstairs. In an ideal world I would like a utility room (for the dogs muddy paws) but you can't have it all.

xxx

**Mollymop** · 11-10-2011, 03:25 PM

I live in a standard size 3 bed semi and I am allowed the full ratio of 6 under 8.
To put it into perspective I was told by an inspector that you can have the full ratio as long as you have room that is a big as a double bedroom ( you can not include your halls, bathroom and toilets but you can include lounges, kitchens and conservatories)
So if you have a room that is as big as a double sized bedroom (which most people have) you should be fine to have the full ratio xx

**mummyMia** · 11-10-2011, 03:36 PM

I live in a small 3 bed terrace with only a kitchen diner and a living room downstairs. The whole house is registered but I only use the upstairs for naps. I certainly would not let mindees roam about up there! My after school mindees have never set foot upstairs. My 19month old mindee uses it for naps and sometimes comes up with me briefly if I need to help my children get dressed. I am registered for the full number of children and for 1 overnight

**ChocolateChip** · 11-10-2011, 07:09 PM

I have a standard 3 bed semi, no downstairs loo or porch or anything and I am allowed the full ratio.
The upstairs is only used for the bathroom and for babies to sleep in their travel cots, I would not now allow mindees to play upstairs. I did used to as both my ds and older dd had a mindee in their class so were very good friends, but it caused issues with the boy jumping off my son's high bed, and my older dd would not let my youngest one play with them so I put a stop to it completely to stop all the arguing.
I would let your own kids keep their bedrooms for their own space, they might need it to chill out away from the mindees at times!

**Velleity** · 11-10-2011, 07:47 PM

I live in a two bedroom maisonette however we use both bedrooms for childminding as they only have child size beds in and we use a sofa-bed in the living room at night. This allowed us to have the full ratio. Have a decent sized garden and actually the space inside is fairly decent for a maisonette. The Ofsted Inspector seemed fine with it - said it was well laid out. I think you can do a lot with a small space if you organise it well.

**PixiePetal** · 11-10-2011, 07:58 PM

I used to live in a small 3 bed terraced house - one inspector measured my living/dining room with one of those things that sends a beam across room to measure it and did a few calculations - then told me, by measurements, I could have 5 1/2 children

We kept it at 4 as that was all I wanted at the time

**murrayspud** · 11-10-2011, 08:15 PM

I live in a 1930's semi with a large garden. I am restiricted to 3 children due to local council restrictions - if I want more children up to the Ofsted limits of 6 uder 8, I have to apply for planning permission.

I was also told at pre-inspection, that my house was small!!!!!! Whether the inspector liven in some sort on mansion I don't know, but I would not consider my house to be small!

Kathryn x

**Nature'sKids!** · 12-10-2011, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by ChocolateChip

I have a standard 3 bed semi, no downstairs loo or porch or anything and I am allowed the full ratio.
The upstairs is only used for the bathroom and for babies to sleep in their travel cots, I would not now allow mindees to play upstairs. I did used to as both my ds and older dd had a mindee in their class so were very good friends, but it caused issues with the boy jumping off my son's high bed, and my older dd would not let my youngest one play with them so I put a stop to it completely to stop all the arguing.
I would let your own kids keep their bedrooms for their own space, they might need it to chill out away from the mindees at times!

Yes, I was going to follow my kids lead on that - but as ds is homeschooled he would probably enjoy it more so as he can have alone time any time during the day.
It would probably be only for kids 3 years plus