Fitting Childminding in your home life?... Show me your set-ups.

**Zoel91** · 03-12-2015, 11:02 PM

Do any of you childmind with no seperate space and area?
I'm wondering how to go about it without taking over the whole home (still keeping the homely feel for evenings and weekend) and also how to have the area for storing and all activities. Do any of you have ideas you could share or photos?

**Rick** · 04-12-2015, 07:41 AM

It can be hard to separate home life and work. Lots of storage, such as the Ikea ones' help.

**tess1981** · 04-12-2015, 07:43 AM

A huge garage helps me... At the weekend baby nest high chairs and prams go out to it. I have a floor to ceiling cupboard in my back hall for art stuff games etc
But it's still not enough lol I open my kitchen cupboards and see children's cups and plates my unit in the living room has drawers full of toys....

**chris goodyear** · 04-12-2015, 08:20 AM

Unless you have a whole separate room to use I think it's nearly impossible to hide all work things! I have a conservatory where all toys are kept (well not all as they wouldn't fit) and spare bedroom for travel cots, baby walkers, baby bouncer chairs etc. Buggies always outside in the garden plus garden equipment so garden always looks like a playground! Downstairs is mostly work free at weekends but saying that I just looked at the kids computer station in my dining area so that's also around all the time.

**samb** · 04-12-2015, 08:25 AM

I have a shed and my childminding items go in there. However in reality I never take down my display items, only take buggies and car seats out if I need the space in the car, always have kids pegs up, only take the dining boosters off on annual leave weeks or if we are entertaining and need the chair etc... But I find it just blends in and becomes normal. My children are 10 and 7 so I wouldn't have some things if I wasn't minding but I still feel it's homely.

**AliceK** · 04-12-2015, 10:11 AM

I didn't used to have a separate room, I used to use one end of my lounge diner as the play area but at that time my own children were only 2 and 5 so I had loads of toys about anyway. Luckily 5 years ago I moved into this house which has a separate room which I use as a playroom so now my lounge is my own and no childminding stuff is in there. My buggies get put in the playroom at weekends, the booster seats and highchair get put in the garage so the house is back to normal. Except the kitchen which has my paperwork pile in

. I honestly have nowhere else to put it, everywhere is full.
I do sometimes feel cross about all the other uses I could have for what is the playroom, I would love to have it as a den / games room for my own children, they could have TV, Xbox, pool table etc in there but hey ho, we have to make sacrifices don't we lol.

xx

**Maza** · 04-12-2015, 10:14 AM

If you looked at my home during weekends you would never guess that I was a childminder. However, if you opened any one of my cupboards, drawers or looked under my bed, then you would be in no doubt that I was a childminder, lol.

**loocyloo** · 04-12-2015, 12:57 PM

If you didn't look in the playroom or dining room then you wouldn't know I was a childminder, if you ignore the unit of nappies etc in downstairs toilet, the welcome poster etc in porch and the toys in the garden!

Plus one look at me would tell you! ... at this time of year I'm usually covered in glitter!

However, everyone knows what I do and it's part of me. If people don't like it, then tough!

**Ellisha** · 04-12-2015, 02:22 PM

I have no separate space for childminding. I have stuff out all the time, but my own kids are 2 and 5 so it would be pretty similar to this anyway!! Sorry, I am of no help! But my long term plan once the kids are a bit older is to buy some nicer storage for my living room area that the toys, etc can be hidden away in. I only started childminding in May and I don't think I have that many toys/resources compared to a lot of CMs and I don't intend to get much more. We do a lot of craft stuff and use natural resources for lots of activities.

**watford wizz** · 04-12-2015, 02:53 PM

I started minding 24 years ago and my aim was to provide a home for children who for whatever reason couldn't be in their own home. I work week ends and overnight. So sorry if you want a "house for grown ups" you won't find it here. Maybe when I retire, but then there will probably be more grandchildren.
I take great delight in seeing little hand prints here and there, precious things stuck on my wall, fridge, freezer or Windows. I love toys and books and craft stuff about.
I grew up in a magnolia box show home so guess I have a different view.