One of the best things about home child care is that it provides to children the most natural of settings - the family home. While other childcare settings need to create housekeeping, sleeping areas and quiet corners, these are already a part of your home. Your challenge is to adapt your home to the extra challenges of home child care.
One of the best ideas I ever heard was to purchase an area rug to lay over your carpet. At night or on the weekends, roll the rug up and stick it away, leaving your carpets looking new and
clean!
Stack mild crates and assign one crate to each child for personal items.
Install a row of hooks low enough for children to reach, with rubber trays underneath for winter or rain boots.
Set up plastic stacking baskets near the coat hooks to hold hats, scarves, mitts.
A shelf near the front door can hold artwork and treasure to be taken home, or you could make a wall handing with pockets for each of the children’s items.
Some providers like to sleep the children in separate bedrooms while others prefer one room so they can watch them all at the same time. I have always enjoyed sleeping them in one room and reading longer fairytales or chapter books to them.
Dim the lights, put the phone on a quieter ring and a note on the door to please knock instead of ringing the doorbell.
Quiet activity bags with paper and crayons, foam puzzle or other quiet toys or books can be given to older children for a quiet rest time.
Furniture moved to create private spaces in one room may help more active children
Curtains slipped on a rod and hung from the ceiling can help to separate light from dark areas in a room
Plastic tablecloths can be purchased cheaply to form a waterproof pad under children's blankets or mats to protect floors or beds from accidents
Have nap time gear stored on a shelf low enough for children to help themselves. Pillowcases make good sorters for keeping kids individual sleeping gear clean.
Toy Storage
Wear an apron with pockets for picking up all the little things in a day.
Wooden cubes painted in bright colors provide not only a shelf for storage but a place to sit or a table top to work on.
Milk crates and laundry baskets make good storage boxes also
Separate the play area from the driving area. Install a self-closing and self latching mechanism on the gate.
Wheels on all of the furniture makes for handy rearranging.
If possible set aside one cupboard or at least a large shelf to store changes of clothing, diapers, etc.
When purchasing equipment, particularly large items like carriages, strollers and play pens, consider how easy it will be to set up take down and store as well as it’s durability, safety and cost.
2. Mittens will dry faster on mitten dryers, available at a reasonable cost at hardware or department store. A coffee mug tree will also do the trick
The old trick of stuffing your boots with newspaper and putting them in front of a register/vent still works
Purchase a portable clothes line (with suction cups at either end) and hang clothing over the bathtub for a quicker dry.
Eliminate as mush of the clutter as possible with planning and organization. A tidy uncluttered environment will encourage children to put things away, help you feel more relaxed and in control, and make your home a safer and more pleasant place to spend the day for all of you.
Think about the favorites places you like to shop. What makes them appeal to you? How do they look - are they clean or cluttered? How do they smell? Do they make you feel comfortable? Now think about your home, as a stranger entering it, how would it appear? . Make a list of your homes positive and negative characteristics.
The most logical place to serve meals and snacks is your kitchen. But if your play area has access to a sink and the floor is easily cleaned, you may prefer to serve meals and snacks there. Where ever you decide to have meals and snacks, make sure that the floor is easy to wipe up, or cover the floor with heavy plastic for easier clean-up.
Tables
Adult size cut down, card tables
Regular height - provide booster chairs if they need them
Pop cases
Piece of countertop remnant and add legs
Quiet time space
A corner with a pillow or a big comfy couch with books nearby.
Curtain off a corner by tieing a clothesline between two nails or hooks. hang an attractive sheet or cloth over the cord. Add a lamp behind the curtain for reading or even a shadow show.
Refrigerator boxes make nice quiet places. They can be painted, curtains added, doors and windows cut.
Put a rug down in your main play area to save your carpet.
Behind the couch makes a nice storage place for portable cribs, flannel boards and other thin items
*Submitted by Sherry