What room do you use for childcare? or can you use the whole house?

[Ripeberry]

Hi, i'm seriously thinking about being a childminder, i've done Home Care for the elderly and enjoyed it but the hours just don't help my familly and you can't rely on getting Christmas and New Year off.
I'm lucky enough to have a 4 bedroom house with an extension (but it leaks and is single glazed), but if i put a heater in it it's quite warm even in winter.
Just want to know, do you have an area of the house set aside just for childminding?
Or do you have to put away everything everyday so that you home feels like its "yours" again.
I've got two DDs aged 3 and 6 and at the moment their toys are everywhere, but one bedroom upstairs is being used as a playroom.
Do any of you use an upstairs room for childminding? or does it all have to be on the groundfloor?
Thank you
AB

Easier to register only the downstairs in my view - no difficulties with fire escape plan then, as in a big emergency you could just open a window to get out.
A childminder I know, has a split lounge/playroom - so closes off the lounge area and uses the playroom for childminding - thus can leave toys, posters on display.

I've got the whole house registered, but only because the bathroom is upstairs. I have used our bedroom for the travel cot in the past too, but generally Ihave enough room downstairs. I've got 3 reception rooms downstairs, so we go in which ever one suits our needs at the time. Front room, for quite time, dining room for messy stuff and backroom for easy access when we're in the garden.

I do like to avoid the front room as much as possible, so its usually only books that go in there, but the toys are left all week in the other two rooms and cleared away on a Friday night.

Maureen, if you register upstairs what kind of fire escape plan do you have?
Do you have to have a fire escape ladder? or just be able to get out of a window?
I've already got smoke detectors upstairs and downstairs and have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen.
What other fire stuff do you need?
AB

i have the whole house the same as mo as bathroom is upstairs and the travel cot (when used) goes in my room
invite the fire service to your home to go through fire esacapes which can be added to your policy, they are lovely and went through different ways to get out and also added an extra smoke alarm to my home.

my children used to let other children in their room to play when they were youndger so i got their room ofsteded but now they are older hardly anybody goes up there but they can if they want

All my windows open fully, big enough for a lump like my DH to easily climb out of! They are, of course, all locked, but a key is on my key ring in my pocket all day. I've got a flat roof out the back and a wing & a prayer out the front! [gtin]

You'll need fire blanket in the kitchen, but all this will be covered in your training, so don't panic. Basically, as long as you have a relatively normal house, you can become registered. There's not any major work you'll need to do, unless of course you have open plan stairs or a 12ft uncovered swimming pool in your garden!