C Club: What would you do to your setting if money were no object? Or on the flip side, what do you want to do to your house but don't as you childmind?

[SammyK]

Went on a conference yesterday and saw some lovely ideas from different settings, things like child height mirrors on walls, pulleys from ceilings, BIG tractor size tryes in the outdoor areas, etc. If I had the disposable money I could go mad! I don't let my setting size hold me back, we do large scal art activities, and I have tonnes of resources, just wish I had more freedom in what I could implement.

On the flip side my living room (a big double room) desperately needs re-papering, I would like the walls skimmed and painted (they are appalligly bumpy and cracked) but very reluctant to do so as I know they will immediately get damaged and DP would be furious. Have patches on all my walls where wallpaper has been ripped off by the toddlers yanking posters off my walls. sigh.

I know someone who had a whole seperate annex built (with kitchen as well). That sounds good to me!

ooh that sounds nice

I had a discussion with an Early Years bod a while ago when attending a training course held in a Childrens Centre. The room, which was not huge, had amazing sensory wall equipment, a "baby corner" full of textured rugs/cushions, a rackful of books (and comfy cushions to sit on), and toys/equipment galore etc.

I said that it would be wonderful to have a purpose-built room like that in my house. She made the very valid point that parents chose a childminder as they wanted a home-based setting, and all that a home would encompass - settees to doss around on (equipped with cats in my house!), kitchen cupboard doors for children to try to open, dining table to make dens under, etc.

I still like the idea of keeping the childminding stuff separate from everything else, but think that she was probably right.

I would like a big walk in storage cupboard so i can pack everything away at the end of the day and have an "adult" living room back in the evenings. I would also like an extension with big sliding doors opening out on to the garden so they can come in and out as they please, weather permitting. At the moment my back door is on the side of the house so doesn't lend it'self to this quite so much. Would also like a spare bedroom upstairs for little ones to nap in so I don't have to put them in youngest ds room. This is fine for now as he is only 2 but as he gets older I don't think he will like it so much.
The only think we would like but haven't done due to childminding is a pond.

I think I have the best of everything

I have a playroom with a sofa & cats, But I have my lounge too

I can close off the playroom when I'm not working - but I would love a dining room

I have a separate sleep room which could be a dining room - but I would have to fold cots up all the time (I want those old fashioner travel cots that fold in half - then I would put them in a cupboard)

I have way to many cupboards - But at least they store all the crap

In my house I would like an attic extension then we could foster

Or solar panels & rain/grey water recycling

What would I like to do to my house but don't because I childmind ... well ... I'd install a really hunky bloke (dh doesn't count even though he's lovely ) - I don't do it as it would take forever to get a CRB check done. And I'd probably have to write another policy.

KatyMac - when we stayed with relatives recently they had one of those travel cots and it was brand new. It took a mattress which was normal cot size, so it was much bigger than your average Graco travel cot.

My mum used to childmind, and the whole conservatory was pretty much 'their' room. It had old bedding chests round the walls to put all of the toys away in, and a cheap carpet which could be replaced easily. The walls were left as brick, so no damage to them. It was great as they could access the garden from there, which was fully enclosed with 6ft fence panels. I suppose the only problem she had was no downstairs loo.

A downstairs loo, a conservatory I could use just for CMing, a separate entrance for the mindees so there was room for their boxes and coats and wellies and everything else!

A hard surface floor one end for messy stuff and a a carpet and squashy sofas the other end.

A mirrored wall, and blackboard wall.

A office bit to one side, oh and and and and [sigh]

TP can I have a hunk as well, preferably one that can double as a assistant.

See this is why I am giving up when we move into out own house, or I would be looking for a house that I could do all that to!

I have DH - he is fairly hunky

Fourarms Do you know what make the cot was?

TheConfusedGhostoooohw I have a mirror on the wall, a hard floor for messy play, a mini loo, an office on the side, a sofa with a rug next to it & a separate entrance (& there still isn't enough room)