Daycare in Basement? Advice Please!

[Daycare_Mama]

Does anyone have their primary daycare space in their basement? Do you love it or not so much? I have a dilemma and would appreciate some input!

My younger brother needs to move in with us, so I have to rearrange our house. Currently, I have my playroom in a large room right off the dining room/kitchen. It's a large room (200 square feet) and has 4 big windows, so it gets great natural light in it. It makes me (us) feel not so cooped up on freezing cold winter days where we can't go outside. It's also great because I can easily keep an eye on the kids while I get meals ready. Now that my brother needs to move in with us, I basically have two options:

Option 1. Our 3.5 year old daughter gives up her bedroom to my brother and we move our daughter into our room. The rest of the house can stay exactly as I have it now. My daughter giving up her room won't be an issue for her at all. She only uses it for sleeping - she never plays in it - only really plays in the playroom and the rest of the house. We, however, don't especially love the idea of sharing our room with her. There is enough space for her to have her own bed in our room, but I still feel like we'd lose our intimacy/privacy. Is this crazy to contemplate sharing our bedroom with our almost 4 year old (when my brother moves in)?

Option 2. Current playroom goes bye-bye (to become a bedroom) and we move daycare into the finished basement. It is finished and even larger (370 square feet) and would obviously be even more daycare space then I have in our current playroom. We honestly don't spend much time down there, so it becoming the daycare space would be no problem. There are 2 things that I'm not sure of though. There are NO windows down there. It is connected to 2 bedrooms with legal egress windows, so it's legal in that regard, but the no natural light thing is bothering me. I feel like we will feel cooped up down there with no natural light that we won't even want to spend our time down there. My other concern is how would it work for pick-ups and drop-offs? I wouldn't want to be running up and down over and over, so would we just hang out upstairs for a bit during those times of day? And same thing for meals...we'd have to come upstairs for meal time as well.

So, does anyone do daycare in a basement with no windows? Or would you if it was a large space and meant you didn't have to share a room with your child? What are your thoughts on it? I'm so conflicted on what I should do! Thanks for your input!

[Oneluckymom]

I am in a similar situation as you. I have my daycare in a basement type set up however it is convenient because I have a walk out, with parent access from my drive way, and I have a refridgerator and microwave to heat up meals...lots of natural light helps.

I suggest make it easy on yourself, your already established with the wY you have it now. Im not sure how long your brother is with you but I would say just have your daughter sleep in your room....she's stll so little. You can set up her own little bed. I can't tell you how many times we have done this with our own kids. It's really not a big deal for us.

[Breezy]

No advice really except to say that my parents, sister (18) and brother (8) live in a 2 bedroom apartment. My brother shares a room with my parents and my sister has her own room. My brother has been in with them since he was younger than your DD. Its obviously not the best situation but there is no other option until my sister moves out. It is basically his room with Indian Jones posters all over the walls and lego cities all over. His toys are all in their small walk in closet.

So, it works but I am sure my parents have no intimacy or privacy which I am sure stinks for them but they manage!

Not sure if that is helpful at all. I would hate having no natural light I would go nuts!

[mac60]

Just wondering why you don't give your brother a room in the finished basement. That appears to be the easier solution, then nothing would change for you or your daughter.

[melskids]

Just wondering why you don't give your brother a room in the finished basement. That appears to be the easier solution, then nothing would change for you or your daughter.

I'd put him in the basement too. You didn't say how old your brother is, but if it was me, I would want privacy from him and for him more then anything, especially if he is an adult. kwim?

[Lianne]

I'd have your brother stay in the basement. That way your home stays 'yours' as it already is and he has his own separate space for privacy which is always appreciated. This is assuming your brother is an adult or at least an older teen.

[DaisyMamma]

I'd put him in the basement too. You didn't say how old your brother is, but if it was me, I would want privacy from him and for him more then anything, especially if he is an adult. kwim?

agreed.

[bunnyslippers]

I have my daycare in the basement, and do sometimes feel cooped up. On the other hand, it really helps keep the rest of my house as my own - not as intrusive with the parents and children only being in my basement. I have a fridge and a microwave down there, so I prepare meals ahead of time and just reheat while I am down there.

[godiva83]

I think if your daycare arrangement upstairs is working and working well for you, don't change it! Don't fix what isn't broke sort of deal.

However, if you want to move into the basement I suggest getting a video/intercom doorbell so you can see who is there and your not constantly running up and down stairs. As for the lack of light that would bug me and actually go against regulations here.
Do you have lots of pot lights, or lights you can switch on?

The easiest solution from reading your post seems to be moving your bro to the basement. Depending on his age of course

[busymommy0420]

I am pretty sure you have to have natural light and vent coming into the basement for your daycare. I want to say 8% of the total square feet. I could not put my daycare in my basement because of this so we use it on a limited amount per day. No more then two hours. I have our Littlest Pet Shops set up down there and it is our home theater.

[Meeko]

Other people beat me to it, but I would have your brother in the basement too. He could have his his own space which would make him feel more like he was at home and less like a visitor who had displaced people.

[wdmmom]

How long are you anticipating your brother staying with you?

If it's only going to be throughout the summer or short term, I'd move your daughter in with you or put your brother in a basement bedroom.

If you anticipate it being long term, the room in the basement is still the most ideal answer.

[AnythingsPossible]

The basement for your brother was my first thought as well!!

[Daycare_Mama]

Thanks everyone for your response! I should have clarified...my brother having one of the basement rooms is an option, but currently 2 of my sons (8 and 11) share one of the basement bedrooms and my 3.5 year old daughter is in the other.

So either my brother takes my daughters room downstairs, daughter moves into our bedroom, and playroom upstairs stays the same. Or my brother moves into the playroom and I have to make the playroom be downstairs. Basically if I want to keep the rest of the house as it is, our daughter has to be in our room. If I want my daughter to still have her own room, I have to lose the upstairs playroom to the basement.

I don't think the basement is a licensing issue...although it doesn't have windows, down the hall there are the 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and store room all with window. It has proper vents and tons of recessed light (so it is bright, just not naturally).

Also, my brother is 22 and will be finishing up his last semester of college (he won't be moving in until September). He will be with us at a minimum until the new year, but unless he finds a job right away, it will be longer.

[cheerfuldom]

yeah, why cant the brother move downstairs?

we have our daycare in the basement and I love it. there IS going up and down stairs though....not a biggie because my DC parents are very consistent with dropoffs and pickups. I just run a kid upstairs when I know the parent is going to be here. OR you can leave the door unlocked during pickup and the parents come downstairs themselves.