How much space should a babysitter have in her apartment?

Question

I'm trying to find a sitter for my 16 month old but am struggling because of the sizes of apartments. We have a 1900sqft house of which our son gets about 1700sqft to play in, so small apartments seem too small for him, and large apartments aren't a whole lot better.

My son is a product of his environment. Since he has tons of space at home to play, run, and mess around in, he enjoys running and exploring and having all of that room. When he's in small areas he struggles, which makes those who are with him struggle.

So, what are some ideas and options that you can share? Should I try to find someone who can come to my home, find an actual daycare, just deal with him being in someone's smaller apartment, or what else?

I'm not expecting them to have as much space as we do (it's way too much for us, I promise), but I'm worried about the space adjustment. Apartments are great, but how small would be too small?

Answer 1

You have the right to feel the way you do.  It's your baby, and if you don't want him cared for in a small apartement then you are entitled to look elsewhere.  

If you're are considering daycare, it's certainly not going to be a better option in that department.  Children hardly ever leave their one room which is usually like 500 sq ft.

Having someone come to your home is a fine idea, just remember that its more costly.

Or you could just keep looking for someone who operates out of a house or an apartment you feel more comfortable with.  If you're getting a bad vibe from these places, trust your instincts.  

Craigslist is a valuable resource in finding childcare from home.

www.craigslist.com

Good luck!

Answer 2

You have the wrong priority in looking for a care provider.   The person should be good with children, have excellent references, provide child with love and affection.  A safe environment is mandatory, size should not be the issue

Answer 3

enough room so that the child can play without getting hurt and so that the child doesnt have much to get into

Answer 4

your son is going to have to get use to different enviroments. if you feel comforable with a babysitter in your house, then have one come to your house. but it wont do any harm to allow him to go to another persons home even if its a small apartment. im not saying anyone would rob you, but it would be a better idea to keep people out of your house when your not there if ya know what i mean. i wouldnt look at it as the size of the place he has to be in. i would watch who hes with. as long as the person watching him is sweet and caring to your son, then i wouldnt freak about it.

Answer 5

If space is that important to you, than you should hire someone who is willing to come into your home.  That way you are certain that the area he is in is comfortable for him, plus baby proofed.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Oh my, that IS a lot space!  Our home is 500 sq ft!  I'm not kidding!  Bradley still runs us ragged at 14 months old!  Although we have a huge fenced in yard (at least two acres) which he loves to spend a lot of his time exploring, running, mowing with his Fisher Price mower, etc.  We are also lucky that our daycare provider has about the same space as we do and a huge fenced in yard so he feels right at home.   I would say your child needs to different learn about new environments but maybe not a tiny apartment.  As long as the babysitter has a large yard to play in your child should be fine.

Answer 7

most babysitters come to your house. so if he is use to that, just invite the babysitter over your place

Answer 8

Well, you know your son best.  Have you tried to find a sitter who has access to a yard or is close to a park?  Or one that would be willing to take your little guy to a nearby gym class or something like that.  I don't know what is available in your area.

The best advice you can take is to listen to your son.  (okay...for those who are going to criticize my answer...I don't mean in so many words) but try out a sitter and you'll know when he comes home if he is not adjusting to the small space.

Having someone come to your home is not a bad idea either...you may just pay more.  

A day care is another good option as your son will have constant stimulation, but if you are looking for some more one on one attention you'd be better to have a sitter come to you.

Answer 9

We have a large house & yard - Mainly because of the farm.

However the kids when they go to school or Nursery, have very little indoor space, and a basic outdoor play area.

When we looked into finding care for William & Tobias, it was our main concern - But however like you, we were interested enough to make sure, they had space to run.

The thing is when they are put into care, the Carers will do different activities to stimulate their brains. I know our son's Learning Centre paints and colours and they build little things.

Outside they ride their bikes, and play with gymnastic equipment.

I will say this as a friend - They won't let your son run around like he does at home. Mind are like Daredevils at home, but at their Learning Centre they are Creative and Perfect young gentlemen. It's a great structured environment.

I would highly recommend you putting him an Early Learning Centre - I have found them just FANTASTIC. We searched and searched Daycares (all kinds) and found this was perfect for us.

Plus in some ways it has prepared my boys for school, and being Big Brothers.

My biggest fear with someone's small apartment is that there are too many things they could run into. We don't have apartments where I live, maybe we do in town. But I'd be so scared to send my kids there, because it isn't something I know. I could see my kids jumping out windows.

Answer 10

Let the learning process begin...things won't alwasy be ideal his whole life and he's going to have to get used to that...

Answer 11

just keep an extra room where you can do all your babysitting. and you can also set it up for your son.

my mom has two rooms that she uses only to do FCC in.

have how ever many rooms you need, plus one.

that always works.

and have a big kitchen too!

Answer 12

He's a infant/toddler. He will adjust to whatever is around him, and as long as the babysitter keeps him occupied, she/he shouldn't have too much of a problem.

Many babysitters, especially teenagers, prefer to go to someone else's house. That way everything the child will need is there. Not to mention it gets them out of their own home.

Now, if you think that a daycare would be best, send him there. Know that the daycare will probably cost you more, but may also do educational activities with him. At the same time, he is only one and a half; this could wait until he is at least two or three.

Good luck :)

Answer 13

Obviously you want what's best for your child and that's a good beginning to finding the right environment for him. Your first concern should always be that he's got a very good care provider with excellent qualifications, references and a solid background check. It's not a crime to check these people out first. Spend some quality time with them on your turf AND theirs. See how your child interacts with them and their house/apartment. Make sure it's a good fit before you make a final decision about hiring them. This is the most important decision you will ever make. Your child will either have a good experience with child care or a bad one. It's up to you to make the right choices and you are more than welcome to take all the time you need in coming to the right conclusions about who gets to care for the most precious person in your life.

I think space is less of an issue than you think because kids adapt to all kinds of environments with ease. Of course, he should have ample places to exercise and play. Running shouldn't be encouraged in the house; especially a new environment that he's not used to. If the new caregiver has a nice yard, that would be great; with safe toys to expel his energy on.

I would use this as a guideline: If the apartment doesn't have room for someone in a wheelchair to safely maneuver, then there probably isn't enough room for a young child to freely move around.

Good luck with finding the right person! You're already on the right track because I can see how concerned you are that your son is happy and healthy.