Originally Posted by WyoDaycareMom:
Your living area is similar to mine, though maybe a bit longer. Your furniture arrangement may have something to do with the running issue. It is a long alley way that is just begging to be run! Also, if you have a circle, which it appears you do, again, something just draws them to run around it. I would put a gate at the entrance to your kitchen area (I'm assuming your kitchen is connected to it all) and I would position your couch so that it faces your piano. Place your chair along the wall where your couch currently is. Anytime I have tried to have an open living room arrangement, it has just created chaos. While moving your furniture may not make your room as open, it will definately discourage the running. If I get time later, I will post pics of our living area, which is also my whole daycare area.
That won't work. I mean, it would probably deter them from running, but it wouldn't work with the fireplace and flatscreen. We have had it that way before, when we first moved in and my kids were really little. The couch would have to be in the area of the fireplace with the right side against the wall. Leaving no room for the piano (assuming we would move the fireplace and flatscreen to the wall where the piano is leaving behind the couch as the play area (which is the way it was before too, and did work fine). But now we have this huge piano, and it wouldn't go anywhere else. Sooooo, I don't think that rearranging the room would work. And like I said, we want to keep it our home first, and a daycare second. So I am going to have to figure out something better with the gates. ugh.