You have an awesome house- my house is old!
I don't "do centers" because I have limited space in my playroom. I only use one room as a playroom, kitchen breakfast nook area and bathroom for childcare.
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I rotate toys and be sure I tell parents that. If there is a bathroom in the basement and it has 2 ways out, I would use that basement area. I would probably move the tv out of that area.
If you don't have daycare kids I would set it up to look like play if you are using the living room. There again if you are using the living room- I would be tempted to remove the tv. I would be sure I had a "paperwork" area set up. So like a sign in/ out sheet etc. I would post a daily schedule. You need to have a vision of how the days are going to go.
One of the reasons you may not be getting "bites" is that you don't have children so they don't know what they are getting themselves into. You need to be able to convey your vision. I went into this 18 years ago and my vision was a "family" setting but quickly realized this is a business. Now I am glad I have a defined childcare space and a defined family space.
If I did want the kids throughout the house and wanted to define myself as a family setting this is what I would do to sell that. So, in the kitchen I would have out laminated kid directions for cooking something along with appropriate child type dishes. I would have some type of shelving with art supplies on it in the table area. I would have some dress up clothes available perhaps in the hallway to get dressed into. I would have a little laundry basket with socks in it for sorting on the couch. I would dive fully into a "home" setting. Bubbles on the porch and sidewalk chalk. I would have theme bins that I could grab. So, I would have a bin in the living room that was a theme and explain to the parents that you rotate out bins so that the kids get to discover different things. Have books and activities in there. So a farm set, books, maybe a container with seeds etc and explain what crafts you have set up to go with that concept in the dinning room, then I would take them to the back yard where you have extended that theme. A place to dig etc. You could easily do this with very little money. But you need to sell your concept.
You can check out my page at
www.facebook.com/MrsSteinelsHouse I am still evolving and changing... this fall my concept is babies, babies, babies (3 under 2 so I am shifting again.
Oh and it took my 3 months to get my first kidlet when I reopened... I had taken a year off after 11 years of care... I decided I really do love it and that I would once again do care. But, it took a while to rebuild my business and I have had a slow summer with 3 kids in care. But fall I am full with a waiting list again
Hope this helps some.
Oh and I always have a couple of wax warmers with a yummy food smell in them when I have people over.... I have 2 dogs- stinky diapers and a teen age boy to cover! People always say how good my house smells!