Home ed is a little pricey!

[Thinking2014]

So I've realised the reason we haven't joined in on about 80% of the home ed events...its pricey! I'll list of a few examples:
Travel (I don't have a car) = traveling on public transport with 3 kids (3 yo twins & 8yo)
Now a bus or two is manageable but trains into London is a stressful journey for me to make on my own with them.... Putting that aside though....
Kew gardens (weekly home ed meet up) = £18 adult ticket + travel costs
Party man's world events = £5 per child (that's £15 for a couple hours for my kids to play...)
Log cabin is £5 but I have to catch 2 buses there and back
Other workshops usually cost over £5 per child too...

How do you all do it? I was planning a trip to Legoland this month but it would cost around £80 more or less (yes thats with the home ed discount) but I can't do it now...money just keeps slipping away from me whether it goes on clothes for the kids or bills....i just don't know...I've even decided Xmas is going to be seriously trimmed because A) the kids don't need more toys! But mostly B) lack of funds I'm just going to get them one toy each (from Santa) and the rest will be family fame boards & educational type things.

I did go to a park meet up but hardly anyone turned up & usually its not very convienant for me to get to most of them.

I only worry because my 8 yo daughter has expressed a wish to meet friends her age. Since leaving school she's only met up with one but because they're still in school its a little tricky arranging stuff! :-P

Sorry for the long winded moan! Just thought that maybe I'm missing something?

[Thinking2014]

Family board games*

[BlackeyedSusan]

Drop the trips out and enrol her in Brownies etc. It may work out cheaper in the end.

The activities listed sound v expensive but, as my home ed friends tell me, it does not have to be that expensive. (I am just looking into it at the moment and thinking through the financial situation)

[AmeliaPeabody]

Don't they have the standard sort of weekly meets in church halls etc where the cost is very nominal, and usually just to cover the hire of the room. If not, perhaps you could consider setting something up.

[AmeliaPeabody]

Agree also about enrolling in Scouts or Brownies. Inexpensive, and the former usually organise lots of trips and camps also (I don't know much about brownies).

[Theas18]

Dare I say a school education is expensive too, it's just we pay for that via tax rather than from our pocket directly so we don't see it.

Enjoy your HE, but I guess you need to ration the big events/meets to once a fortnight or something?

[HerrenaHarridan]

Who's bright idea was it to have a weekly meet in place with an £18 entry fee. That is outrageous!

Our monthly edinburgh meet is at the museum. Free and non weather dependant. No limit on numbers and there is some thing for every age.

There is also an early years group I occasionally manage to got to and that is every week on alternate day and varies between free and paid activities.

I would suggest you either look to set up something more suitable (it would be a great home ed project) for yourself and other home edders who are being excluded financially. If you interested in this pm me and I'll put you in touch with the mods from our site so you can chat with them about what's involved.

Or as a pp said enrol your dd in other groups, a music class, choir, sport, self defence etc. although if you decide in this ave I would reccomend going to the odd he meet up just so your dd doesn't feel like the only he kid in the world.

[Littlemisssunshine72]

Hi thinking,
I agree with you to some extent. (Have my own thread about social meet ups). One quite local one was £10 per child per session. With two children going, there was no way I would be able to afford it regularly!

[Thinking2014]

Thanks everyone but I couldn't do brownies...I don't trust those sort of organisations...heard too many horror stories iykwim...

Self defence or something similar i'll look into to see what's available.

[InvaderZim]

Those activities sound pretty expensive. Would a yearly membership to Kew work out cheaper?

[Roseformeplease]

Sorry, but you sound a bit paranoid. It is the Brownies - loads of small girls playing games and sitting round a toadstool - not the Young Nazis.

Really?

[itiswhatitiswhatitis]

Brownie horror stories? Do tell

[Nigglenaggle]

If you're within reach of London you have the city's free resources at your fingertips, so very lucky compared to those of us in small villages. I can't believe there aren't groups exploiting these- you just haven't found them yet. Keep looking

[Thinking2014]

I just meant I have a lack of trust for strangers watching my kids...maybe that's silly to some but isn't to me.

I'll have to look at the free resources...I think natural history museum runs some workshops but not sure I can take the twins along...that's usually an issue, whether I can bring the younger ones. Thanks for all the help though...I'll see what I can dig up...

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

That does sound a lot and I'm surprised at the choice of locations that the groups you've attended have chosen.

Do you have anybody who could look after your twins while you attend some of the groups who meet in free/cheaper locations? It's a shame for your older dc to miss out.

Keep looking though, there must be others like you out there looking not to spend £'s while home-educating their dc.

[PercyHorse]

£62 for annual membership of Kew Gardens if you pay by direct debit.

[Roseformeplease]

Strangers are just people you don't know yet. Everyone must have been a stranger at some point - except immediate family. I think you will be massively disadvantaged your children (beyond any concerns some people might have with HEd) by only taking them to situations where you can be present. This might be more and more of an issue as they grow older. They will want some independence and not allowing them any such activities is going to cause them issues. Your DD wanting to meet friends is the beginning of her desire for independence and a life with time away from you.

[Swanhildapirouetting]

Kew annual membership is well worth it. Climbers and Creepers is a great place to meet other children, even if it is only at the weekends for your 8 year old. You might well find other home edders there in the week, informally.
A friend who home educates three children said the key is to always take food with you, especially water bottles, as it is eating out that adds up. She even brings her own coffee with her.

Brownies helpers and leaders are always CRB checked. It is a great place to meet other children. Dd has also met other children at Sat Music school (EJMS if that is anyway near you) they have a choir which costs 75£ a term for example if you cannot face the lessons themselves.

School ends up costing a fair bit in the end too. All those donations and cake sales and mufti days, not to speak of the Dress Up days and the school trips.

[catnipkitty]

We just don't go to expensive meet ups and workshops, or travel far due to costs but to be honest most things are pretty cheap. We have been to RI lectures £1.50 per ticket, home ed archery £7.50, loads of free museum and park trips, free cinema tickets. DDs also do horse riding which is reduced rate as we go during the day. The local home ed group is about £4 per family. The most expensive thing they do is a climbing after school club. Brownies, cubs, St John ambulance cadets are all good and cheap. If you join local Facebook groups you could ask for local people to meet up with. You do have to be good at Networking when you home ed and dig out info and resources.

[AnyoneForTARDIS]

never heard of home ed discount-whats that?

[Lizardc]

I'm not surprised your poor daughter is saying she needs friends :(. Children need company of others their own age, definitely by 8! If you can't do HomeEd activities, definitely do Brownies or something similar where she can stay alone and get some independence. You can't wrap them in cotton wool for ever and if you don't allow her to develop independence now, you will have a fight for it later.

Millions of children have been to Brownies or similar and been absolutely fine!

[Thinking2014]

My mind won't change on brownies. If it causes her to hate me then I'm willing to take that risk over what the alternative could end up being. There's plenty of opportunities for her to mix without me needing to leave her with strangers. I just need to be more pro active I guess. I'm already booking her place for a class with 7-11yos near by, so I'm going to see what others clubs are happening during school time too... Thanks for the help :-)

[VirtualPointyHat]

If you came to my brownies you would be way more than welcome to stay too.

[fuzzpig]

You could try organising your own meetups. Get it on Facebook etc to advertise, or put posters up at the library etc

[TheGirlFromIpanema]

How old will she be before it is ok for her to spend tme with strangers

8 is pretty old in my book. 8 year olds can form friendships and learn so much from adults outside the home, aswell as having peer contact in order to form her own friendships.