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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

DO YOUR MINDEES COST YOU A FORTUNE?

26 replies

OFSTEDoutstanding · 05/06/2007 10:30

Hi I have just sat down to do my accounts from last week which was the first week of having all mindees full time as half term and I have just realised they cost me a fortune
The amount of fruit juice, fruit and food in general they got through was amazing not including amount I spent on petrol going out.
I think the problem is I also had my ds who loves all fruit and juice and as he is only 20 monmths I don't like to tell him he can't have something when at the mo he is such a good eater. The thing is he doesn't drink water only fruit juice and so I don't feel I can say to mindees you have to have water when ds has juice. Also he loves strawberries but they are quite expensive especially when you end up getting through almost a whole punnet on your mindees, how can I give them to him and not to them though? Sometimes I say they can't have them as there is not enough to share fairly but I don't think it is fair that my ds should have to go without either. Before you all tell me to wait until they go home to give to ds I can't they are here til 6 most days and then he goes straight in the bath and to bed What should I do to stop them costing me so much? Please help

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
KaySamuels · 05/06/2007 10:39

Shop around! I get two punnets of strawberries for a pound at local council estate shooping centre's fruit shop.
I also buy fruit juice from nettos, smartprice apples, heron (frozen foods store) for kids yoghurts. You get the idea. Kids can cost a lot but if you make an effort to shop around you soon know where the good deals are.
Oh and two of my mindees only ever eat brand name foods at home - but happily munch/slurp through the things I buy. One girl mindee said to me 'I only ever drink robinsons' to which I replied, 'well you have been drinking my juice for 3 months now and it's from nettos!'
Think I have opened her eyes to marketing and advertising tactics in a big way!

My ds was a juice addict, a couple of weeks ago I went out for the day and took only water out with me. He now drinks it when it's given to him. Still has a bit of juice but no where near as much! He's 2and a half.

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