£15 per child for an hour, absolute rip off

[elliejjtiny]

Where we live the only attractions within walking distance are several restaurants, 2 garden centres and a trampoline park. No play areas or anything like that. No woods or places to walk unless you want to walk round the business park. Dh is away most of half term (eldest uni interviews and then working) and I can't face staying at home all week with the younger dc. Dh will have the car and ds2 can't cope with public transport due to SEN. In laws would sometimes help but they have their other gc all week.

So our only option for going out is the trampoline park which costs £15 per child per hour. Plus extra for ice creams, drinks etc which we will not be having. If I had the car we could go out for the day for less than that. The trampoline park is always heaving with people when we go so people pay the money but I can't see it costing that much to run the place. We will go once because there is no other choice really. My dc are too old to want to go round the garden centre now.

This when you factor in rent, employees insurance and everything else 15 is good deal.

You did, read your own post back! And I also didn’t say people shouldn’t use it, I said it was a bit odd as I felt it was a bit odd on this occasion. Why even post if you just make stuff up?

Sounds hard but there have been some really good suggestions- hopefully you'll find something useful among them.

When our kids were little we could only afford to run one car. I was a SAHM for a few years and so my husband kindly offered to cycle to work a few days a week so the kids and I could have use of the car. For my husband it was 14 miles each way so he did nearly 30 miles a day on his bike- rain or shine. I remember waving him off in snow one morning 😂 Now I look back on it, that was really very decent of him. He got incredibly fit as you can imagine so at least he benefited too.

No, I started a new paragraph, so it wasn’t aimed at you.

this is bonkers, why thehell would I ask you? Think about that,

Could he rent a car for a few days?

I wouldn’t ever agree to be left home without a car, but we are so isolated that there is nothing within walking distance, including access to public transit.

I wonder if you spoke to a social worker if there are maybe some programs you may qualify for. Some include transportation .

Your gripe isnt with the trampoline place, its with living in a place with nothing around/nowhere to go and where you clearly need a car but dont have one. That isnt really the trampolining places problem.

I have NO idea why, I don’t understand you at all, new paragraph but with no capital letter and it started with ‘and’ which yes, is still addressing me. Clearly it’s your writing style that lacked on that occasion. HTH

When you say your husband is "away" do you mean working/staying away or dies he come back each evening?

If he's working away, does he have to have the car with him or could you run him there and pick him up at the end of the week?

Same if he's back every evening - could you run him and pick him up. Even if it was just sometimes.

And here’s the National Trust membership prices. Although if children are young I found English heritage visits more suitable.
NT do lots in the holidays but somehow all those EH castles were always more interesting to my sons.

What’s the issue with public transport. I know DD struggles with busy buses, although it’s improving with age. She wouldn’t cope with a trampoline park though at all!

I think if you don’t drive this is going to be the main stumbling block going forward. Are there any local ASD charities to approach.

That's a really good idea, and then you can go three times over the week and absolutely exhaust them!

I feel for you OP. Not having a park close by is a bummer.

Can you do a DIY scavenger hunt in your local area? You could make a list of things they need to spot while walking about:
Something red
The number 12
A yellow car
Something with right angles
A pair of something
Something with stripes, spots etc
Something funny
Something that rhymes with xxx
Something with 4 syllables
A number plate with their initials

Are the kids old enough to offer to do little jobs for neighbours? Sweeping leaves, walking dogs. With you helping if needed.

Could they do a traffic survey?

Just dance on YouTube?

Bird watching?

Minibeast hunt?

Could you drive your partner to work so you cam bring the car home again?

Could you all travel to the uni open day if there's park's or museums nearby that you could do while the older child is looking round the uni?

She can’t drive and has five kids.

If you dropped dh at work in the car, you could use the car all day and pick him up on thee evening

I think I’m London jaded but £15 for an hour’s entertainment is pretty good value, particularly if I don’t have to join in!

i appreciate that costs outside of London are lower and that might be pretty pricey. I just have got used to money disappearing without a trace during the holidays.

Rather than buying a second car can't you budget to hire a car for maybe 4 weeks a year when you might need a second vehicle?

I'm confused. It's one week. Surely you can handle that? Just go to the trampoline park one day and spend the other days going for walks, baking, making puzzles etc.

I am sure you know your child - I am just curious how they cannot cope with the public transport because of the SEN but can cope with the trampoline park ?genuine question because those places are like Dante's circle of hell.

How old is the one you want to do things with?

Is there any chance you could all get ready early one day - drop husband off at work and go on somewhere with the car and then collect him when he finishes work?
Are you friendly with any of their friend's parents who might give you a lift and share petrol costs somewhere one day?

One half term I took my son here there and everywhere and at the end of the week asked if he had had a good time - he said yes. I said what did you enjoy the most and he said staying at home playing with my toys! Sometimes they just want to decompress from school

Nice in summer but not so much in winter. We have national trust membership but there is little to do there when it’s freezing and looking round the houses doesn’t take long

Get a second car?

I agree with the others if your child can manage in a busy trampoline park I would work on getting them to cope in public transport. I have 4 kids 2 are autistic, Dd is a nightmare on public transport but I don't drive and don't have a partner so she has no choice, iPad, headphones etc there are ways to make it more manageable I think you have to work on that tbh.

Would it make more sense for DH and child to get the train, or you drive them and then have use of the car during the day?

I don't think £15 for a trampoline park is too bad, to be honest. Those places cost an absolute fortune to run.

I find that expensive too and wouldn't want to shell out that for one hour. I agree with PP - the issue in your situation is not having a car, unfortunately. Good idea to look at hiring a car or getting the odd Uber. And in future I would try to avoid being left without a car esp at this time of year when the weather is reliably cold.

I live in a city and within 30 mins walk from me I have a library, a swimming pool, a park, 2 other playgrounds, a farm, endless cafes and shops, probably other stuff I can't remember as the dc are growing out of play centres etc now. Even so, I have a car for visiting family and friends out of the city, days out etc. My eldest has ASD and I had to keep her very busy when she was little - we were in and out all the time! It would have been extremely difficult to be at home for long stretches so I do feel your pain.

NT not as great for smaller kids….ours preferred EH.