That school holidays are not that expensive...

[Soggyflatjack]

We had some family over the other day who said the school holidays end up so expensive because of all the trips the children want to go on and to keep the kids entertained.

I disagreed.

I have two school aged children 5&7.

Yes, I'm paying more because they are home for an extra (morning) snack and lunch.

Petrol is just a little added cost as I drive DC to two different schools anyway which are quite far apart. I pay extra for car parking costs or sometimes we get the train somewhere

I'm lucky that we have a garden so I can throw DC outside to play.

We play games, make a creative mess which gets on my fucking nerves, go to parks, have picnics, go to friends houses and they come over to us. I also take the DC to toy shops so they can play.

I don't have any membership for anywhere like the merlin pass

I'm not including childcare costs.

I'm not including any booked summer holidays.

AIBU to think that you don't need to spend much on outings or am I missing something completely...? What are you doing which costs so much?

Can I be cheeky and ask how much you spend over the 6 weeks...? Do you budget for the holidays?

The activities you've described are just the basic things we would do in term time anyway. I think the expectations of children and parents can be higher in the holidays, it's about the thrill stuff - we've done cadbury world, Warwick Castle, Drayton Manor, cinema, swimming, eating out at Jamie's, pizza Hut, pizza express plus we are away again this week for another theme park. We've spent well over a grand on this. It depends what your finances/expectations are for a good time.

Just wanted to add we have also done library/ mooch round supermarket etc, but even having friends round can be expensive when you factor in the cost of extra lunches - op bigger kids eat more!!

Everything adds up. Even cheap days out end up costing a fair bit...took my dc swimming then they had lunch in the pool cafe...that was £25 for everything. Trip to park...if I get the bus there and back plus an ice cream each...it comes to £7. Not a lot but if you do these things most days, it really adds up!

Little kids ARE cheap to entertain. Things like the park, playing in the paddling pool, kicking a ball around and walking in the woods don't cost anything and will entertain small children for hours. Even if you take them out, they still only pay child's prices or you can get family passes which reduce the cost significantly.

Once they hit twelve, you're paying adult prices for everything - cinema, swimming, bowling or whatever costs a LOT more for three adults than one adult and two kids. Then add in the fact that they don't want to spend the holidays with their parents - they want to see their friends. So they need money for bus passes, the cinema, lunch in town, going to Alton Towers etc.

So, YANBU to think the summer holidays are cheap for small children, but you won't be saying the same when they hit the teen years!

I'm a bit gobsmacked by the toyshop thing. You mean you just take your kids to a shop and let them loose on the shop's stock?

I think you are probably just a better parent than your friend.

Too subtle to be detected.

If you have dc's who are trying to kill each other you need something more structured (and expensive) than a back garden. Activity clubs and days out keep the peace.

I think it slightly depends on what sort of family you are. Ours are only little but we have never been the type to go on lots of days out even as a couple.

I'd like to know more about the toy shop, is this playing thing something they offer?

My friend does lots of what I would call expensive days out at theme parks, eating out, swimming and cinema almost daily.

Sounds fantastic for them.

Parks do get a bit boring after a couple of weeks, especially when the weather's a bit unpredictable.

As does visiting other people. I'm not sure what you mean by 'visiting toy shops to play though'?

i've been known to kill a couple o hours in the big Toy'R'Us

I give them £10 each and we wander around letting them choose... keeps em quiet

Ok, mine are 3 and 3 months so it's all a long way off but I'm intrigued by the stuff about teenagers. When I was a teenager, apart from a family holiday (usually to see DGPs in Scotland) my parents didn't do anything to entertain me in the summer holidays. Nor did friends parents. We hung around and chatted, watched crap tv, wandered around town trying on clothes and spending our allowances. I also read a lot of books. Occasionally we could afford the cinema. But nobody had parents handing out wads of cash/funding take away pizza for sleepovers etc. Is this the norm- or are there teens out there who are still left to their own devices?

But teens are expensive even if they stay home watching TV all day. I shudder when I think how much food I got through as a teenager during the holidays - okay, I didn't get up until 11, but while awake, I ate pretty much constantly. Rounds of toast, bowls of cereal, fruit juice, milk, bacon sandwiches, fruit, packets of biscuits....the list goes on!

I think it also adds up more if you live in a village or far away from their school friends, because if you want them to go out, you need to be prepared to fund that. Whether that's driving them to town (not possible if you work), paying bus/train fares, paying for them to go swimming/to the movies occasionally or even feeding their friends who come to visit.

You can only do free stuff in town if you live in said town in the first place :)

They are incredibly expensive here.

However, I have five children. I seem to spend double the amount on food and drink alone.

Tickets for the cinema come to £46 alone. Bowling, swimming etc all costs a small fortune.

Playing in the park is free, not something the teens want to do much.

We don't go on many expensive days out but everything adds up. We went for one meal out and then to the trampoline park and that cost way over £100

So it obviously depends on how many kids you have and their ages.

I am not moaning BTW, I made my life choices but yes, the holidays can be very expensive for some families even if you go on cheaper days out.

You didn't include childcare costs but they're a big & necessary expense for a lot of people that can't just be ignored. Not everyone has plenty of annual leave or can take it in the summer.

I have a 13 almost 14 year old and on the one hand he's cheap because I can leave him home alone (he's very sensible) but on the other, I don't want him sitting home on his computer all day so I will send him to various sports camps.

Because he's old enough to make his way to and from them, the 3-hour slots have become suddenly viable after years of avoiding them; these are the higher-quality, more expensive per hour ones I've found so this works out well.

Today he's at a 3 hour rowing camp which I think cost about £35 or £40; when you factor in the getting there and coming home this keeps him pretty well busy while I'm at work.

I find school holidays really expensive but not really for the trips but more for the extra childcare needed as I work full time as a single mother. I try to take some of the time off but childcare is sooooo expensive it does make it a financially painful few weeks.

My kids are 12 and 9 and resistant to being chucked out into the garden. These days I chuck myself out into the garden and drink gin. Which can get a bit expensive.

My kids are 12 and 9 and resistant to being chucked out into the garden. These days I chuck myself out into the garden and drink gin. Which can get a bit expensive.

ha!

I will look out for your name op on the competitive Christmas threads. You know the ones, I bought my ds a curly wurly and knitted him a hat , Am I spoiling him?

you take your children to toy shops so they can play? other people then buy the toys your kids have been just playing with. hardly fair is it.

We are lucky we live near countryside and have a garden too so lots of playing outside, playing with games etc. over the 6 weeks we have about 8 days out which cost money.

Elc has toys out for kids to play on, they also have play dough , stickers crafts etc .

The toy playing is in a big toys r us where loads of kids go to play. They don't take toys out of the boxes. We just look around and they have a play on the keyboards, computers, sit in the cars - just play with what's out. Nothing you buy is played with by my children unless you buy the played with toys.
We used to go to ELC too - lots of parents do it, give it a go. I even get some admin done while they are playing.

I wouldn't include a picnic as a price for a day out as in assuming you would be giving them lunch at home too. I am just talking about entertainment for children.

I don't knit so I won't be knitting hats anytime soon. Curly Wurly idea sounds good though