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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

... to think that the parents who moan about a summer holiday playscheme costing £20 for FIVE mornings are tight arses?

61 replies

sandyballs · 15/02/2007 11:49

That works out at less than £5 per morning and the kids swim, paint t-shirts, paint mirrors, do tennis, gymnastics, go-karting on the field, a little circus comes in to show them tricks, an animal man comes in with reptiles etc, there's a disco ..... the list is endless and the kids have a great time.

I've joined the committee this year to help organise it and at yesterday's meeting they were trying to work out the figures and I suggested if money was a problem, they put it up slightly - another £1 or £2 per child, still great value in my mind. Well, the table went silent! A big no-no apparently as they get a lot of complaints that it costs as much as £20 already!

OP posts:
2shoes · 15/02/2007 11:52

wow that is sooooooo cheap.
ddi is going to an sn one in easter break and it is £14 a day 8.45 - 3.30 and i think that is cheap considering she will be entertained all day and have one to one.

mrsflowerpot · 15/02/2007 11:54

Well it's a fiver a morning for the one at the local leisure centre, which is council run and heavily subsidised, plus with no venue hire costs, so I think you are doing well.

colditz · 15/02/2007 11:54

That is amazingly cheap, and I would pay £20 to absolve me from swimming and painting for a week!

Ladymuck · 15/02/2007 11:56

We have one that runs for 2 hours per morning and is £5 for the week, so I guess it depends on what else is on/available. Though that is put on by local churches so is staffed by volunteers.

JustUsTwo · 15/02/2007 12:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Marina · 15/02/2007 12:12

Maybe they are skint, but I still think that is excellent value for money sandyballs. Fabulous programme

colditz · 15/02/2007 12:13

Being skint doesn't give you the right to moan that things you cannot afford are too expensive. some things just cost a certain amount, i can't afford to shop at sainsbury's but what's the point inmoaning about it

Blu · 15/02/2007 12:14

I don't think parents should expect it to be less than a chilminder or nursery, tbh - once insurances and overheads, materials, activities, venue costs, admin, CRB checks for staff are all included, it isn't a cheap provision. People might wish it was cheaper, but unless it is run by kind volunteers, not sure why it should be cheap.

But I do think that for parents on low-incomes the cost should be subject to some sort of beneifit or tax credit.

fireflyfairy2 · 15/02/2007 12:16

Those that think it's too expensive should send their kids somewhere else I for one would love my dd to attend a scheme like that!!

How long wil it run for? 1 week? 4 weeks? If it is a 1 week slot then £20 is great. I can, however, see it being a problem if it runs for more than that though, or if more than say, a couple of kids, from each family wanted to attend

JustUsTwo · 15/02/2007 12:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

2shoes · 15/02/2007 13:03

yes but you don't have to send your child EVERY day.

Original poster
sandyballs · 15/02/2007 13:08

It runs for just one week of the six week summer holiday. 9.15 - 12.15 Mon-Friday.
I agree that if people have 3 or 4 children, it's quite a lot of money, but then so is doing anything in the summer holidays with 3 or 4 children - cinema, swimming, etc, it all adds up.

I don't think people were saying they couldn't afford it, they genuinely seemed to think it was a lot of money for what they/the kids were getting . Looking at the amount the people involved charge though (cirucs, animal man, disco, go-karts) etc etc, I'm stunned they managed to do it for so little. It probably could be run more cheaply if we cut a lot of that stuff out and stuck to the more crafty activities but not as much fun IMO.

OP posts:
pinkranger · 15/02/2007 13:08

i think that is fantastic- where are you!

Original poster
sandyballs · 15/02/2007 13:10

They do have to commit to the whole week, can't do odd days.

OP posts:
ScottishThistle · 15/02/2007 13:22

I'd say they must be living in another world!...That'll cover the costs of materials & not a lot else...Some people amaze me!

speedymama · 15/02/2007 13:23

The people complaining probably go on 2 or 3 breaks a year as well as their annual holiday but somehow always manage to find the money for things like that. Some people are just plain ungrateful, imo.

unknownrebelbang · 15/02/2007 13:25

Sounds great and very good value - is £20 for 15 hours!

BUT a lot of people genuinely don't understand what is involved in organising, and the costs of running something like this.

I certainly wouldn't moan about the cost, it's excellent value, but I'd struggle because I have three, and the other thing that would be a problematic for me personally is that it's three hours a day, and I would need it to be at least four hours for it to be useful to fit in with my job. As a working mum I'd not want to pay £60 for the three and still have to take time off work. When I'm off work I want to spend time with my boys.

Not sure that makes any sense to anyone else.

magnolia1 · 15/02/2007 13:26

Blimey it's great!! I have 5 kids so can't afford any type of playsceme around here but would happily find a fiver each.

Not near Surrey is it???/

magnolia1 · 15/02/2007 13:27

a fiver each morning i meant

Original poster
sandyballs · 15/02/2007 13:32

It is in Surrey , but only open to kids at the school unfortunately.

Parents are expected to help, should have mentioned that. If you have one child you are expected to help out for two mornings, two children = 3 mornings, not sure about any more than that, possibly the whole week, which would put some people off probably. The costs would be much higher if we didn't do this.

I agree that many of them probably have no idea how much effort goes into all this type of thing, behind the scenes. I didn't before I started getting involved.

OP posts:
Original poster
sandyballs · 15/02/2007 13:32

It is in Surrey , but only open to kids at the school unfortunately.

Parents are expected to help, should have mentioned that. If you have one child you are expected to help out for two mornings, two children = 3 mornings, not sure about any more than that, possibly the whole week, which would put some people off probably. The costs would be much higher if we didn't do this.

I agree that many of them probably have no idea how much effort goes into all this type of thing, behind the scenes. I didn't before I started getting involved.

OP posts:
speedymama · 15/02/2007 13:38

Before I had my DTS I was involved in a youth group. I quit after a year because the ungrateful parents incensed me! Always quick to complain but never got off their backsides to help.

persephonesnape · 15/02/2007 13:40

so. a fiver a morning - if you were open in teh afternoons i suspose it would be a £10er a day? so £50 a week. x my three children = £150 a week. £600a month? thats half of my wages!!

my children go to an out of school and holiday playscheme - i pay £48 per week for all of them (together) throughout the year - but we work hard fundraising so the cost isn't prohibitive (and yes tax credits would cover 80% of that..) and apply for as many funds/grants/lottery money/european social fund as possible. my children go on trips, cinema, bowling, local parks, swimming, ice skating and generally have a whale of a time while I'm at work. they do go to places that i just couldn't afford to take them.

what ages are you looking at your playscheme covering btw? and although I'ma bit whiny about the cost, well done you for actually getting involved. obviously there should be a lot more cheap/free(!) out of school and holiday childcare, preferably state funded and organised, but until that glorious day, it's people like you getting involved that makes it happen, so thank you!

Blu · 15/02/2007 16:36

JustUstwo - yes, I was assuming this was a playscheme designed to look after children whose parents were working - in which case you have to factor in, somehow, the cost of holiday childcare. If it is a 'holiday activity' for children with SAHMs I can see it is more of an optional nice thing you could do if you had the cash.

KTeePee · 15/02/2007 16:45

I think it's really good value. I bet those who moan about the cost probably wouldn't think twice about spending a fiver on ice creams and other treats on a day out....