Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

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:

mummydear · 15/02/2007 17:02

It is good value except when you say that if you have two children then you have to be there 3 mornings ? I think it may not be just the cost but the fact you have to stay there the cost AND the fact that you have to stay there. Two children = £40 and you have to stay there .

With two or more children it may be cheaper to stay at home if you have to be with them anyway.

Good luck to you anyway

gingermonkey · 15/02/2007 17:58

sandyballs, can my DD come - that's an absolute bargain!!!!! I'd gladly pay £20 a day to get rid of my DD for a bit in the hols The summer camp at DD's school is around £100 a week (and upwards depending on what they do) for 5 full days, which is what I call expensive (but still very tempting)

mummydear · 15/02/2007 18:04

But Ginger monkey you will not get rid of yor DD you may have to stay and help out.

thats why the cost is so low as there is alot of parental involvement.

gingermonkey · 15/02/2007 18:16

Oh bugger, I got over excited reading the OP and didn't take the time to read through the rest of the thread. That'll teach me to not read the small print
Mind you, it's £3 to go a play centre (and get nothing included) for a couple of hours so it's still very good value (if you get all the bits and bobs included in the price). Do mums get a cup of tea included in the price and maybe a custard cream biscuit? If you do then I'd sign up

mummydear · 15/02/2007 18:22

I do think that even if Mums have to stay that it is good value - but just pointing out to OP why people may turn their nose up.

I would consider taking mine along .

Kelly1978 · 15/02/2007 18:27

I've got four kids, so it would cost me £80 and I would be expected to help out for what? 4 mornings? I'm afraid I would def be turning my nose up at it!
I loved it until you mentioned the helping out bit. I couldn't really afford £80, but would like the idea of putting them in for jsut a couple of mornings to give me a break but if I had to help, I wouldn't actually get a break at all. And for £80 I could jsut take them on a couple of good days out instead.

Kelly1978 · 15/02/2007 18:28

I think it's a bit unfair that parents with mroe children are penalised. Surely even if every parednt only did two mornings, you would have enough helpers?

ebenezer · 15/02/2007 22:50

Oh god don't get me started!!! I was on a committee that set up something similar a while back. The cost was very much the same as yours, the activities were great and the kids loved it. The 2nd summer we gave up and abandoned it precisely because of all the whingers. As a full time worker who was giving up my precious free time to help run it I thought ,sod this, and so did most of the rest of the committee. For us, the main problem was that most of the parents using it had NOT worked when their child was pre school, or had used extended family for minding the kids for free and just had NOT A CLUE about what childcare (which this essentially is) costs. They looked at me in amazement when I told them I normally spent £40 a day on childcare!! Persephonesnape - day care for 3 children costing £600 per month and that's half your wages - a bloody bargain I'd say. Most people i know with one pre school child have to pay more than this, week in, week out, all year round! Sorry to rant but this brings back memories of myself and a few others working our butts off to provide something worthwhile for our local kids and ending up wishing we hadn't bothered. So no you're not being unreasonable!!

persephonesnape · 15/02/2007 23:28

'day care for 3 children costing £600 per month and that's half your wages - a bloody bargain I'd say. Most people i know with one pre school child have to pay more than this, week in, week out, all year round!'

yes, mine were pre school once and yes my fees for childcare were higher then. I imagine that was because the children needed more one-on one care when they were younger. and there wasn't CTC when my eldest was in pre school, so it was met from our combined family income at the time.

combined family income is the key here because although half my wages may seem like a sweeping statement i support my children by myself - we're not a two income family and for a variety of reasons receive no maintenance. I am exceptionally lucky in my childcare because we do work hard to keep costs down and we attract a lot of grants etc because my children school in a shitty area.

I pay 20% of my childcare so at £600 a month I'd contribute £120, which is roughly equivalent to two weeks food shopping for a family of four for me.

childcare is ridiculously expensive for everyone, but saying that half my income (before tax credits) is acceptable is frankly, daft. how is the mortgage paid? food? why would i bother working? hello the beauty of day-time TV, because i don't have any family to rely on and I have always had to work.

Piffle · 15/02/2007 23:32

half term for 13 yr old this week = best part of £1000
mind yu he is off to France skiing with school
you forget how cheap kids are when they're very little

ebenezer · 15/02/2007 23:51

sorry but what really did it for me was when one mother turned up at a committee meeting to whinge about not being able to afford £5 for a morning session for her child to do arts and crafts and then i saw her half an hour later in the spar shop spending just about the same amount on a packet of fags for herself...I rest my case!

nearlyfourbob · 16/02/2007 03:06

20 pounds is reasonable for what they get.

The fact that if you have 2 children you have to do an extra day helping isn't. And I speak as a mum of one.

foxabout2pop · 16/02/2007 06:42

Sandyballs - that's amazingly cheap!! What a bargain!

Most kids activities here cost about £4.50 an hour, so yours sounds like extremely good value to me

LowFatMilkshake · 16/02/2007 07:09

Sandyballs - x-posts

I would write all the parents and point out just what great value for money the scheme is, but due to increased costs prices may need to rise - point out you have looked at similar schemes to comepare costs etc. However as you appreciate that for some parents this may put the cost beyond thier reach you have a number of placecs which can remain on the lower fee for this term break. Then send a questionnaire to decide who get the places for this break.

tigermoth · 16/02/2007 08:00

I am confused. is it 5 days at £20.00? so not £5.00 a day?

It is roughly equivalent to my son's holiday playclub costs - £75.00 a week (£15.00 a day) and that is from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm. So 10 hours for £15.00 approx equals the 3 hours for £4.00 in your playscheme. My son's club is in a very nice indoor and outdoor area with trained playworkers and lots of toys and activities laid on. And no commitment for parents to help out, of course - it is first and foremost a childminding service.

As a working mother, the idea of a 3 hour playclub would not appeal, as when I am off work, I want to be with my children.

But you say this playclub is mainly aimed at SAHMs, anyway.

Can you be more flexible? Why not give a discount if parents help out and raise the costs if they want to treat the club as childcare? ie £6.00 a morning if parents leave their children or £2.50 a morning if parents stay and help? So no obligation to stay, but you pay more if you don't.

And can you let children come for one or two days only? Again that cuts costs for parents and means that families can fit in the playclub around other activities. Perhaps the parents who are complaining that the £20.00 is too expensive are ones who know they can't send their child to it every day - ie only 3 mornings at £20.00 would be getting on the expensive side.

mummydear · 16/02/2007 08:54

in respect of those having the cheaper places - I think it would be better to offer the cheaper places to those who have free school lunches. That way people do not have to declare openly to the commitee that they cant afford the play scheme.

If you do not fill all the places then could you offer it to neighbouring schools ?

Fingerscrossed2007 · 16/02/2007 09:29

£20 a week sounds great value - readign the cross posts does it mean for 4 mornings/days or is ther a daily payment option.

On discounts I think you have to have something consistent that is related to need eg low income. Being on free school meals is a really good indicator.

Also it would seem unfair if discounts went to people just because they are helping. Other parents may want to help but can't cos of work commitments that they can' change. Any in any case you could say that the volunteers are also getting work experince.

As well as doing a letter/leaflet for parents comparign costs to other places you could alos explain the hidden things that the money goes on eg insurance, staff training, police vetting all the sort of stuff that makes the club safe but stimulating.

ssd · 16/02/2007 09:33

good point mummydear

does sound cheap but everyone's version of cheap is different

Pinotmum · 16/02/2007 09:36

Very good value imho. The holiday scheme nearest to me charges £10.50 for 4 hours and bring your own lunch. It's always full as well.

dmo · 16/02/2007 19:27

i'm a childminder and charge £20 per day and i think some parents think
but i took them all to the soft play area yesterday and it cost £5 each to get in then drinks then lunch was £3 each sometimes i end up working for nothing some parents dont think it costs money to go out

today we went to the museum which is free but cost £5 on the bus there and i got them mc donalds and £5 back home

moondog · 16/02/2007 19:28

dmo,don't you charge them for that stuff??

dmo · 16/02/2007 19:31

no dh said i should but i get moaned at for the £20 per day never mind extras

Milliways · 16/02/2007 19:36

I used to pay £20 per day per child (2 children) for Summer Holiday clubs! Did get a free Swimming pool party though! Thought that was good value (8am - 6pm, swimming every day, soft play, crafts, trips etc etc).

Our church does a Holiday Bible club but only runs for 1 week, mornings only, costs £1 to register! Run by volunteers. Always oversubscribed, kids love it, but it is NOT a substitute for childcare for a working mum.

£20 for a week of activities sounds ideal, but is the aim to cover costs, make a profit or benefit the community? Have you applied for any grants - our council is always looking for community kids projects to donate to.

BuffysMum · 16/02/2007 19:45

I suppose I would see something like that as a sbustitute for going away on holiday ie we don't go away so paying £20 each for a week of stuff like that as a treat for them. Think the council playscheme is around £60 per week for 6 hours per day and they don't get to do lots of great stuff either.

WideWebWitch · 16/02/2007 20:38

Blimey, that's cheap!

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread