At my wits end. Can't afford nursery. No toddler groups.

[lasangoles]

My toddler is nearly two. He's an absolute nutter (words of the childminder, not me!) and doesn't do well without social interaction. Not a chance I could stay at home with him all day regularly and he needs to run about and let off steam. We do have a garden but it's out of action and will be for a while as we have a dangerous tree that's being removed soon then work being done which will take weeks. I'd like to book him in to a day of nursery every week, but can't afford it. It would cost me an extra 250 a month which isn't possible. There are absolutely no available toddler groups near me that a) are running or b) aren't booked up for the term. I booked him in to a baby dance class and it was a disaster. He needs something sensory, that's less structured. On our local council website, there are 40 different groups listed, 35 are closed due to covid, the other 5 are booked up for months.

I'm at the end of my tether. I just want a weekly something I can do with him where he can interact with other kids and benefit from some sensory learning. The only other kids at the cm are older than him.

Any suggestions?

Will he be entitled to 15 hours free childcare when he's 2?

www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds

Are there no pre schools/play group?
I pay £39 a week and he goes 3 mornings a week

Sadly not. I take home around 18k a year after tax, and your income has to be less than 15.4k a year after tax.

@tattoocrazymum where are you based? That's unbelievably cheap! I'll definitely look in to it.

Can you buddy up with other parents on a local group? Apologies if this sounds obvious but it really didn't occur to me in the sleep-deprived haze that there would be other people about. When my DD was two I would have loved someone bringing their energy-filled toddler over to mine so I could let them rampage together. If all the groups are full/booked up, I bet other people are in the same boat.

How often does he go to the child minder? Could you switch to a child minder that does more outdoors/physical stuff? If you send him to a nursery do you need the child minder?

The church hall type playgroups normally take kids from 2, and cost about £8 a session for about 2.5 hours. Have you got anything like that near you?

@bookmum08 he loves his childminder and she is absolutely amazing. She used to be a chef and cooks him the most amazing food. She has a huge garden and does loads of outdoorsy stuff with him. She takes him on day trips and they go to the woods. I have no complaints there. But there are only other children there and they're 4+. I just need something extra on a Monday and Friday that I can do with him where he can interact freely with children his own age.

I hope my post doesn't come across as too miserable, I'm just having a really crappy day!

Soft play? Lots near me do a Toddler morning for around £4.50 every day. Or any other activities that do toddler mornings? Our local trampoline centre does, and a farm does one which includes a forest school type activity as well. We’re in the midlands but if you have a look there may be places like that near you.

how expensive are your nurserys :S my sons nursery is £20 a day £80 a month ...

If you can find a preschool type setting, they are often much cheaper than a nursery. A lot take from 2, but a couple around here do from 18 months. DS2 did one morning a week at £15 a session from 2, which is obviously not nothing, but a lot cheaper than a nursery would have been. It could be worth having a real good luck. Prices do vary a lot.

Ours went to preschool/playgroup a couple of mornings a week from age 2. The type that runs from 9-12 term time only. We payed £21 per session in SW London.

Yes I’d look at pre-schools rather than nursery. A few of my stay at home mum friends are looking to send their babies to our local ones now they’re turning two. Just for a morning or two a week, for socialisation not childcare, not pricey.

I do sympathise, we used to go to a wonderful church playgroup, £1 a week and they’d all run around like mad things, but Covid of course put paid to that.

TheGirl that is unbelievably cheap. Very jealous. We pay £95 per day for fully day nursery

Im in the midlands (Northamptonshire)
They take from the age of 2, then when he turns 3 you get 15 hours free so he can go 5 mornings a week.
Hope you manage to source something, definitely look into pre schools they are cheaper than nursery.
My 2 year old is on his 2nd week and absolutely loves it, they have a lovely outdoor area full of bikes, scooters and so many toys

@TheGirlWithAPrince that's so cheap. In my area (Lancashire) it's £50 a day for Nursery, and some dont include food with that. Some Preschools are cheaper but only open school hours and still £35 a day.

@thegirlwithaprince that's insanely cheap! That wouldn't even cover half a day at the cheapest nursery where I live!

Can't you just go to a local playground and let him play with whoever turns up? My DS at 2 sounds like yours is and he much preferred this to "groups" (where there is always an element of "rules" that he wasn't too keen on following).

my sons nursery is £20 a day £80 a month ...

what? That must be a funded place or a playgroup? Most nurseries are minimum £45 per day, most are a lot more.

Op could you try to set up a local group of like minded mums to do park trips with other kids his age. I hugely sympathise my son was like this I would have gone bananas if lockdown had happened when he was that age. Cld u put a note up in local cafe or use Facebook page to find others.

Do a shout out on your local FB group/neighbourhood for anyone with similar aged kids for a meet up at a park maybe.

Post on your local Facebook page for ideas. We have free play groups all over in church halls. All £2-3 for the morning with a brew etc

What about a tumble tots type group?

Check out preschool attached to schools or ran in local community centres rather than Nurseys.

My oldest used to go to one that £6 per season season being half a day 9-12am / 1-3pm.

Also soft play centres hell for you but he can run relatively free.

@TheGirlWithAPrince

how expensive are your nurserys :S my sons nursery is £20 a day £80 a month ...

Where do you live?! DS's costs £68 a day and I don't think I looked at any that were less than about £55 a day.