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 4 5 6 ··· 11 12

Original poster

To be highly irritated about the Twin thread - school trip fees

291 replies

DietDisaster · 09/01/2009 13:49

I can't understand how people think that having two children close together has a similar financial impact as having twins (or higher multiples) .

As a mum of dearly loved DTs, this makes me annoyed because parents of twins have to buy two lots of baby equipment (double pram, two cots, highchairs, nappies!!) at the same time and as they grow nothing can be passed down. Also have to pay two lots of childcare/nursery fees, when they want to do activities they can only do them if you can afford to pay twice (mine have to do exactly the same things as I'm not having either of them miss out). When they start school, two lots of uniform, coats, shoes not to mention trips, then there's beds, larger car, university fees etc, etc.

At least parents who have kids close together can reuse a lot of stuff and anyway, it is their CHOICE to have them close together, you have no choice over whether you have twins and I don't believe that anyone who decides to get pregnant thinks 'oh, better wait until I'm sure I can afford 2 in case I have twins'. People who have children close together can plan to space out their children if they can't afford it.

Therefore, I think schools should help out parents of twins, triplets etc and they should not have to pay the same as singletons!!

OP posts:

numptysmummy · 09/01/2009 13:52

Eh? Can't hand down everything you know!! Wrong seasons/wrong sex?

Original poster

DietDisaster · 09/01/2009 13:54

Did not say everything could be handed down but a lot of stuff can be reused.

OP posts:

hunkermunker · 09/01/2009 13:54

Why do you need a larger car with twins than with two children close in age?

Lulumama · 09/01/2009 13:55

but what if you don;t plan your pregnancy? or you have a boy after a girl, or winter after summer baby

i appreciate that having multiples is a hugely costly excercise, but that is not the schools fault either, the same as it is not if you have 3 chidlren in 3 years.

theinsider · 09/01/2009 13:55

A good proportion of twins these days are IVF where in fact the parents have positively made the decision to take the chance of having twins.

pooka · 09/01/2009 13:55

A 6 yr old and an 8 yr old will both need beds too. And they might both go to university - with the cost spread, granted, but the same overall cost in the end.

numptysmummy · 09/01/2009 13:55

Or even two kids not close in age.... Basically,however many you have,however close,far apart etc they all cost money. Thats the deal.

coppertop · 09/01/2009 13:56

I haven't read the twins thread but I think that wherever possible the schools should try to help out any parents facing financial difficulties which affect their ability to pay for school trips, regardless of whether they might have twins or singletons.

PrimulaVeris · 09/01/2009 13:56

Er... 'choice' isn't necessarily the case. There is such a thing called an unplanned pregnancy.

I know lots of twins. Some were unexpected (ie expecting singleton), some expected(infertility treatment).

Schools can and do help out a parent who is struggling to afford a trip. Twins or not is nothing to do with it

traceybath · 09/01/2009 13:56

pregnancy is a lottery so i'm afraid i don't think just because you have twins you should get extra financial help - i think people who need financial help should get it.

as others have said two children close in age or different sexes born in different seasons may mean you require two cots/high chairs etc

Original poster

DietDisaster · 09/01/2009 13:56

Err, maybe you have 2 DCs already and planned on having another. Ended up with two and only had a 5 seat car?

OP posts:

CatMandu · 09/01/2009 13:57

I had two dc's within 11 months, I can't think of anything that I have saved on over someone with twins. If we're being competative I could say that it feels more drawn out as just as one moves off from a phase then other moves into it, so I was weaning for months, toilet training for ages etc etc. Don't be daft.

hunkermunker · 09/01/2009 13:58

And I agree with Coppertop - schools aren't allowed to discriminate against children whose parents can't afford to pay and will subsidise them to go on trips, etc - if everyone wants subsidising, they might be forced to cancel the trips, but if you're really struggling to pay, there's no shame in asking for help.

hunkermunker · 09/01/2009 13:59

Err, if you have two DCs already, you're not having to splash out for two of everything for the twins, are you?

whoingodsnameami · 09/01/2009 14:00

I think whatever the ages and sex ofyour dc, each scenario has its pros and cons, I have dts and am a single mother, all school fees are fully paid, it would never accur to me that I should get anything half price.

HSMM · 09/01/2009 14:00

I don't have a problem with parents of multiples being helped out financially, but it does bug me when a cost is divided between a group and the twins count as one child. Why should I pay for them?

idobelieveinfairies · 09/01/2009 14:00

I have just paid out for school trips one year after another......for ds's in yr 5&6 (Yr6 just been on trip-so just fin paying YR5 going in spet so paying started already)

I have twins in yr 3 so i will start putting money by the year before they are due to trip so at least on eis payed for.

And will do the same with other set of twins in a few more years.

Some nurseries here give a twin discount on childcare!

ellenjames · 09/01/2009 14:00

i have 14 months between dd and ds so no handing stuff down diff seasons just about, etc. I agree with anyone should get help regardless of kids ages, if they need it.

idobelieveinfairies · 09/01/2009 14:01

sorry typing bad today

FranSanDisco · 09/01/2009 14:02

You're not supposed to have ANY money when you have children. It's all relative really though because it's not about the amount of children or how close they are in age/when they grow/sex & season born etc. It's just down to not having wads of cash to hand out and that applies to a variety of families not just families with multiples. If this is a competition to be most hard done by then you've lost

Original poster

DietDisaster · 09/01/2009 14:02

Quite large age gap - so yes actually did have to buy everything again.

They were not IVF either.

OP posts:

idobelieveinfairies · 09/01/2009 14:03

Yeah but white babygro's and vest, blankets etc are used again no?

Baby chairs, moses baskets.

With twins it is double the expense at first.

AM i off topic here now?

off to see the original post.

spudballoo · 09/01/2009 14:03

Eh?

I have 2 very close together in age. Second one totally unplanned, I'd just got rid of all my baby stuff when I discovered I was pregnant again. So I had to buy it all AGAIN. Galling, especially as I went on to have another boy so I could have reused all the clothes. Well, you know, that's just LIFE.

Stop moaning, having children is expensive for everyone, regardless of the age gaps involved. We're all in it together. Sheesh, are we now being competitive about who's children cost them more?

TheCrackFox · 09/01/2009 14:04

A mum at DSs school has 2 boys in the same year. There is 9.5 months between them. [bloody hell emoticon]. She still needed to buy 2 cots etc.

AntiqueIceCream · 09/01/2009 14:09

I thought the twin thread was a bit churlish.

Twins may/may not cost more overall. they proably do a bit for most poeple.

Although stupendously wealthy poeple probaly have twins sometimes too.

But really anyone who needs it gets help with trips, so unecessary complaining imo.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 11 12