Do you know the local Montessori are charging nearly NINE QUID for a session of heuristic play?

[FrancestheFlyingWindUpQueen]

I was worried about the competition when they started up but now I am just PMSL

they are charging £90 for a term of 11 or 12 sessions, each session lasts 50 mins

however they do have aromatherapy oils and classical music playing during their sessions, which I don't have, which is obviously worth the extra £60 or whatever they are charging

sorry should have been a big fat at the end there

There are some, who will happily pay that though, for the status that being ripped off brings with it!

what's heuristic play?

I am really amazed, I knew it was going to be a lot but NINE QUID??? (or whatever it is, eight quid something or other)

How can they possibly justify it?

Tutter \link{http://www.treasurebasket.org.uk/this is a good website} about heuristic play for babies

I run classes along the same lines but I charge £3.50 and you get tea and organic chocolate biscuits

oops

here

so it is basically playing with a wanky basket?!

that is a lot

esp when most of us do it every day for nowt

PMSL @ the wanky basket! Still confused as to what happens in the hour?

Well yes, that is what the wnaky baskets are

It is 50 minutes a session, and I think at the Montessori you get to sit and watch while your baby plays with the baskets

which is fab, I am not knocking it, and it is a really fun, worthwhile, creative, stimulating etc thing for babies to do. I am a huge fan of wnaky baskets. But I think to charge nearly £9 for the privilege is a bit much.

Filly I don't mind people doing it at home for free - it's one of the reasons I started the group - to share information. I often do talks for postnatal groups and have done a session for Sure Start. But I think my group is good value for money if you do want to get out of the house. We have songs and parachute games, bubbles, instruments etc as well as the treasure baskets and as I say you get tea and biscuits included in the £3.50. I think it's ruddy cheap, actually

Your sessions seem really low price frances - is that the going rate?

I don't think there is a going rate - these sessions are quite unusual

but I think mine are cheap, yes

It's just you do lots plus tea & biscuits - sounds great. It's good that you are including mums when the cost of the montessori group will exclude.

Yes hear hear bctmum what a perceptive person you are

(I do like to think it is fairly inclusive - it's not just the middle classes I am fleecing)

Franny, is that you?

Feel free to fleece the middleclass mums (it's what they are there for) - speaking as (gulp) one.

Perhaps you could practise brand differentiation. keep going with the inclusive 3.50 sessions, but then under a different persona align yourself with a brand (Montessori good, but there must be others out there?), get a fancy card, more organic food and wanky music/smellies, and charge mc mums double for the privilege. Wear some cordy Bodenesque thingy ...

Yes it's me blueshoes. This was NQC's name for me after I teased her really quite successfully yesterday

Erm I don't think my heart is in it to bump up the price. I wanted to make a group that was exactly what I as a parent wanted. This is it. I have noticed though that you get more respect if you charge more. People do assess value in monetary terms, IYSWIM.

I also do a toddler group and that is ruddy cheap too IMO. We are doing 2 crafts a week between now and Christmas and 90 mins of play, and that session is only £3.50 as well.

i do a soft play type thing, and we charge £3.50 but you do attract more people

I think £3.50 is reasonable for one session of an activity for a child. I don't think many people can afford much more than that.

I don't think I would pay any more than about £3.50 per session for an activity group. Yours do sound good value for money Franny. Wish you did classes near me!

maybe I will one day Tatties

aw frank, I don't really think we're doing the same as you at home, not really. not now I've read your leaflety thing.

actually seriously I think its great that you're giving people this focussed space to play with their kids like this and also supplying biscuits.

Its more the £9 that I am at

DD is at Montessori
she is 4
We get 3.5hrs for £13 but no govt funding
cheap IMO

Oh please don't think I am knocking Montessori or anything

I just think nearly £9 for 50 mins when you have to stay there with your child is quite a lot

Filly I bet you are

Message withdrawn