---------------------can someone help me work through what to do with DS2---------------------------------

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

please...

DS2 is a September baby.
he could attend our local preschool nursery for 4x2.5 hour sessions from january.. however it is a very small charity and having a child there comes with more baggage - parent helper duties, committee work, fundraising, cleaning duties.
However
in the next village there is a private nursery
he could go there for 2 mornings a week for the same money as 4 mornings at the small one.
no strings - no baggage. the sessions run for 3.5 hours to include lunch.

My quandry is because I feel that I should be supporting a small local group that is struggling for money and to find children.

The other option I was thinking of was to do 2 mornings at the private nursery and one day at the local one and try to be strong and say no to fundraising and committee work?

What do you think? I feel in a pickle about it all..

Do you woek at all? Could you really not do any of the voluntary stuff?

woek? work

I don't think I would go for the third option (time at both places) as that could be confusing for your child and still be work for you.

You should send your child to whichever nursery will suit him best and will work for you as a family. I don't think that supporting a local charity should come into it. If they struggle to find enough children that could be because of the way the place is run (i.e. requiring too much parental involvement).

Have you visited them both?
I would chose the one I thought would be best for ds, regardless of the other stuff tbh.

sinkingfast I can but I already run 2 toddler groups and having been on the committee with DS1 the amount of stuff that is involved is immense. - I am just not very good at saying no when I have reached my limit.

ooh x posts..
They both have pro's and con's.

He would be at either place until January 2010 so not too long.

the other thing that would be good is that the private nursery runs through the school holidays so I could spend some one to one time with DS1 in the holidays.

Fair enough. However, I think you should support the local pre-school if you can (as much as anything because it's half the price of the other one!) - how about saying "I can do a,b,c but not x,y,z"? Much better to go in saying what you can do IYKWIM.

I think that is just it sinkingfast.. I feel guilty. The right thing for me and my family is the private nursery I need the space and don't need extra stuff on my plate.
But - I just need to get over the guilt stuff.

Well then you have your answer .

You could always go and help out at the local nursery occasionally to help with the guilt

i would do the private nursery and have that quality time with ds1. My ds1 is now at school and ds2 goes to nursey when i work, but when its holidays i REALLY enjoy that rare time with just ds1. I am also thinking of starting ds2 at a local pre-school on the mornings he doesnt go to nursery that alot of the children stream to the primary school from. Mainly so he (hopefully!!) will have friends on starting school - which ds1 didnt have - but also so i can have a couple of hours TO MY SELF!!!

I agree, go with the private nursery. The only argument for the other one is supporting it because it is a local charity and that is not a good enough reason to make life harder for yourself!