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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Feeling Depressed All The Cool Child-Activities Are During The Week :(
SunshineMama 10:55 AM 04-05-2012
I am looking for activities for my kids to do (gymnastics, cooking, art, ballet etc), and it seems like all the great classes are during the week.
I'm feeling depresssed that I can't get them to these classes
How do you all handle things like that? I cant take the dck's. And I don't know how the parents would feel about me hiring an assistant to go do fun stuff for my kid and leave theirs at my house- and I dont know if I could afford an assistant anyway.
How do you all deal?
I'm feeling depresssed that I can't get them to these classes
How do you all handle things like that? I cant take the dck's. And I don't know how the parents would feel about me hiring an assistant to go do fun stuff for my kid and leave theirs at my house- and I dont know if I could afford an assistant anyway.
How do you all deal?
godiva83 11:06 AM 04-05-2012
I hear/ read complaints of that often.
My DS is still 2 so it is easier and my DH takes him to a lot of different things, which I do get sad I miss out on.
Could you choose one night a week where you can close earlier. I find most parents to be pretty respectable when it comes to these sorts of things.
My DS is still 2 so it is easier and my DH takes him to a lot of different things, which I do get sad I miss out on.
Could you choose one night a week where you can close earlier. I find most parents to be pretty respectable when it comes to these sorts of things.
Bkind 11:08 AM 04-05-2012
how about a help just during quit it time when the other person does have as much influence and parent may not mind as much also do have to notify them exactly who and when every-time we just have a very vague broad statement with the understanding this may at any point and time take place and it will be with a qualified person
CheekyChick 11:09 AM 04-05-2012
I have a ballet teacher and gymnastics instructor come here twice per week. I pay for it and the parents chip in a small amount each month. It is TONS of fun and we hold recitals twice a year. It's worth every penny. 
Oh, and this way your children AND the DCK's can take advantage of these classes. PLUS, it's a good selling point.
Oh, and this way your children AND the DCK's can take advantage of these classes. PLUS, it's a good selling point.
Solandia 11:13 AM 04-05-2012
I dealt with the mommy-guilt a long, long time ago. When I was working outside the home when my 13yo was little (i did second shift, so my morning where open for all the cool classes), the mommy&me classes are not NEARLY as fun as it seems. Maybe because I am more of a homebody anyway, but it was a 50/50 chance on the cute classes being fun and meeting other moms with littles vs having to put up with snarky momma's & their precious perfect angels (as they are pushing my kid to the floor, 
). And if you have more than one kid, it just doesn't work out with younger siblings, anyway, even if you find a class for both.
There are lots of fun stuff through the Y and the park district around here on evenings & Saturdays. It just made the whole week too busy or the day too long, and well...I like my down time on the weekends. So did my kids. Now that I am much older and wiser with my toddlers now, I know they are not missing out on anything. There is plenty to do here & around the neighborhood. No need to meet other moms, I think I have met them all by now.. lol...my older kids are in plenty of activities. Many families with lot o' kids ---even more than me...lol
In the end, we settled for the library story time, which I took dck's along...they do a broad age range (2-5 for the craft/story time), and it is only 30min....a perfect amount of time for the littles to not get bored of the play area and right before we all got cranky with sharing...it was time to go. PERFECT.
). And if you have more than one kid, it just doesn't work out with younger siblings, anyway, even if you find a class for both. There are lots of fun stuff through the Y and the park district around here on evenings & Saturdays. It just made the whole week too busy or the day too long, and well...I like my down time on the weekends. So did my kids. Now that I am much older and wiser with my toddlers now, I know they are not missing out on anything. There is plenty to do here & around the neighborhood. No need to meet other moms, I think I have met them all by now.. lol...my older kids are in plenty of activities. Many families with lot o' kids ---even more than me...lol
In the end, we settled for the library story time, which I took dck's along...they do a broad age range (2-5 for the craft/story time), and it is only 30min....a perfect amount of time for the littles to not get bored of the play area and right before we all got cranky with sharing...it was time to go. PERFECT.
countrymom 11:18 AM 04-05-2012
all my kids activities start after 6pm so we don't have a problem or weekend mornings.
SunshineMama 11:20 AM 04-05-2012
Originally Posted by godiva83:
I hear/ read complaints of that often.
My DS is still 2 so it is easier and my DH takes him to a lot of different things, which I do get sad I miss out on.
Could you choose one night a week where you can close earlier. I find most parents to be pretty respectable when it comes to these sorts of things.
I could throw it out there- I have to admit that I am nervous about asking them.I hear/ read complaints of that often.
My DS is still 2 so it is easier and my DH takes him to a lot of different things, which I do get sad I miss out on.
Could you choose one night a week where you can close earlier. I find most parents to be pretty respectable when it comes to these sorts of things.
I am in tears over this today. Yes, I am with my kids, but I almost wonder if its better to hire a nanny and go back to work outside the home. At least the nanny can give them more 1:1 attention than I can.
Feeling so bad right now.
jojosmommy 11:49 AM 04-05-2012
I have thought about the fact that I can not do daytime activities with my kids because of the daycare and have come to realize that I have much more nighttime free time with both my kids because of being at home everyday. I get my chores done during daycare so I can spend time with them in the evening. I can't imagine working 8-10 hrs then coming home to cook, put in a load of laundry, bath time, daily chores and still attempt some fun time with my kids. Don't beat yourself up over it, you are spending more time with your kids than most.
I try to take 1:1 time with my son during the day. He goes to sleep 45 min after the dck so we can play a game, read or snuggle. I do the same for my dd but in the am when the dck are playing.
Additionally, I close at 4:30 so I can do night activities. One night a week we have family swim time together at the y. We do it the night that works for both my and hubs schedule- not the same every week. Do you have a ymca or park and rec around that offers Saturday events?
I try to take 1:1 time with my son during the day. He goes to sleep 45 min after the dck so we can play a game, read or snuggle. I do the same for my dd but in the am when the dck are playing.
Additionally, I close at 4:30 so I can do night activities. One night a week we have family swim time together at the y. We do it the night that works for both my and hubs schedule- not the same every week. Do you have a ymca or park and rec around that offers Saturday events?
SunshineMama 11:52 AM 04-05-2012
Originally Posted by CheekyChick:
I have a ballet teacher and gymnastics instructor come here twice per week. I pay for it and the parents chip in a small amount each month. It is TONS of fun and we hold recitals twice a year. It's worth every penny.
Oh, and this way your children AND the DCK's can take advantage of these classes. PLUS, it's a good selling point.
OOOOH I like this idea! Where do I look for that?I have a ballet teacher and gymnastics instructor come here twice per week. I pay for it and the parents chip in a small amount each month. It is TONS of fun and we hold recitals twice a year. It's worth every penny.
Oh, and this way your children AND the DCK's can take advantage of these classes. PLUS, it's a good selling point.
jojosmommy 11:54 AM 04-05-2012
I forgot to mention that a neighbor provider has a sub provider come in 1x a month every month. Same lady everytime. You could have a special day with your kids and get a break from daycare this way.
SunshineMama 11:56 AM 04-05-2012
Originally Posted by Solandia:
I dealt with the mommy-guilt a long, long time ago. When I was working outside the home when my 13yo was little (i did second shift, so my morning where open for all the cool classes), the mommy&me classes are not NEARLY as fun as it seems. Maybe because I am more of a homebody anyway, but it was a 50/50 chance on the cute classes being fun and meeting other moms with littles vs having to put up with snarky momma's & their precious perfect angels (as they are pushing my kid to the floor,). And if you have more than one kid, it just doesn't work out with younger siblings, anyway, even if you find a class for both.
There are lots of fun stuff through the Y and the park district around here on evenings & Saturdays. It just made the whole week too busy or the day too long, and well...I like my down time on the weekends. So did my kids. Now that I am much older and wiser with my toddlers now, I know they are not missing out on anything. There is plenty to do here & around the neighborhood. No need to meet other moms, I think I have met them all by now.. lol...my older kids are in plenty of activities. Many families with lot o' kids ---even more than me...lol
In the end, we settled for the library story time, which I took dck's along...they do a broad age range (2-5 for the craft/story time), and it is only 30min....a perfect amount of time for the littles to not get bored of the play area and right before we all got cranky with sharing...it was time to go. PERFECT.
THANK YOU for your post. It was comforting to hear you say you didnt miss much with the mommy and me classes! Your post raised my spirits! I am going to take OP's advice and see who can come to my home I dealt with the mommy-guilt a long, long time ago. When I was working outside the home when my 13yo was little (i did second shift, so my morning where open for all the cool classes), the mommy&me classes are not NEARLY as fun as it seems. Maybe because I am more of a homebody anyway, but it was a 50/50 chance on the cute classes being fun and meeting other moms with littles vs having to put up with snarky momma's & their precious perfect angels (as they are pushing my kid to the floor,
). And if you have more than one kid, it just doesn't work out with younger siblings, anyway, even if you find a class for both. There are lots of fun stuff through the Y and the park district around here on evenings & Saturdays. It just made the whole week too busy or the day too long, and well...I like my down time on the weekends. So did my kids. Now that I am much older and wiser with my toddlers now, I know they are not missing out on anything. There is plenty to do here & around the neighborhood. No need to meet other moms, I think I have met them all by now.. lol...my older kids are in plenty of activities. Many families with lot o' kids ---even more than me...lol
In the end, we settled for the library story time, which I took dck's along...they do a broad age range (2-5 for the craft/story time), and it is only 30min....a perfect amount of time for the littles to not get bored of the play area and right before we all got cranky with sharing...it was time to go. PERFECT.
JJPlaycare 12:02 PM 04-05-2012
I know people hire assistants all the time, but what about hiring a highschool student who drives for the summer for just your kids?? I know you might still feel you are missing out on the activities with them, but at least your kids are getting in on all the fun. I thought about doing this last summer, but thankfully alot of the activities we signed up for had bussing if enough signed up or they were in the evenings. Anyway just a thought....
Springdaze 12:25 PM 04-05-2012
I get like that too, but remember, your children are so blessed to be with you when they are young and thats better then any mommy and me class or all the other things they can be involved in. If I didnt do childcare I still wouldnt be able to bring them to daytime activities so Id rather be with them and miss out on those things. I cant afford all the gymnastics, dance, art, theater and such that I know my kids would enjoy, but they dont seem to mind, its more about me than them. I try not to let it get me down too much. sometimes I feel like I cheated my kids by keeping them with me because they didnt have little preschool graduations and field trips and fun buses coming to their preschool, but they were with me learning and making friends and I wouldnt trade that for the world. When my dd who is going to be 9 next month went into kindergarten, I was glad that I spent every possible moment I could with her before I let her out into the world! My point is I guess that just being with them is worth more than all the glizty and glamorous classes you could go to. My best was being with them when they were young and thats not too bad!
momma2girls 02:54 PM 04-05-2012
swimming lessons in the summer start at 5:30, basketball at 5:00, softball practices and gamesand gymnastics at 5:00 as well. This is a huge reason I am off at 4:30, otherwise I would be missing alot of things. Plus my husband travels for his job, so there wouldn't be anyone to take them, other than myself!!
daycare 03:36 PM 04-05-2012
are you interested in sports at all?
We do YMCA sports. all practices are on Saturday right before the games are played. You get it all done in one day and it even gives the parents a chance to meet other parents and make new friends.
I love working with the YMCA and they love working with me
We do YMCA sports. all practices are on Saturday right before the games are played. You get it all done in one day and it even gives the parents a chance to meet other parents and make new friends.
I love working with the YMCA and they love working with me
SunshineMama 04:46 AM 04-06-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
are you interested in sports at all?
We do YMCA sports. all practices are on Saturday right before the games are played. You get it all done in one day and it even gives the parents a chance to meet other parents and make new friends.
I love working with the YMCA and they love working with me
Very interested in sports! I should look at our local YMCA; I dont know why that didnt occur to me. are you interested in sports at all?
We do YMCA sports. all practices are on Saturday right before the games are played. You get it all done in one day and it even gives the parents a chance to meet other parents and make new friends.
I love working with the YMCA and they love working with me
Sprouts 12:39 AM 04-08-2012
I have an assistant and I regularly take my daughter out with me to run errands or do special 1:1 activities with her when ever its a "down time" . I am open until 6 so it can be tiring and depressing when all u want to do is leave but u have to wait for the last parent, but like other providers stated most parents are understanding and shouldn't mind if u leave here and there sometimes to spend special day with ur child...