If nursery gets too expensive I’ll take my Kids to the (industrial) park
DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR A FIRST TIME DAD OF TWINS
Before we had the twins, I used to listen in disbelief to friends with offspring swap tales of extortionate nursery fees. These epic figures were bandied around, and I thought my old mates must not be claiming some subsidy or sending their toddlers to a nursery version of Eton.
Well, now we’re those people and spending £600 a month to send the twins to nursery for three days a week.
This figure takes account of our weekly 30 hours free childcare, but this Government-backed freebie doesn’t include food and only covers term time, hence we’re still paying because we work over school holidays and we’d like them to eat.
Although I’m complaining, I’m not really, because they love nursery, the staff are superb.
The problem is the lack of choice.
For example, I tend to save Marks & Spencer’s for the weekend whereas our German friends provide a more cost-conscious approach to the rest of the week’s shopping.
Hence, I’ve decided to create a revolution in cost conscious childcare.
Firstly, staff are crucial to any operation. This is why all employees would be without a criminal record, happy to be in paid labour and generally clean. It’s important not to set the benchmark too high as the below minimum wage salary would be supplemented with tips and training
would be provided.
Secondly, the nursery is often contained within a large converted former family home, which carries heavy overheads. I’d suggest if a caravan is good enough for a holiday, then it’s good enough to house a few children.
And not only is a caravan mobile if the authorities start asking questions, it’s got a lavatory very close to the living area to help with toilet training.
Thirdly, I’ve noticed parking at peak times around the nursery can be a struggle, so what better place to site it than an industrial estate, which has excellent parking and motorway links.
Catering could be a challenge as the kitchen is essentially the nursery, but since we’re on an industrial estate there’s usually a burger van nearby.
The truth is though, a nursery is far more than just a place to leave children.
It’s somewhere they can grow into proper people, but if anyone can make the above scenario work within Government guidelines for less than a tenner a day, I might have a couple of customers for every Wednesday.