Nice People Thread Number 10 -the official residence of Nice People

silvercar

This drive, being abused, was on a wide quiet road. So the lazy neighbour could have done a 3 point turn, but preferred to circle.

michaels

lostinrates wrote: »

DH and I were just talking about how much money we save not having kids.

I mentioned that there was (I know this from MSE) a 'Harry potter world'' and its expensive and DH asked how much tickets were and I just looked than up and he agreed with me it was expensive.

Then said, 'Do we know any kids who'd want to go if we took them? I mean.....I'd quite like to...but....you'd need kids to look reasonable wouldn't you, .'

I think he missed my original point.

Book in our older two for half term

Edit: You are right they are expensive, although it is optional to an extent, DSis spends more on day school for her 3 than I take home after tax:eek:

lostinrates

michaels wrote: »

Book in our older two for half term

But can I definitely get DH in half term......? :rotfl:

zagubov

lostinrates wrote: »

DH and I were just talking about how much money we save not having kids.

I mentioned that there was (I know this from MSE) a 'Harry potter world'' and its expensive and DH asked how much tickets were and I just looked than up and he agreed with me it was expensive.

Then said, 'Do we know any kids who'd want to go if we took them? I mean.....I'd quite like to...but....you'd need kids to look reasonable wouldn't you, .'

I think he missed my original point.

I seem to recall someone worked out it costs a six-figure sum to raise a child to the point where you're no longer responsible for them. But I suspect that that age is increasing just as the pension age does.

PasturesNew

Fact is, theme parks and expensive days out are optional and not a cost of raising kids. Most of our entertainment was "free". We'd go to the local outdoor swiming pool, but sit on the grass beside the paddling pool outside the complex; we'd take a cane with a net on the end and go fishing for tiddlers.

We did go to one zoo once, but, as a rule, we never went to places that cost money to get in.

I always wanted a swing in the back garden .... no chance. I did know one girl who had a swing though and she let me go on it. I also wanted stilts and a pogo stick - knew two girls who had stilts so I did get to go on those a few times, never did get on a pogo stick. Had some metal adjustable roller skates, they were good, except they kept adjusting bigger as I was using them.

Had bikes, until I was 10 we got two sets of bikes 2nd-hand from the boys next door, I remember waiting for them to outgrow their trikes with a "boot". Never had a new, or newish, bike.

We mostly played in the garden, or drew/painted/stuck things down sitting at the table inside if it was raining. Also played card games, board games, jigsaws, marbles, jacks, etc.

In the summer I remember collecting ladybirds in a jam jar, catching butterflies in the garden and making dens out of old sheets/blankets.

Nikkster

lostinrates wrote: »

DH and I were just talking about how much money we save not having kids.

I mentioned that there was (I know this from MSE) a 'Harry potter world'' and its expensive and DH asked how much tickets were and I just looked than up and he agreed with me it was expensive.

Then said, 'Do we know any kids who'd want to go if we took them? I mean.....I'd quite like to...but....you'd need kids to look reasonable wouldn't you, .'

I think he missed my original point.

I have a friend who lives in the neighbouring village (where I will hopefully be spending tomorrow night). Whenever we drive past Leavesden and the signs for Harry Potter (if I am the passenger!) I press my nose almost against the window and enthusiastically thank her for taking me to see Harry Potter.... Until we drive straight past. We've been waiting for some kind of local people discount which has yet to materialise. We wouldn't bother finding children to borrow! If FIR needs someone to take, I'm not very young but I am short if that helps

LydiaJ

Agree with PN that the cost of raising a child is hugely variable depending on choices about whether to get them expensive stuff/experiences or not. There is, however, also the inescapable choice between childcare or lost earnings, and the added costs of living somewhere big enough to accommodate them, as well as their food/clothes etc. And the huge opportunity cost of being tied down by them - as lir remarked a few pages ago, I am at least as much "owned" by my parenting responsibilities as fir is "owned" by the excessive demands of his employers.

I don't know about anybody else's kids, but mine are worth all of that.

Nikkster

I've only put my bins out a handful of times since moving here. Not just because I don't create a lot of rubbish (which is true), but because my neighbour beats me to it. They lived next to students for 10 years and got in the habit of putting their bins out too. I've told then there isn't any need for them to do it for me but I guess its become such a routine for them..

Edit: for the sale of completeness we have 3 wheelie bins - grey for normal rubbish (collected every week) then alternate weeks recycling or garden waste are taken. All recycling goes in the same bin, except for glass which we have to take to bottle banks ourselves.

michaels

Well today we had 5 and entertainment consisted of a trip to the park (used scooters which cost 25 for 3), play on wii bike (free from freecycle although the wii cost £60 originally and another 25 for a hard drive), watched a recorded freeview movie and fed them pizza, chips and dips and icecream (total cost about a fiver) then they did a 'make a magazine' kit which cost a fiver. However I also spent all day looking after them instead of painting the bedroom which is my xmas holidays to do task and will no doubt cost a couple of hundred quid if we have to pay someone to do it....

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

Fact is, theme parks and expensive days out are optional and not a cost of raising kids. .

This is true, and frankly, not something I'd be worried about of we had kids. I went to a few things with schools,.....safari park etc but never theme parks or anything. I don't feel the poorer.

Otoh personally, given our personal mongrel status I think for us it would be important if we had a kid it were a confident traveller. I'd hope, probably somewhat bizarrely, it would be able to visit family on both sides for stuff. I think also education and extracurriculars would be pretty important to us DEPENDING on who the kid turned out to be. I wouldn't want a kid who hated horses to have riding lessons because I like horses, but I do feel its important that young people are confident in their own bodies and physicality, for fitness and enjoyment. I would want a child to pursue at least a couple of sports. I'd hope like fir and I the child would want to learn a musical instrument, I have a strong feeling if it didn't we might both be inclined to feel it might not enjoy trying to learn to like one until it were in its teens. other than that I like to think we'd adapt to the child we were given. Tbh, ATM we'd just like to be given one.

Brave of Michael to offer to lend us two pretty ones, :rotfl: