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

PasturesNew

If it was me and water..... I'd just want a lilo to lay on. You'd not get me doing aquaft .... or anything with the combination of letters F-I-T in it

michaels

Aquafit would not be my idea of fun, it is too close to those dreams where you want to run but something is holding you back and so all your movements are in slow motion.

Perhaps the reason for the five crashes on black ice is that in life we are treated like children and not expected to make our own risk assessments and just assume that someone else has eliminated the risk for us - the old replace the airbag in the middle of the steering wheel with a metal spike and see driving standards improve argument....

tomterm8

I honestly think that a lot of the expense of raising children is about expectations... for example most kids these days expect to have a shop haircut, new (fashionable) clothes, days out, and huge quantities of toys.

Lots of those things didn't happen to me when I was a kid; we had what we needed but a lot of the things that people "need" these days aren't actually necessary.

The main cost is probably childcare, or lost earnings, but a lot of those costs are actually provided for by the state one way or another.

silvercar

The main cost is probably childcare, or lost earnings, but a lot of those costs are actually provided for by the state one way or another.

Even with childcare there is a lack of career progression. Unless you delegate a lot of the child rearing to outside help, there are times when you prioritise your family over your career. Luckily a second career evolved for me that I have been able to work around the family, but it has meant taking a completely different path.

In pure financial terms the most expensive things in our lives has been the boys. Not regretting it, because money isn't the answer to life, just saying.

silvercar

tomterm8 wrote: »

I honestly think that a lot of the expense of raising children is about expectations... for example most kids these days expect to have a shop haircut, new (fashionable) clothes, days out, and huge quantities of toys.

Costs go up as they get older. Especially when you and/ or they want to travel.

University is more expensive now, and for earners the loan system is inadequate. Also they still need support when they have start on careers.

silvercar

I tried aquafit years ago. You can get decent workouts if the pace of the class is fast enough. If the class is populated by ladies who can't get their hands above their shoulders, you end up freezing in cold water.

SingleSue

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.

Two of mine would love to go....the other thinks it's a waste of money and would rather be at home.

tomterm8

silvercar wrote: »

Costs go up as they get older. Especially when you and/ or they want to travel.

University is more expensive now, and for earners the loan system is inadequate. Also they still need support when they have start on careers.

It's certainly true that University is far more expensive, but if you go back thirty years almost no one went to university.

So, I'd put it down to expectations (not just the individual or families, but society expects people to be more qualified than they really need to be for a lot of jobs)

Edit: Travel costs are essentially voluntary. I didn't go abroad until after my sixteenth birthday, when I did so with money I earned myself. It's a choice people make.

SingleSue

PasturesNew wrote: »

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.

We do lots of free activities, the money is just not there to do the Alton Towers, Harry Potter theme worlds, Chessingtons etc, it is just so expensive. Youngest would love to go to Legoland as even now, he loves his Lego.

So I do a magical, mystery drive (usually to the ferry or along the country lanes), go on the beach (tea and ice cream provided by mum and dad as they live just off the sea front), walk around the town, walk along the prom or the personal favourite of youngest, go to PC World where he can play on all the new tablets and jot down their response times, ease of use etc.

For a slightly more expensive day, we go to Norwich to walk around the shops, youngest will spend ages in the Apple store, middle, ages in the music shops and James in the TV and film shops..

Or we will go to mum and dad's caravan, only costs us the price of fuel but a whole new beach to sit/walk on, an exceedingly excellent drum shop where middle son can mess about with drum stuff, new country lanes to drive down and free entertainment thrown in at night.

tomterm8

It's always worth checking out the clubcard vouchers for "special" days out. They can make them substantially cheaper...