NaeNae, we posted at the same time. Ours was 6 years ago so maybe community houses have to pay more these days???
FWIW, I also am tight (LOL) but think it is money well spent for your future sanity if you MG turn out to be supportive.
That sounds like alot to me, especially the paying $4 per session AFTER already paying all the other money???
We have a playgroup & luckily for me its held in the school hall of my daughters school so on the weeks I choose to go I drop DD off & just walk to the hall LOL. They have use of the hall + the playground. We also have tea, coffee & biscuits supplied. Ours is $12 per family per school term. This isnt just for parents at my daughters school, its open to everyone.
When DD was a baby & I went to Mothers group we mainly went to each others houses, bringing snacks for the kids or sometimes (like Melbourne Cup day, Christmas get together etc) we'd each bring a plate of food for everyone to share.
When they were real little we mainly met at cafes. When they got older alot of the times we went to the indoor play centres.... they're usually free for under 12 months old & the one we usually went to cost us $5 each child until they were about 3 yrs old. We'd usually bring snacks from home but would buy a yummy coffee & sometimes a bowl of hot chips for the kiddies to share.
If I were you I'd be looking around at the cost of other places, the kids arent playing at that age... I cant even remember how old they are when they actually notice the other babies are there to play with LOL
Our MG has just (as in the last 2 weeks!) evolved into a "playgroup" one of the mums found a local community house which has its own run "playgroups" but we just book it for wed afternoons.
It costs us $10 a term, paid upfront, was told this is just for insurance purposes.
they have a gold coin donation box for tea/coffee but we have brought a box with all our own supplies so not applicable to us.
we have full use of the house with changetables and portacots in the 2 bedrooms (all with baby monitors) and the play area and outdoors (all undercover and fake grass () )
all chocka block with toys, another room is full of craft supplies which we have been told to help ourselves to, but the kids arent yet at the "crafty" age/stage.
there is also baby mats with mobiles set up for the younger ones, kiddies tables and chairs, full kitchen facilities etc. lots of comfy cushions and couches and baby gates to keep the kids out the kitchen and the office area (where all the information and dvd player etc is)
like I said we have only just started doing this, the kids are all 15+ months now, so walking etc, before that we hired a local hall at $9 each a term. and that had nothing but basic amenities.
Both my mothers group and the prem playgroup I was in (that we continued externally once our littlies started walking and couldn't go to the hospital one any longer), looked into going through Playgroup SA and using their facilities.
We all found it expensive, and what we did was decide to meet at different locations, giving the little one's variation
In good weather we go to parks and playgrounds, we have sessions at the play ground int the middle of the WCH quite often as many of the prem bubs still have appointments etc to attend. And other weather those of us who have suitable houses will hold it at our homes.
There are also the options of play cafes, libraries (baby bounce and sing), swimming pool (if there is a heated on in the area).
But as our groups were already formed as such the inital one through our CYHN or your MHCN, so we had the people, just chose the location.
It does sound nice but we just felt it was too much money and decided we could spend it better
the playgroup that I go to is held at a local school, as part of their "Schools as Community Groups" movement. It's free, we're just supposed to bring a piece of fruit along for morning tea that gets cut up so all the kids can share. I guess the craft stuff for the older kids and all the toys are subsidised by the school/department of education, but I probably wouldn't go at all if we had to pay a weekly fee as we just sit there for a couple of hours then go home.
Are there any government/community grants you can apply for to make it cheaper for everyone to attend?
We pay $28 per year to Playgroup WA for insurance etc, and then we pay $3 per session for hall rental, tea coffee etc- we use grants and fundraising to pay for toys, crafts etc
I didnt join playgroup for that very reason. My mums group turned it into a playgroup at 12mths and I just found it silly for a couple of reasons.
1. The cost seems ridiculous for what it is. Similar to what you said and no tea, etc supplied. They take turns each week bringing it for everyone.
2. I still meet up with the people I want to out of playgroup.
3. DD gets alot of social interaction at activities at Daycare 2 days a week.
4. The time that they have it on is at DD's arvo sleep time.
I go to playgroup with DD - 3 years and DS - 17 months - the one we go to won't take kids under 1 year of age, which is common sense as they do crafts, run around on the play equipment outside, sit down at a table and have fruit for morning tea, etc so for any littlies under 1 years it would be a waste of time. So now that DS is over one, he is enrolled as well and is enjoying participating, which is great. I have been going to this playgroup for two years now and have met some really lovely ladies who I have seen outside of the playgroup session. The cost would be about the same as yours, we have to pay for the term upfront to ensure we have a place.
Maybe just for now, keep going to each others houses/parks/cafes/playcentres until your littlies are a bit bigger.
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