Q. I am a stay at home mom and military wife. I have a one and two year old. My oldest is having a terrible time with her father being deployed and is going crazy being stuck in the house all the time. She has been violent, agitated, emotional, and overall just a handful. I really want her to go to daycare but we canât afford it. She needs to be around other kids her age but Iâm just not sure how to accomplish that with my one year old in tow and with little or no money⦠Please help!
Limitations:
I can afford about $50 a week for something. My one year old has been slow in her development but my 2 year old has always been above the curve. They are miles apart when doing activities. I really struggle to take them anywhere to play⦠the older is running and going crazy and the younger is clinging on to me or crying.
I have to go some where that I can take both my 1 & 2 year and watch them by myself. Fast food places are totally off the table!!
Limitations:
I can afford about $50 a week for something. My one year old has been slow in her development but my 2 year old has always been above the curve. They are miles apart when doing activities. I really struggle to take them anywhere to play⦠the older is running and going crazy and the younger is clinging on to me or crying.
I have to go some where that I can take both my 1 & 2 year and watch them by myself. Fast food places are totally off the table!!
Answer
Playgroups that allow all ages would work. You can find them online on meetup or maybe if you live near a military community, there is another resource to find groups. Those are usually free except for admission to any activities. You could do a church group like MOPS or Sunday School where they would be in age-appropriate classes (and you could keep your younger kid with you in some cases). Mops usually costs maybe $50 or $100 a semester. Sunday school is usually free. You could do a gymboree or kindermusik class that is the "family" class so it is okay to bring more than one kid. Those are about $50 a month per kid. Music with Mar I think also allows multiple kids and you pay per family not per kid. Since your younger child needs a little bit more security, you might try wearing her in a backpack or sling if she isn't too heavy and that keeps her close, but makes it easier to run after the older kid without a stroller that may not be as agile at places like playgrounds. If you have a children's museum near you, sometimes they have a room or area for infants and toddlers where you could bring both kids and it would be a limited, reasonably safe area so your older child could have some freedom. You could do a mother's day out. Around here those are about $100 a month for 9-3 once a week per kid. It's basically daycare, but not everyday. You could do both kids or just your older kid and it would give you either time alone or time alone with your younger child. Not every program does children younger than 2 and they are often through a church.
Edited to add: It depends on your kids, but my kids are 2 and almost 1 and the library is not a good idea for us at this point because my older kid is a climber and thrower and neither really has the attention span for story time except at bedtime. Also our library specifically states for most programs that they are for one child with one caregiver, which means I can never go. Not saying your library may not have great programs, but I think it really is going to depend on the personality of your children and the programs offered.
Playgroups that allow all ages would work. You can find them online on meetup or maybe if you live near a military community, there is another resource to find groups. Those are usually free except for admission to any activities. You could do a church group like MOPS or Sunday School where they would be in age-appropriate classes (and you could keep your younger kid with you in some cases). Mops usually costs maybe $50 or $100 a semester. Sunday school is usually free. You could do a gymboree or kindermusik class that is the "family" class so it is okay to bring more than one kid. Those are about $50 a month per kid. Music with Mar I think also allows multiple kids and you pay per family not per kid. Since your younger child needs a little bit more security, you might try wearing her in a backpack or sling if she isn't too heavy and that keeps her close, but makes it easier to run after the older kid without a stroller that may not be as agile at places like playgrounds. If you have a children's museum near you, sometimes they have a room or area for infants and toddlers where you could bring both kids and it would be a limited, reasonably safe area so your older child could have some freedom. You could do a mother's day out. Around here those are about $100 a month for 9-3 once a week per kid. It's basically daycare, but not everyday. You could do both kids or just your older kid and it would give you either time alone or time alone with your younger child. Not every program does children younger than 2 and they are often through a church.
Edited to add: It depends on your kids, but my kids are 2 and almost 1 and the library is not a good idea for us at this point because my older kid is a climber and thrower and neither really has the attention span for story time except at bedtime. Also our library specifically states for most programs that they are for one child with one caregiver, which means I can never go. Not saying your library may not have great programs, but I think it really is going to depend on the personality of your children and the programs offered.
5 year old going into kindergarten how much should I spend on clothes?
My daughter is going to be starting school in August and I plan to take her school shopping next week and spend about $200 on clothes. We already bought her backpack and lunch bag so it would be only for shoes and clothes. How much do you spend and buy and how old are your kids?
Thanks for answering my question! I'm just curious this is my first baby so I have no clue
Thank you lorelei I was actually concerned that $200 would not be enough. Its not that I want to be excessive but I would like my daughter to look decent and have enough of everything. I know clothes at her age get destroyed pretty quickly which is why I feel its necessary to get her alot.
Answer
wow...I asked a similar question about my 18 month old a few weeks ago and got alot of the same answers...I personally will shop at thrift stores and second hand stores but the clothes must have tags on them and not been worn or be so cute it dose not matter...I have found good deals at The Children's Place and Carters. I also like Sears, Jcpenny and Gymboree (for sales). I think $200 is very reasonable if she needs everything! I would however look into outlet shopping near you. I went the The Children's place outlet and got her jeans for like $5.00 brand new! For shoes I like Walmart or target...I would also be sure to get an old T-shirt for her to wear when she dose painting in school...even if the paint say "washable" it dose stain sometimes...I also would deam and few things as "fancy" clothes like for church or her first day of school! Good luck!!
P.S I plan on spending $300-$500 on my 18 month old Fall/winter entire wardrobe!!
wow...I asked a similar question about my 18 month old a few weeks ago and got alot of the same answers...I personally will shop at thrift stores and second hand stores but the clothes must have tags on them and not been worn or be so cute it dose not matter...I have found good deals at The Children's Place and Carters. I also like Sears, Jcpenny and Gymboree (for sales). I think $200 is very reasonable if she needs everything! I would however look into outlet shopping near you. I went the The Children's place outlet and got her jeans for like $5.00 brand new! For shoes I like Walmart or target...I would also be sure to get an old T-shirt for her to wear when she dose painting in school...even if the paint say "washable" it dose stain sometimes...I also would deam and few things as "fancy" clothes like for church or her first day of school! Good luck!!
P.S I plan on spending $300-$500 on my 18 month old Fall/winter entire wardrobe!!
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Title Post: Where can I take my two year old to interact with other children for little or no money?
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Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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