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_SMS_
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Topic: Playcentre Mums Posted: 24 June 2010 at 7:51pm |
Who here is a playcentre mum?
Do you like playcentre? Do your children?
I take DD to playcentre each week sometimes twice a week. She loves it. Im so glad i take her
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anon
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Location: Auckland
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Posted: 24 June 2010 at 7:56pm |
I'm interested in hearing the replies. I didn't think I was a "playcentre mum" because when I went as a nanny, the mothers seemed so into their kids playing and learning and that was the focus rather than having some time out while their kids played and having a coffee and a chat (my preference - haha!)
However, I have been going to SPACE at playcentre once a week and I love it. It's a mixture of everything and I feel at home at playcentre and if the mums stay on at playcentre, I'll enjoy catching up with them.
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High9
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Posted: 24 June 2010 at 8:12pm |
Lily starts space on the 19th July, I can't wait!
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M2K
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Posted: 24 June 2010 at 8:19pm |
I take Keira to playgroup to get out of the house, she loves playing with other kids. It took me a while to actually go there as Im so shy at first and hadn't met any other army wives out here (we used to live in town) so I was glad to have somewhere to take Keira and meet other people in the same boat as me
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palomino
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Posted: 24 June 2010 at 8:20pm |
Iv just enrolled, something i have always been interested in, so exciting now we can really get into it. DS loves it too, as soon as we get out of the car hes running to start painting. Plus its fun letting him get messy and not having to worry about the house getting trashed.
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_SMS_
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Posted: 24 June 2010 at 8:28pm |
I agree HUNTD. Thats a bonus not having the mess!!
Wow Brennan is good painting. Taylah just eats the paint lol
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myfullhouse
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Posted: 24 June 2010 at 8:45pm |
We have been at PC for just over a year now and I love it and so do the boys. I have just started co-leading a session this term. Our PC is great as there is no pressure to attend a certain number of sessions, and there is a nice balance of Mum-time for gssiping, talking, discussioning issues etc and spending time with your kids.
And it is great they can get messy there, so don't have to worry about lpaydough, clay, paint etc at home
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anon
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Posted: 25 June 2010 at 9:37am |
Linzy is there any structure or the kids just play and mums just help etc? Sounds like when you say you co-lead it that there may be certain blocks of time you do certain things?
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shadowfeet
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Posted: 25 June 2010 at 11:24am |
What age do kids start to get benefit out of playcentre? I couldn't get to SPACE because of the time it ran but am considering playcentre.
I was a playcentre kid, and my Mum was a playcentre educator (paid) til my youngest brother was in the middle of high school.
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E&L+1
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Posted: 25 June 2010 at 12:33pm |
Hey shadowfeet I'm a playcentre mum and have been for 1 term so far.
I started taking E when she was 5.5 months and I got more out of it but now she is a bit older she loves watching the older kids and because she has been going for a while it is a comfortable place for her to be. I enjoy it as it gives us time out of the house and conversation with other adults. E loves it because they have different toys there and kids to watch.
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Lulu
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Posted: 25 June 2010 at 2:22pm |
I tried the whole playcentre thing but it didn't really work out for me. I have to take my Daughter somewhere that I can attend with her as she is extremely shy and needs me there as her confidence builds (hopefully by kindy age!), but the whole concept of having to do courses and go to meetings etc wasn't what I wanted - I am busy enough in my own life between running a home business and being a full time Mother and any spare time I have is for me and DH to enjoy! I would rather have somewhere that you paid extra but they had employed people to take care of the 'nitty gritty'. Basically daycare, but one that I could attend too! I found the facilities good in one way, heaps to do - painting, waterplay, sandpit, climbing apparatus, toys, books, etc, but I also found everything to be quite filthy and dirty - I think this is partly because it is a parent co-operative and relies mostly on the parents cleaning up after each session which is done rather half heartedly. I found that the long term parents were in quite a tight group and I were quite different to me so I didn't really fit in as such. I can totally see the value for some people though and think that it is a great community service. For me though in the end it was better to take my Daughter to other activities such as Mainly Music, jumping beans, rhythm & rhyme etc as there is no obligation other than turning up and paying the fee!
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Nikki
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Posted: 25 June 2010 at 10:22pm |
I'm a playcentre mum. We also go to one in west ak (like Linzy, but a different centre) a nd there seems to be alot less pressure than some other areas. There is still some work with course, meetings, fundraising etc though.
My kids love it. Morgan is such a "playcentre kid" - you know the one covered in paint, sand, water and eating play dough! I've found it hard with her not wanting to nap there anymore, but she is coping alot better now that shes close to going down to one nap anyway. Jake is a little more shy, so probably took a term to settle in (we've been going for about 10months) but loves it now and is way more independant.
I think Morgan did get some benefit out of it while younger, but basically I think they mainly benefit once they are old enough to really play and not get too tired being awak all morning, so about 10/12 months and older probably (just my opinion).
Newlywed - theres no structure - its all free play. the only "structure" we have is they all have fruit together while the parents have a meeting at the end, before we all clean up.
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DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs)
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myfullhouse
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 8:30am |
Newlywed - the only structure to our sessions is that morning tea is at 10am (ish), the kids all sit down together and eat, at our centre you put you name down and take turns bringing a few nibbles for the parents for morning tea (one of my favourite parts!). Oh and we do a session evaluation at the end which takes about 10mins
I share the lead responsibilities with a friend which makes it easier. It isn't very hard. We have to read the notices at morning tea time, make sure we haven't got too many people as we are only licensed for a certain number of kids per session, organise a trip per term (could be just down to the local park), organise a fire drill. But some of that can be delegated anyway. Not really too hard.
Lulu - I suppose alot of that depends on the centre you go to. Our PC is very clean. We do a full clean at the end of each term e.g. every single block is cleaned, plus we all clean up at the end of the session and it is done really well.
Our PC isn't too strict on the training, I didn't complete Course 1 till the end of my 3rd term and it was really easy as the workshops were all during session times so they had extra parents in to help look after your kids while you did the workshop, and of course I could step away if the boys needed me.
I think that every PC is different and if you really want to go to one it may pay to check out a few different ones to see which one fits you best (if at all)
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rorylex
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 11:18am |
im a playcentre mum and i love it. i take all 4 boys with me though next term ds1 is off to school and ds2 is at daycare on wed mornings while im at playcentre. i have been going since my oldest was 9mths though at first it was on and off as i found a playcentre that i liked.
when ds3 was 6mths i finally found a playcentre i loved, i dont mind doing the courses c1 is soo simple. i dont mind meetings as it means i get a say in what happens at playcentre.
i prefer my kids to be in my care until 3.5yrs+, but i love them being able to have all the things avalible to them that, children in daycare/kindy have. also i love that it gives me time to interact with other mothers, fathers and granparents. and i can chill out more their than i can at home.
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Mummy to 4 boys
Samuel - 18.6.05
Rory - 15.7.06
Mason - 13.06.08
Emmett - 24.01.10
Baby #5 - cooking
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freckle
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 12:01pm |
I took DD2 to playcentre for 9 months and she did really enjoy it... we moved areas so was too far to attend the old PC and I'm still deciding whether I can be bothered going to the one near us now... I was a bit over the pressure to attend meetings, fundraisers, all the cleaning up in the holidays, working bees and courses... but in other ways it was great as my DD is rather shy too and was nice for her to have me there....
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mum to 3 lovely girls :D
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LJsmum
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 7:28pm |
i took both boys to playcentre for a few terms. Depends on the playcentre and the people there really. DS1 loved it though, lots of freeedom to play and explore and get messy!
have a look it is fun and worth checking out go to a few and find one you like.
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rorylex
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 7:39pm |
remember that there are different people on different days so check out all sessions that suit your week and see what group you get on with better.
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Mummy to 4 boys
Samuel - 18.6.05
Rory - 15.7.06
Mason - 13.06.08
Emmett - 24.01.10
Baby #5 - cooking
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mrsturtle
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 7:42pm |
excuse my ignorance, can you start at playcenter at any age? Emily is almost 16months and i would love for her to go to something, she did go to a space programme when we lived in central otago but since we moved to dunedin i havent got her into anything i know there is a playcenter about 5 min away.
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SMoody
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 7:47pm |
I am a Playcentre Mum and I just really really love it. I had attended two different ones part of two different associations (we moved house and area) and can say it really differs from centre to centre as well as your session to session.
And it really depends on who is the parents and the kids involved. It is all centred around free play and child's free choice.
So most of your activities is available on each session and it is the parents responsibilities to extend the kids on session.
My old centre had an over 4 year old group so did more structured activities with the kids and it was a drop off session.
My new centre have the same. Extended sessions for over 3's. It is two days a week and it is a lot more structured but still around child choice. I absolutely love it.
Andrew has gone the first time in when he was 2 days old (just a quick visit though) and been a full time PC kid since 3 weeks. He absolutely lap every moment up. He definately gets to experience things that I would not normally do at home.
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Caro07
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Posted: 26 June 2010 at 8:13pm |
Another playcentre mum here Been going since DH just turned 1. It was mainly for my benefit at the start (moving to a new city and needing to meet new people) but now he loves it too.
I like doing the courses and even enjoy the meetings. I think it gives us a sense of ownership and responsibility for playcentre. I am also the centre treasurer and it certainly makes you appreciate the finer points of running a PC.
Our PC has so much variety and choice of activities/toys and everything is very clean. We do a total pack away each session and the floors get swept and mopped everyday.
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Caroline, SAHM to 2 boys, S (4 years old) and J (2 years old)
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