The Official Daddies Club

[Ulick]

Not really we don't live near either family so have no minders or babysitters. The wife did finally give up work last year and is full-time ma now though. We reckoned 3 was the tipping point. After that you can't get any busier, just manage your time differently.

[CD]

Major respect Ulick! That's a busy house!

[Hereiam]

Christ that would be a mad house. Debating here at the minute whether the missus could go part time. Its definitely nor easy with us both working full time.

[tbrick18]

Yeah it's tough once you get to 3 kids to justify both of you working full time.
We decided to get a childminder to come into our home though, and paid cash but didnt insist on being registered.
We asked around and got someone recommended by others with grown up kids and it worked out well. A lot cheaper and a lot less hassle in the mornings and evenings.
We have 5 kids, 9, 8, 6, 3 & 3.

[pullhard]

Yeah it's tough once you get to 3 kids to justify both of you working full time.
We decided to get a childminder to come into our home though, and paid cash but didnt insist on being registered.
We asked around and got someone recommended by others with grown up kids and it worked out well. A lot cheaper and a lot less hassle in the mornings and evenings.
We have 5 kids, 9, 8, 6, 3 & 3.

That would must have come as a bit of a surprise. Great idea with the childminder tho

[gawa316]

My wife stays at home with the kids but has just starting looking after her friends kids who are 9, 4 & 3. It's win, win. Her friend knows someone is looking after her kids she can trust, it's not as expensive as official daycare and then we get extra money which comes in quare handy and the kids entertain themselves as opposed to ours just fighting over every little thing.

School pick ups and stuff are a bit of a nightmare but apart from that it's going good.

[tbrick18]

Yeah it's tough once you get to 3 kids to justify both of you working full time.
We decided to get a childminder to come into our home though, and paid cash but didnt insist on being registered.
We asked around and got someone recommended by others with grown up kids and it worked out well. A lot cheaper and a lot less hassle in the mornings and evenings.
We have 5 kids, 9, 8, 6, 3 & 3.

That would must have come as a bit of a surprise. Great idea with the childminder tho

You've no idea! We had the first scan, everything normal....second scan the consultant was boasting about his new top of the range scanning machine, I was watching the image and thinking to myself "this must be some sort of split screen display", and then he says "how many babies did we say there were last time?". Nearly dropped.

With the cost of registered childcare or creche's it's just not affordable to use them in my opinion.
If you can get someone trustworthy to mind the kids its definitely cheaper and generally less stress for you and the kids.

[laoislad]

I agree about the cost of childcare and having someone come to your house being a cheaper and sometimes better option.
I find the creche great though,yeah its like a second mortgage but my eldest has come on leaps and bounds since we but him in creche and being around kids his own age.
He spent the first two years of his life being minded by over protective grandparents, but now is in creche 3 days a week.
Its costing a fortune but its worth every penny imo.
I dont think he would get such a benefit if we had someone come to the house to mind him.

[pullhard]

Suppose all the extra interaction with other kids and adults must do wonders for the confidence

[gawa316]

I agree about the cost of childcare and having someone come to your house being a cheaper and sometimes better option.
I find the creche great though,yeah its like a second mortgage but my eldest has come on leaps and bounds since we but him in creche and being around kids his own age.
He spent the first two years of his life being minded by over protective grandparents, but now is in creche 3 days a week.
Its costing a fortune but its worth every penny imo.
I dont think he would get such a benefit if we had someone come to the house to mind him.

Yip would definitely agree with that. Our eldest has really changed since being at school. Well really developed anyway, but he is still a wee shite at home but I guess it's better than being a shite at school.

Just sent the middle buck to like a pre school that is expensive as feck but he needed to be away socializing with others his age plus it gives the wife some time with just the youngest and less yapping in my ear so money well spent. Add into that her looking after her friends kids on certain days, touch wood we have a good scenario going at the minute.

The mother-in-law is retiring in Jan so hopefully she can then look after ours a couple of days a week and the wife can go out and sub teach for a while.

[CD]

Did the North Coast Ballycastle, Causeway and Carrick-a-rede tour yesterday with the kids. Really good day out. I was worried that the kids were too young for it but they loved jumping from stone to stone on the Causeway and were so excited going across the rope bridge. A nice stop off for a packed lunch in Ballycastle was enjoyable too. Some scary towns on the way home. Illegal flags flying in Bushmills etc. Had never been in that part of the world before and had no idea that it was like that.

[nrico2006]

Slieve Gullion is some day out and doesn't cost a penny, went a few times.  Castlewellan is good too and the maze is a lot trickier than I imagined.  Tollymore is good if they are a bit older.  The best playpark I have been to though was in Carnfunnock, some spot up there too and wasn't very expensive for all the activities.  Booked a hotel a few months ago for £200 and that included 2 nights (plus Breakfast) as well as family passes into Tayto Park and Dublin Zoo. 

[Under Lights]

Two and a half year old year old came out with a good one the other day. She was sitting doing a bit of painting and stopped and said to herself. "Hakuna Matata- what does it mean?" She paused. Nodded. "It means no worries".

[The Iceman]

Did the North Coast Ballycastle, Causeway and Carrick-a-rede tour yesterday with the kids. Really good day out. I was worried that the kids were too young for it but they loved jumping from stone to stone on the Causeway and were so excited going across the rope bridge. A nice stop off for a packed lunch in Ballycastle was enjoyable too. Some scary towns on the way home. Illegal flags flying in Bushmills etc. Had never been in that part of the world before and had no idea that it was like that.

sounds like a great day out! Kids can always handle more than we think. We take ours on hikes now all the time that 5/6 months ago we thought a 7yr old couldn't handle and now the 3 year old walks most of the way.
Bushmills isn't a fenian friendly zone by any means...... drove through a few times and kept the head down

[pullhard]

Now approaching the due date. The other half is keen to get things moving.
Shes drinking that minging raspberry leaf tea and eating pineapple like crazy, without much movement.
Does curry and getting the leg over work?
Any other suggestions for getting things to progress?