Tip Store: Children: Daycare, Pre-school, School
Lunchbox Practice
To assist your child for their first day of preschool or school try packing their lunchbox for them everyday a few weeks beforehand and guide them on how to open, close and pack their container back into their bags. This will give them a giant boost to self-esteem, confidence and self help skills when they finally arrive at their place of learning. Take them with you when purchasing their lunch boxes and drink bottles and let them choose the easiest ones for them to handle.
Contributed by Julie, Ingleburn
To assist your child for their first day of preschool or school try packing their lunchbox for them everyday a few weeks beforehand and guide them on how to open, close and pack their container back into their bags. This will give them a giant boost to self-esteem, confidence and self help skills when they finally arrive at their place of learning. Take them with you when purchasing their lunch boxes and drink bottles and let them choose the easiest ones for them to handle.
Contributed by Julie, Ingleburn
Affordable Live-in Child Care
With regards to child care, we have an au pair who lives with us. I have two daughters aged three and two. The three year old goes to day care two days a week and the two year old goes one day. The rest of the time care is provided by our au pair. It is great for me as when work flexibility allows I can spend time with the kids without still paying for child care. And we have babysitting available also. Au Pairs typically cost between $160 to $180 a week but their accommodation and food is included also. Might be worth looking into, particularly for families with a number of children or even for after school care.
Contributed by Natasha Brown, 15th July 2010
Contributed by Natasha Brown, 15th July 2010
Lunchboxes that Last
Approximate $ Savings: $10-$15 for lunch box, $5 per fortnight for Clipseal bags
I don't know about you but I get really cross when I pay $10-$15 for a school lunch box that gets trashed soon enough anyway! I now go to the cheap shop and buy a cheap cooler bag and box and then my boys cover them in stickers from the cheap shop and any free stickers they can find. They love doing it and end up with really cool, individual lunch boxes that they tend to look after better and lose less often! To save money and the environment we no longer buy Clipseal sandwich bags - we save the plastic bags the bread comes in and re-use them as many times as the boys remember to bring them home. We also re use any pop top water/juice bottles - I'm less concerned if they lose it than if I paid $5 plus for it.
Contributed by Fiona, Chapel Hill, 15th October 2009
I don't know about you but I get really cross when I pay $10-$15 for a school lunch box that gets trashed soon enough anyway! I now go to the cheap shop and buy a cheap cooler bag and box and then my boys cover them in stickers from the cheap shop and any free stickers they can find. They love doing it and end up with really cool, individual lunch boxes that they tend to look after better and lose less often! To save money and the environment we no longer buy Clipseal sandwich bags - we save the plastic bags the bread comes in and re-use them as many times as the boys remember to bring them home. We also re use any pop top water/juice bottles - I'm less concerned if they lose it than if I paid $5 plus for it.
Contributed by Fiona, Chapel Hill, 15th October 2009
Childcare in a Family Environment
Have you thought of using family day care instead of pre-school or long day care centres. A lot of family day carer's work per hour and not per day, so it does work out a lot cheaper and its more of a family environment!
Contributed by Pilar, Tuggerawong, 5th August 2009
Contributed by Pilar, Tuggerawong, 5th August 2009
Label Away
Approximate $ Savings: $96
My daughter is starting grade 1 and a requirement is every individual pen, crayon, eraser, sharpener, scissors, glue etc needs her full name. Approx 90 items in total. Instead of purchasing name tags from a private company for about $96 or buying a brother p touch, I simply typed her name several times on the computer imported a picture from the internet and printed it out. I then cut out her name and bought some clear contact and stuck her name with contact on each item. It has been very time consuming but only cost about $5 and looks just as good.
Contributed by Sarah, Arana Hills, 21st January 2009
My daughter is starting grade 1 and a requirement is every individual pen, crayon, eraser, sharpener, scissors, glue etc needs her full name. Approx 90 items in total. Instead of purchasing name tags from a private company for about $96 or buying a brother p touch, I simply typed her name several times on the computer imported a picture from the internet and printed it out. I then cut out her name and bought some clear contact and stuck her name with contact on each item. It has been very time consuming but only cost about $5 and looks just as good.
Contributed by Sarah, Arana Hills, 21st January 2009
Donating Recyclables for a Good Cause
For all those people who can't find uses for recyclable items i.e. egg cartons, old cards, left over wool, material, cotton, cardboard, paints, etc look around your community at mums' groups and playgroups running in your area. These are mostly non-profit organizations running these groups and would definitely benefit from these items doesn't matter how small we'll find a use for it..old trays off meat and paper plates are great for paints etc. Wool and cotton comes in handy as each year most of our groups knit squares and join them as blankets for the less fortunate.
Contributed by Simone Wilson, 13th January 2009
Contributed by Simone Wilson, 13th January 2009
Switching Work Hours Saves This Family Money
Approximate $ Savings: $25.00 per week
I work part time 25 hours per week and have my daughter in after school care 4 days per week, to save money and my daughter from being exhausted I negotiated with my boss to work an extra hour for 2 days hence being able to pick my daughter up from school for 2 days this has saved us $25.00 per week, and we are all happy.
Contributed by Donna, Kellyville, 8th June 2008
I work part time 25 hours per week and have my daughter in after school care 4 days per week, to save money and my daughter from being exhausted I negotiated with my boss to work an extra hour for 2 days hence being able to pick my daughter up from school for 2 days this has saved us $25.00 per week, and we are all happy.
Contributed by Donna, Kellyville, 8th June 2008
Budget Babysitting
Approximate $ Savings: $20+ per night
Form a babysitting pool with your friends or neighbours. Instead of paying someone to look after your kids when you go out, simply return the favour and look after their kids when they go out.
Contributed by Suzanne, Concord, 20th June 2007
Form a babysitting pool with your friends or neighbours. Instead of paying someone to look after your kids when you go out, simply return the favour and look after their kids when they go out.
Contributed by Suzanne, Concord, 20th June 2007
Car-pooling the School Run Saves Petrol, Money and Time
We live in a rural area and have a 35 minute drive to my son's school. I
car pool with three other families which saves on fuel as well as our
time. We also try and tie the trips in with other activities we may be
doing either near the school or further down the highway so as not to be
doubling up on travel time.
Contributed by Robyn, Branxton, March 16th 2005
Contributed by Robyn, Branxton, March 16th 2005
Conveyance Allowance for School Children
I recently discovered that Queensland Transport offers a Conveyance Allowance to parents of both State and non-state school students in Queensland. My child attends a State School that is more than 3.2 km from our home, this is the minimum distance you must be from the nearest school to qualify for the allowance. The Conveyance Allowance is paid twice a year in June and December and is based on whether your children are driven to school or catch the bus as well as how many kilometres there are between your home and the school. We are currently paid $6.45 for each week that my child attends school throughout the year. Information about Conveyance Allowance is available on the Queensland Transport website under the School Transport Assistance Scheme: http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/PubTrans.nsf/index/assisthome The site will give you all the information on how to apply and which Queensland Transport office you need to contact.
Contributed by Tracey, Caloundra West, July 19th 2006
Contributed by Tracey, Caloundra West, July 19th 2006
Temporary Childcare
After 6 weeks of minor ailments in our family I found myself swamped with paperwork and housework. To catch up I started looking into temporary childcare. After being quoted between $600 and $1000 for one week of home help/child care I resigned myself to being behind. Then I thought of after school care at the kids' primary school. For less than $160 I had my 2 eldest children in care for 1 week. During this time I not only caught up but the kids had a great time doing outdoor activities and extra playtime with friends
Contributed by Gabriela, Eastwood, September 13th 2006
Contributed by Gabriela, Eastwood, September 13th 2006