Mothers morning out? Gym daycare?

NJLH

I'm trying to think of a budget friendly way to get a break. The girls are with me 24/7 and as much as I love it, I need some me-time. And I think the girls need to learn to be away from me for a bit. I dont need manicures...I just need to get my house organized a take a deep breath. There are a few mothers morning out programs in the area but they're a bit pricey. I thought of joining a gym with daycare which is a little more affordable but I cant leave the building. It would be a little time to myself though. Any other ideas? I'm out of work so I dont have a lot to spend. Thanks!

Mrs.Hizzo

How much are the MDO programs you're looking at? In my experience, it's less than I'd pay a sitter. The gym idea is nice if your goal is to get fit, but not if you're looking to run errands and clean the house uninterrupted.

gumiberg

i am a member of Lifetime and it has an awesome daycare.  $5/month unlimited care w/ a huge daycare facility. The nice thing about this gym (and i doubt its alone in this) is that not only is it a gym, but there is a cafe, a pool (indoor and out), tanning beds (if you're into that), a full spa for hair and nails and massages, hottubs, saunas, etc.  And wi-fi, so you can always bring your laptop and chill with a cup of coffee.

The daycare people dont mind if you dont work out, haha.

Anyway, we go all the time.  My babies seem to like it, although it took awhile for them to adjust.

CeeMat

Maybe you could trade one morning a week with another mom. My mom's group is trying to organize something like this on a larger scale.

Julie004

I use the gym as my "me" time. Our gym is huge and we have pools and tanning beds as well as a Cafe with a lounge area. I usually work out but afterward I take a loonnggg hot shower and get a shake at the cafe. It's totally worth it!

Andrewsgal

There are a huge variety of MDO/Preschool programs and prices in our area and most give discounts to multiple kids.

I am a big fan of kids being in preschool so this is part of the reason I have them in one. The gym would not do it for me, but it is fine for some. Our mega gyms and the ones that have really nice things for me to do are actually the same price per month as sending a kid to MDO so I prefer that route so I can actually get stuff done and do personal things like Dr appointments and such. Most of the churches in our area are really reasonable for MDO one is $50 a month per child for one day a week. Have you looked into all your MDO/preschool options?

whatevs

Our YMCA not only has childcare, but also allows some amount of "drop-in" care.  I can't remember the exact policy and I don't know if it is the same at all Y's.  I haven't actually used it... heck, I haven't even used the gym in months, but I know it is available. 

I think you can also sign up for one Friday a month from 4-8pm.  Again, haven't used it, but it may be worth checking into. 

Bella427

In the past we used a PDO at a local church.  If you're not opposed to a church or synagogue, usually those programs are pretty affordable.  We paid $100 a month for her to go one day a week for 5 hours.  The break helped a lot!