General Chat - Playcentre...HELP!

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Playcentre...HELP!

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Topic: Playcentre...HELP!

Posted By: RinTinTin
Subject: Playcentre...HELP!
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:05pm

So I went to Playcentre this morning and I've decided it's really not for me. Well not exactly, Playcentre itself, it's morals, it's philosophies, I LOVE and I think they're awesome.
What is not awesome however are the other mothers/parents that are there.
There was one mother with what looked to be a 9 month old (approx?) little boy and she'd put him down someewhere and walk away, then he'd cry his heart out and she'd stand across the other side of the centre and call his a big sookie and a cry baby and a wimp. I was like FFS, he's SCARED and you've just dumped him there.
Then there was a girl there with a little newborn, she obviously couldn't be assed feeding bubba so she put him in his capsule, piled up a blanket on his chest then rested a bottle of formula on top of the blanket and left him to feed himself. He was no more than 3 months old.
Then there was this haggis old bat who was chasing kids around yelling at them to be quiet, don't run, don't do this, don't do that. FFS, it's raiing and cold, all the kids are inside, they're little boys, they make noise, they run, they crash, you can't just yell at them all day!
There was a group of mothers who stood in a corner talking about how they all got on the piss on the weekend and stuff. I was like whaaaaaaattttt? You're kidding right?!

I'm gutted. I desperately want to do the Playcentre courses cause like I say, I love their ways, but I can't go along there twice a week and sit by and see things like that. It goes against all that I believe. AND I don't want Mac to be subjected to that kind of treatment either.

I don't really know what to do though.

PS: Sorry about the odd text/font. OB went mental on me!

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http://lilypie.com">

Replies:

Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:08pm

Stink

Is there another Playcentre close-ish to your area that you can try? Or a different day so maybe different dynamics?

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SJ
Callum - Dec 2008
Daniel - Oct 2010

Posted By: Henna79
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:17pm

oh my gosh that's hideous!! Can I ask what Playcentre it was as I am thinking about heading along to one here in Hamilton and like you would not be able to stand one with parents like that.

Posted By: millymollymandy
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:19pm

I can so see why you were shocked! I can't beleive these people. I wouldn't want to back either. I go to playcentre, when I can and the Mum's, Dads and Grandparents there are wonderful. If someone behavied like that at our centre, they would be asked to leave.

Some days I think I'm a crappy Mum, but then a read some thing like is and realise I'm actually pretty good.

I'm not sure where you are based, but are there other centres in your area? Its very dependent on the parents running it. One thing is to check out is the centre's policies, ours has rules like no screaming at kids, no hitting etc.

Our you could see if one centre run the SPACE programme somewhere locally. I sometimes go to that (not mind you as they seem to hold during DD's morning sleep). SPACE is aimied at babies and its brilliant you do singing, discussion topics and make toys and stuff for your babies.

Grggh those poor little babies....

MMM

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Baby M - born 1 August 2009

Posted By: RinTinTin
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:29pm

Henna - I'm in Tokoroa. The next closest one is 20 minutes away in either Putaruru or Atiamuri.

I went on the Friday the other week and that didn't seem as bad as today.
I might go again this Friday and see if Fridays are a better day than Wednesdays.

MMM - All Playcentres have the same policies, or they're supposed to.

Argh, there was a little boy there and he had some Maraccas and was banging on some drums with them. I was standing there with Mac dancing along to his beat and about 3 other mothers came over to him on different occassions and told him to stop and be quiet, another mother came up behind him and grabbed his arms mid-beat.

I went to Playcentre as a kid, I remember it being so wonderful. This Playcentre was nothing like that

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http://lilypie.com">

Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:35pm

how awful! our local playcentre (which i haven't been to yet) runs 5 days a week and different mums go on diff days. Could you try a different day and see if you get better mums?

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http://lilypie.com">

Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:35pm

With those experiences I'd be doing the 20min journey to one of the other ones

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Posted By: RinTinTin
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 1:55pm

I can't really afford to travel though Bobbie. Not in my car. Stupid gas guzzling Subaru!

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http://lilypie.com">

http://lilypie.com">

Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 2:25pm

We're meant to be going term 3, but this is what I worry about!!

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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 2:30pm

omg thats awful! Our play centre is lovely. I wouldnt go if they were like that. Come to hamilton :P

Posted By: floss
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 2:48pm

Thats terrible, you should have a team leader there I would bring it up with her and maybe they could do a gentle reminder about the philosophy and policys at playcentre as none of the things you have mentioned go along with their beliefs.

I have just had to give up playcentre as I am doing my ECE training and working but I loved it and done all the workshops they offered which I think really helped me with my study.

I hope that by switching days it gets better for you guys

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My beautiful big girl Sienna 15.04.06

Double the trouble double the fun Noah & Lola 10/11/07

Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 2:57pm

I would call the association and tell them this to be honest. I would also attend every session during the week that they have and see if all sessions are like this. Association can sent someone over to talk to them or to just give a bit of guidance.

I love playcentre. When we moved I was lucky to get in another good one and to be honest if that happens at ours then they would be gently told but that is what boys do. Or the kids would have been redirected if it was really that Outlandish loud or something.

Hope you find a solution. Perhaps join and show them how it should really be done?

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http://lilypie.com">

http://lilypie.com">

Posted By: RinTinTin
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 3:06pm

Bit off Topic but Floss - can't the Playcentre courses be cross credited to ECE stuff? I've heard they cover most of the credits plus some more.

I will try go again on Friday and see how I feel. The leader was busy taking a course which I don't think she should be doing during a session, it shoud be AFTER the session.

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http://lilypie.com">

http://lilypie.com">

Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 3:58pm

Thats horrible! I dont blame you for not wanting to go!!

Maybe dont go for the next term, then go back after that, they might have different (better) parents there

i love our playcentre! Lovely mums, they are all very good mums too. If i didnt like the mums i wouldnt go every week

Posted By: floss
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 7:02pm

I only finished course 2 but from looking into it and talking to NZTC who I am studing through none of it cross credited which was a shame but Im not to worried as the stuff I learnt from playcentre about Te Whariki and stuff has really helped me understand my course work.

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My beautiful big girl Sienna 15.04.06

Double the trouble double the fun Noah & Lola 10/11/07

Posted By: Henna79
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 7:34pm

Donna where in Hamilton is your centre?

Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 8:13pm

I'd say try another Day. I had the odd issue with some Mum's from our centre but on a whole I really enjoyed it. The people and the education. You could try calling Association and talk them them if other days don't suit either, but what you describe does not sound like Playcentre ethics.

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Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!)

Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 02 June 2010 at 9:47pm

I agree you should try another day or try that day again... even on the same day you can end up with people away and it be quite a different dynamic from one week to the next. I know the playcentres I went to I saw parenting styles I didn't agree with but the nice thing about it is everyone gets to see how other parents do it and maybe learn from each other... It could be that the parents you mentioned were having a bad day or had other kids there to supervise or it was a wet day and they were trying to encourage inside type stuff... I dunno I just think it maybe worth giving another go before writing it off

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mum to 3 lovely girls :D