Is it just a Sydney thing or does it happen everywhere around the world? It seems to me that the most competitive area in my life is taking care of my daughter's schedule.
It started from before she was born, with booking a midwife (in my day it was a genuine option), the birthing centre, the hospital and Doctor (backup - just in case) the pre and post natal appointments.
The hint of a child and I was onto daycare lists - searching for that elusive space. It sounds as though it is even worse now even though the Government is constantly talking about child care spaces.
Then it was schools, checking them out, going on more lists - forget the private school lists, we can't even begin to go there unless:
a)we win the lottery - highly unlikley as I don't buy tickets
b)I change professions and become an investment banker or similiar - again unlikely, it has taken me many years to reach a point of understanding that enjoying work is more important than the pay packet
c)my daugher gets a scholarship and then would that be a good or a bad thing as she would fall into the - can't afford a pair of designer jeans or a trip to Europe at the drop of a hat.
d) my husband has a dramatic work/lifestyle change that brings in big bucks.
We might hope to get into a selective public school, but what horror stories there, with one statistic quoted of over 900 applications for about 90 places.
Now that we are happily enrolled in our local public school (which also had a waiting list! for out of area students,) we then go onto the after school care list. It seems as though there has been a mini population explosion with even more kids enrolling in the years after we started. Spaces for after care are also highly sought after.
Next is holiday programs and other extra curricular activities It seems like all the popular ones are also in demand and you need to plan with military precision to get your child booked into these.
Taronga Zoo's Adventure program even congratulates you for getting into the program!
Pine Street, a city of Sydney run arts centre has a phone call or in person policy with the bookings opening on a specified day. Frequently the courses are all booked out by the end of the day, sometimes even in the morning. I am surprised there aren't scalpers, though I did hear that tickets for the children's show Velveteen Rabbit were being sold on e-bay.
Even swim school enrolment is a competitive process with spaces and timeslots being highly valued commodoties.
With being a working parent, organising holiday activities is really important.
Does anyone out there have a better way?
Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au
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