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I'm just someone who is tired of people using any mention of childcare as an excuse to get up on their soapbox about how childcare is evil and every family should have a stay at home parent.
That's just the particular bent of C-D. Just like how if you buy any new car or obtain financing of any kind is a crime against humanity.
To be fair though, in this thread I only saw one person bash those who send their kids to daycare, and they were rebuked for it.
I had my daughter in 1978 and ended up a single working mother when she was 6 months old. I bought a house in the boonies that I could afford, and even then my childcare was more than my mortgage.
Depending on the childcare, I think it is often better than raising them at home. They learn to share and behave among others, with different rules, early on. I think this helps tremendously with making the transition to public school.
Plus, daycare is usually set up to do fun, messy stuff you don't have time or want to do at home. When I was at home, I had laundry, cleaning, cooking, shopping, doctor appointments, yatta yatta. Where was I going to fit in fingerpainting? LOL.
We had lots of fun, but I still think daycare was beneficial for my daughter. Sure, I hated dropping her off, but I still think it did more good than harm.
I honestly don't understand how most people can afford to have children these days.
It certainly is not like it was in the 50's and 60's when most men (this was before women got equal pay for equal work) could support a wife and kids on just his salary -- and I think this is just one more way that life has gotten worse in the past 50 or so years and not better. Of course, if a mother wants to work and can afford childcare, that's different, but I am talking about how in most families today, the mother must work (too).
And yet we have people constantly saying we are MUCH better off now.. NOW WAY!!!!!
Sight...I have been a S.A.H.M for several years now and I just now enrolled my 2 year old in full time childcare. The most inexpensive but with great reviews and location place I could find that offered full day childcare located close to our house was $1000 per month. What's great about this place is that they offer meals and snacks, potty training so the cost isn't really that bad. They even supply the diapers.
Many places around charge over 1300 per month.
I regret not enrolling my son into day care. I think I did him a disservice.
I adopted two toddlers and figured out real fast that it was cheaper, more convenient, and the kids had much better care when I hired a live in nanny. The cost was less than most of the daycares with multiple kids per care giver. And the kids got healthy food, and the house was kept clean, kids laundry done, beds made, rooms vacuumed, etc.
We had international au pairs and also older (40 years old +) US nannies. The US nannies were much better--older more mature -- than the au pairs, so we stuck with them in the later years. Kids are now 12 and we still have relationships with our favorite nanny! And they can go to the Boys and Girl's Club now--free during the school year and $10/day/kid for the Summer. So I have very little child care costs now.
BTW, they did go to preschool for 2 years, but the care was not great, sick kids constantly giving the others something, jacket lost/stolen, blankets/clothes 'lent' by the teachers to other kids that wet theirs, never to be returned, it got old fast. Oh and cold toddler snacks and lunches 5 days a week was hard to do when my kids did not eat bread willingly. Constant extra costs--bring in something for the cook's /teacher's /aid's / director's birthday or boys are to wear a purple shirt for purple shirt day and girls are to wear orange pants for orange pants day....always something...and half my salary already went to the basic child care costs without the extras.
The nanny was much better==cost and quality of care
I adopted two toddlers and figured out real fast that it was cheaper, more convenient, and the kids had much better care when I hired a live in nanny. The cost was less than most of the daycares with multiple kids per care giver. And the kids got healthy food, and the house was kept clean, kids laundry done, beds made, rooms vacuumed, etc.
I never considered the nanny route before, but if/when my wife and I have another kid, this will be a consideration for sure.
What drove you to choose to do live-in vs just a daytime nanny? If you don't mind sharing, how much did you pay?
raising kids is expensive . It is a major reason why I am hesitating with having a second. I want to give my child, a human being , I brought into this world, the best of everything, I want to be able to do so without completely sacrificing my own desires.
I pay 430/month for 3day-3 hours each day. I can't imagine how people afford to send 2 kids to daycare full-time.
Tough times.
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