Do We ALL Need To Raise Our Rates Or What???

[saved4always]

There is a point where parents just have to realize it not financially feasible to have both parents work after having kids. And the answer is not pay the childcares less to raise their children.

I worked full time with my first 2 children. I still made enough after paying for daycare for it to be "worth" working. By the time I had my 3rd though, I went part time and figured out that I was netting maybe $100 a pay ($200 a month) after factoring in my long drive, daycare, etc. And that was just paying for before and after school care for my 2 older kids and full time care for my baby. If I had stayed working, I would have been paying more than I was making for full time daycare for 3 children. It didn't take much math skills to figure out I should be a sahm (I did not want to go back to full time...this was my last baby and I wanted to actually get to see her). If I had stayed on full time, I may have made enough money, but, I would have ended up quitting anyways. In the month after I went back to work, I think I called in 3 times because of sickness...my children and then my sitters child. God was sending me the message that I was not supposed to be working outside my home....I was supposed to be a sahm.

[TGPII]

Isn't there government subsides for childcare? Can't you write it off on your taxes? If you can't afford or don't want to afford kids, then don't have kids. I really want kids but at this moment I can't afford them. So guess what I don't have kids.

Don't you plan? If i new I was having kids I do the math and see what is cheaper working vs child care before the child was born!

[AmyLeigh]

Don't you plan? If i new I was having kids I do the math and see what is cheaper working vs child care before the child was born!

Really? Have you never heard of unplanned pregnancies? I got pregnant twice while on BC. The second time, I was on BC and breastfeeding. All of my dck's were unplanned. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball and then we have to do what we can to deal with the changes on the fly.

[TGPII]

Isn't there government subsides for childcare? Can't you write it off on your taxes? If you can't afford or don't want to afford kids, then don't have kids. I really want kids but at this moment I can't afford them. So guess what I don't have kids.

Really? Have you never heard of unplanned pregnancies? I got pregnant twice while on BC. The second time, I was on BC and breastfeeding. All of my dck's were unplanned. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball and then we have to do what we can to deal with the changes on the fly.

I mean make a plan while you are pregant, before the child is born. All children are plan, if you plan on having sex plan on possable side effect being a child.

[renodeb]

Ok I have to start off by saying that New York is one of the most expensive places to live so we have to keep that in mind. It really does depend on where you live. In Nevada I charge 165.00 a week for one child ft. Pt for one child is 35 a day. Thats with me providing almost everything for these kids meals etc. I agree those numbers dont really add up to me either.
I had a mom about 2 years ago get a boob job, buy a new car, and go one a trip to disney land all in the same year. Plus she lives in a huge house and drives an expensive car. Towards the end of that school year she pulled the boy from my dc stating that financially they just couldnt afford dc for him and that grpa was gonna watch him until he started preschool. The olde rsister was starting kindergarden so no paying double tuition. To me its a matter of priorities and lifestyle choices.
My husband works at Home depot full time but retail does not pay real great, I ofcourse do dc in my home. We are living well (I think) but we are not rich. Two summers ago we had to skip our summer vacation b/c the money just wasnt there. I was down to 2 dc kids at the time and just couldnt make it happen.
Even in todays economy people do not want to give up the little luxuries. JMO!
Debbie

[wdmmom]

I did an anonymous call this week to a center around the block from me.

They are charging $263 a week for an infant to age 1.

They are charging $238 a week for a 2 year old!

Some SAHM's are charging as little as $125 a week here although I'd say the average is about $150-$165 a week.

While my prices range from $130 to $175 a week, I'm quite comfortable keeping prices right within the majority of the competition.

[AmyLeigh]

They are charging $263 a week for an infant to age 1.

They are charging $238 a week for a 2 year old!

Wow!!! There is absolutely no way that would fly here. Unless they have a higher degree with specialized training, people are doing good to find jobs that are year round over $12/hour. And that's usually no more than 35 hours a week. So, if we have a 2 income family with 2 children, that would be more than half their take home!!! One teacher I know only went back to work after having her twins (one toddler already) just to keep her tenure. After paying for childcare for three under 3, she was not going to have any income at all. She earned too much to qualify for subsidy, but not enough to pay bills and have some left over.

[AmyLeigh]

I mean make a plan while you are pregant, before the child is born. All children are plan, if you plan on having sex plan on possable side effect being a child.

Oh I agree. But the best laid plans don't always work out. What looks good on paper isn't always the best answer. One mom saved a huge nest egg before her son was born with the goal to stay home. After the medical bills for her and her son burned through that money, she returned to the work force when he was only 2. Another one had the means to stay home when dad was around. He's not anymore. I saved my income while pregnant with my ds so I could quit my job. It was great for a couple of years. Then the economy turned.
Again...life throws curve balls. We can't always know what is going to happen in the future in order to plan accordingly.

[3girls]

I charge $20 a day and thats within the average here for family daycare. I wish I lived in one of the better paying areas!!

[Countrygal]

I've been in both situations....

When MY kids were growing up in the 80's I actually did a cost study. I was earning over 10.00 per hour back then, which was a really good wage (post office). I sat down and figured out how much I was actually bringing home considering gas, fast food/easy food, daycare and all other related expensed of working (clothing required, etc). I figured I was bringing home 3.00 per hour. Then I sat down and figured out how much I could SAVE by cooking from scratch, raising a bigger garden and canning our food, maybe even working part time eves. I figured I was a LOT better off financially NOT working - not to mention the time I would have to raise my own child!

Now, raising my gs, I did not want to quit work, but adequate daycare was hard to find and jobs became impossible to find. So I started daycare again - the best move I've made in a LONG time! But as a medium-high priced daycare provider in our area, I make not quite 113.00 per week, or 5,850.00 per year, not counting days off without pay, which amount to at least one day per month. Maybe a move isn't a bad idea!!!::::::

[DCMom]

When our 2nd of 3 kids were born, we did our own 'cost study'.

I worked part time, had a great daycare provider, was making a pretty good wage (for the late 80's) and I really loved my job. The down side was that my dh traveled for his job ~ we decided that one full-time parent was better than two part time ones. When we ran the numbers, I think I brought home $100 a week after all expenses, so I stayed home. Not long after that the daycare was born, but that is another story

It comes down to choices and the difference between a 'want' and a 'need'. What one person considers a 'need' is a 'want' to another person.

The thing that irritated me about the article is how the only 'quality childcare' that is considered or quoted in these articles is center care. The most expensive of all options except for maybe a nanny.

I had to comment on this post, because I got this email from one of my dcmoms this morning regarding the same article:

"This article is ridiculous! Seems more like these women are looking for justification to stay home with their kids...which is fine, but own it and don't make up some thinly veiled excuse! Maybe we just have it so good and that this seems so far fetched. Then again, maybe these women feel for some reason that centers are superior to in-home options - which we know is not a proper assumption!"

I thought it was an interesting commentary coming from a working mom