"Daycare Costs Are Outrageous!" How Do You Respond??

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I do not drive a brand new car. I can not afford Starbucks, or expensive coffee. I haven't haven't been able to buy myself a new pair of shoes in 4 years. I am a 42-year-old college student. I have a wife, who I love with all my heart, and a 4-year-old son who is the reason I breathe. I am that person complaining about the high cost of daycare. Without it, I don't have anyone to watch my son, but we can't afford it.

On the average, the cost is $151 per week. Per WEEK!?!? Seriously? At 4 years old, for 2 hours 4 days a week. That's 8 hours per week. $20 per hour to watch him play with other kids. $20 per hour to text on your phone, or check your FB status, or 'act' like something beneficial is happening. I'm not worried about education at 4. I take care of that at home.

In my honest opinion, every loser who couldn't get a real job opens a daycare, and then thinks it's ok to charge that amount they do, for the 'benefit' of having them watch our children. I would love nothing more than to stay home and raise my son. But, the world demands I have money. Well...I won't be giving it to any of the blood ****ing 'day-bee-sitters'.

I charge $145 per week for 45 hours of care and teaching and I find that to be a reasonable rate for a preschool running on daycare hours.
I also graduated college with a teaching degree and chose to teach in my home instead of a school as it would allow me to take care of my child in my home without sending them away to daycare.
This career didn't choose me, I chose it.

Edited: Oops. No more feeding trolls.

[mpb12]

I have one parent who said it to me once, and I told her that if she had no money for it why in Gods name she made a second child. Well,that worked, because she never asked me if it was ok to drop off her second child for free once in while. We are professional like any other professionals out there and we should stand for what we want to build for our business, unfortunately, some people still do it as a favor to neighbors and family members. I`m very honest with my clients and never lost one of them from being myself. I charge 270.00 per week now, with contract, or 20 dollars an hour without contract.

[Laurel]

Why is everyone getting so bent out of shape over what some uneducated fool is posting on the internet???

STOP feeding the trolls and they usually won't come back.

It works really well when no one responds to trolls. I was on a forum once where no one did and they went away fast. It was wonderful.

Laurel

[Bugsworthy]

I had a parent who complained about cost. Then she enrolled her child in a pre-school that required a $1000.00 deposit. The monthly tuition equals her mortgage!!!! I spoke with her once about becoming a stay at home mom if it was too expensive. Her response?......"No way, then we couldn't afford our trip to Spain each summer."

Gas to childcare...........$10 a week
Tuition for childcare......$150 a week
Knowing your child is safe while your away.....priceless

Your not paying for childcare....your paying for peace of mind.

[Cradle2crayons]

I've never had a parent say this to me...... Maybe I don't charge enough

[Kaddidle Care]

I had a parent who complained about cost. Then she enrolled her child in a pre-school that required a $1000.00 deposit. The monthly tuition equals her mortgage!!!! I spoke with her once about becoming a stay at home mom if it was too expensive. Her response?......"No way, then we couldn't afford our trip to Spain each summer."

Gas to childcare...........$10 a week
Tuition for childcare......$150 a week
Knowing your child is safe while your away.....priceless

Your not paying for childcare....your paying for peace of mind.

It always amazes me how people won't leave $100.00 (or more) in cash in the care of a total stranger but not think twice about leaving their most precious gift with one.

[bo2234]

Your husband is right. If someone says that to me, I usually say "well, daycare is pricey, but you have to think what kind of care your child will get. Most likely, if you get someone who is REALLY cheap, then you're going to get cheap daycare from someone who's literally just in it for the money." Although, most of the time (in an in-home setting anyway) when your prices are high, you weed out the people who don't give a hoot about who watches their children. You will most likely find people who are willing to pay for good care.

[renodeb]

Parents are unreal. I had one mom a while back brag about how much money she makes at her job and then later on in that same conversation say how expensive dc is. Within that same year she got a boob job and a fancy new car then pulled her child b/c they were tight on money! WTH? I usually just come back with something like "well in a perfect world, no one would need dc because all of us moms could just stay home." That usually shuts them up! I leave in a pretty affluent neighboorhood and I still get that reaction! It bugs me to. The kicker is that I charge less than the average for where I live and parents still complain!

[julie]

I say "Well, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine. However, my opinion is that you are most certainly entitled." I look them dead in the eye the whole time. And yes, I have said it, and it ends the conversation.

Honestly the ones who do say those kinds of things to me are the ones who place a higher priority on the "things" they must buy over the quality of care for their children. So I don't feel bad saying it at all, especially since they think it is okay to tell me that I should be earning LESS money to care for their kids more than they do. Yeah. Okay then.

[dave4him]

I cant seem to get people to pay the price it should be! The DHS pays so little its insulting! And my part timer pays half of what the DHS pays me out of pocket cause she thinks that's fair! Again insulting. But if I were to go back to work full time it would cost more than 800 a month for my twins plus my first grader would add on to that. I just say yes its costly that is why I am a stay at home dad.

[Cradle2crayons]

I cant seem to get people to pay the price it should be! The DHS pays so little its insulting! And my part timer pays half of what the DHS pays me out of pocket cause she thinks that's fair! Again insulting. But if I were to go back to work full time it would cost more than 800 a month for my twins plus my first grader would add on to that. I just say yes its costly that is why I am a stay at home dad.

I heard that.. Here the state only reimburses like 55 bucks a week for a FULL TIME child. I can't even feed one two meals and two snacks a week for that. It's crazy