FYI: Daycare costs too much.

[Turin39789]

That is all.



Or maybe I'm just a cheap bastard. We managed to find a local daycare center that we liked before our daughter was born that was just starting up, comes out to around $500 a month, but now that we have stopped in a few times they don't have it fully staffed and seem shorthanded in the morning and the bad vibes are there. Now it is down to the $1000/mo super awesome daycare that is 1.5 blocks down from my work that I could stop in at during the day, or another facility that is almost as nice for just $750/mo.

Just finished paying the truck off thankfully.

 

[vi edit]

Yep. For many families it's the second largest payment behind a mortgage. The first place I took my daughter to when she was an infant was $1270 a month. We finally had to cave after a a series of hikes and moved her to a facility that was subsidized some by our employer and it dropped down to around $850 a month. That's still ridiculous.

And the waiting lines to get into the good ones are insane. Some of the good ones around me have a 6+ month long wait to get in. You practically have to put a deposit down when start *trying* to have a had.

 

[Nintendesert]

That's what you all get for spawning.

 

[allthatisman]

That is all.



Or maybe I'm just a cheap bastard. We managed to find a local daycare center that we liked before our daughter was born that was just starting up, comes out to around $500 a month, but now that we have stopped in a few times they don't have it fully staffed and seem shorthanded in the morning and the bad vibes are there. Now it is down to the $1000/mo super awesome daycare that is 1.5 blocks down from my work that I could stop in at during the day, or another facility that is almost as nice for just $750/mo.

Just finished paying the truck off thankfully.

Yes, it is a TOTAL shakedown. My wife and I are trying to have our first, and she is trying to convince me that she should quit her job and just start her own daycare. She is using the very compelling argument of how much I can expect to pay for the average 3-day a week daycare operation, and I must say, she is winning... There is hardly anything to it, and most of the kids are so young, they might as well be sedated.

Of course any new parent knows the pitfalls of parenthood, and that it is full of bottomless pits for you to dump truckloads of your hard earned money into... with little hope of getting anything for it. I would lump babies into the old saying involving boats, cars, and women... ;-)

 

[SunnyD]

Stay-at-home mother ftw!

 

[digiram]

Stay-at-home mother ftw!

Agreed or retired grand parents...My parents love the kids and could watch them all day.

 

[Gunslinger08]

If you break it down, it's actually fairly cheap for what you're getting. Let's say you have an average of 21.67 workings days in a month and pay $800/month. That's $36.92 a day. If that's an 8 hour day, you're only paying about $4.62 an hour for someone to watch your kid. I'm sure you pay a night time babysitter more than that. I know that you'd think the economy of scale would kick in and make it much cheaper, but from what I've heard it's pretty expensive to run a daycare by the book.

 

[maziwanka]

it's infuriating how much daycare costs. keeps the rich separated from the common folk

 

[dquan97]

Stay-at-home mother ftw!

Agreed. My wife stays home to care for our 3 young ones.

 

[dainthomas]

it's infuriating how much daycare costs. keeps the rich separated from the common folk

That would be the $5k dependent day care account limitation. :thumbsdown:

 

[Turin39789]

If you break it down, it's actually fairly cheap for what you're getting. Let's say you have an average of 21.67 workings days in a month and pay $800/month. That's $36.92 a day. If that's an 8 hour day, you're only paying about $4.62 an hour for someone to watch your kid. I'm sure you pay a night time babysitter more than that. I know that you'd think the economy of scale would kick in and make it much cheaper, but from what I've heard it's pretty expensive to run a daycare by the book.

Yea, I know. When I think about paying $187/week and the law here is max 5 kids to 1 adult and the good daycares are 4:1, that means $18.70 per hour per employee. They probably get around $10/hr and the rest is overhead and profit.

The $125/week daycare works out to $12.50 / hour for 4 kids which is a lot tighter.

 

[Ns1]

This is why I don't want kids.

 

[Vette73]

Yea my MiL lives with us and watchs my son. We are sending my soon to be 2 year old to an early education program for 2 days a week. Biggest reason is just so he can be around other kids his age.

Check out churchs. Here in N.VA churchs don't have to go through the same process to start up so they can be cheaper.

 

[dullard]

it's infuriating how much daycare costs. keeps the rich separated from the common folk

The "common folk" having more children than the rich has far more to do with it than the cost of daycare.

 

[Ns1]

it's infuriating how much daycare costs. keeps the rich separated from the common folk

maybe the common folk shouldn't have so many kids.

 

[GrumpyMan]

And don't forget, if they sneeze or get sick, they call to come get them immediately and do not want them back until they have a Dr's note. And most of the sicknesses are caught right there at the day care. I have never been so sick, so often in my life as to when my girls started going to day care and coming home with the plague every other week. Oh yeah, if there's a holiday they still want the full week's pay at most day cares.
At least the day care they are in now is a learning center, so they are developing very quickly. I wouldn't put them in a day care where they just watch them play for 8 hours.

 

[Patranus]

I was volunteering installing a computer lab at a local non profit after securing them a $50,000 technology grant. It was over the summer.

This non profit charged $125 for the entire summer and parents were bitching about that.

 

[thepd7]

Yes, it is a TOTAL shakedown. My wife and I are trying to have our first, and she is trying to convince me that she should quit her job and just start her own daycare. She is using the very compelling argument of how much I can expect to pay for the average 3-day a week daycare operation, and I must say, she is winning... There is hardly anything to it, and most of the kids are so young, they might as well be sedated.

Of course any new parent knows the pitfalls of parenthood, and that it is full of bottomless pits for you to dump truckloads of your hard earned money into... with little hope of getting anything for it. I would lump babies into the old saying involving boats, cars, and women... ;-)

be careful, it's a great idea for after she has the kid but taking care of 4-5 kids (the max 1 person can really handle) 8-9 months pregnant would not work well.

 

[BurnItDwn]

If day care is too expensive, then you or your wife quit your job and have 1 person work and 1 person stay home. Can also get rid of the 2nd car since the person who stays home won't need one.

 

[Patranus]

Everyone is forgetting the costs associated with day cares being forced to join day care unions.

 

[venkman]

They charge $1500/mnth and still solicit donations. Absolutely ridiculous. Reminds me of when my Alma Matter calls me begging for donations. I Paid x thousand dollars to them over four years, they don't need anymore of my money.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Back in the day, families were larger and the wife stayed home. People were content living more modestly.

 

[maziwanka]

The "common folk" having more children than the rich has far more to do with it than the cost of daycare.

i just can't fathom paying 10-15k a year for DAYCARE. god knows ill be dreading the day college rolls around. and where does all this stop - soon you'll be paying to send your kids to prep school or private schools too for elementary/hs

 

[sactoking]

Blame the litigious society as well. Where I live daycare runs about $625/month for the first child. I provide diapers, wipes and food.

A family friend with a degree in early childhood development works at a daycare in CA. Due to all of the regulations CA has passed because of stupid lawsuits her daycare charges $1200/month for the first child and parents provide diapers, wipes, and food. Also the daycare workers are legally prevented from mixing formula, warming a bottle, microwaving food, etc so the parents literally have to do everything and the workers just make sure the kids don't die, and they charge 2x what other states do.

 

[waffleironhead]

Stay-at-home father ftw!

fixed that for ya!