Average price for preschool? How do people afford it?
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Anonymous
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Honestly? Paying for preschool is much, much easier than paying for college, travel sports, summer programs, tutoring, car insurance, (fill in the blank) once you have two or more in the teen years.
Just learn to budget lean. Housing, food, clothing, anything that you and your partner enjoy…is now on the bottom of the priority ladder. Learn now for preschool and your life will be much easier when they get older. |
Anonymous
| No, that’s insane. The 2s program (2 mornings per week) by my house costs $3100 for the “academic” year. The 3-morning program for 3s is like $3500. It is run out of a church and it’s a wonderful program. Find a different preschool. |
Anonymous
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Full time PreK: $14K for ten months + ~$3K for summer = $17K/year
Silver Spring/Kensington area We don't have funds for much else and budget heavily. That's how you afford it. Oh, and only one child because of aforementioned child care costs. |
Anonymous
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When the oldest is ready for preschool move them both to a daycare/preschool center that takes the younger one too. We paid over $3,200 a month for BOTH kids, and it was very tight for those 2 years. But then my oldest went to K and we could breathe just a little bit more.
It is true that childcare costs never truly go away. You have out of school camps and summer camps. Some people claim you need to pay $500-600 a week for those, but you really don't. I've found a combo of camps for reasonable prices in the summer and normally pay about $1k a summer per kid for camp. We also pay $300 a month during the school year for after school care, per kid. So some of these costs never go away. But you also do not HAVE to sign your kid up for $800 a week horse riding camps or $7k travel ice hockey teams. |
Anonymous
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Ours is 2k a month but we're full time.
I don't think a kid needs 3 year old program at all. Pre-K yes. Just enroll your nanny in enrichment activities (music, library story time, Gymboree type things) and that should be enough. |
Anonymous
I'm so sick of older moms coming on to crap on younger parents. In 18 years when the kid is in college, OP will be likely making more money too. |
Anonymous
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Someone who can afford a nanny is wondering how us plebians pay for childcare?? how sweet.
We don't pay $3k/month, that's for sure. |
Anonymous
I didn’t know this was exclusively a plebeian message board. |
Anonymous
Oh wise one, how does OP take your advice now?? |
Anonymous
Its impossible to say about their money situation BUT, it sounds like they are spending too much between the nanny and housing if they live in Bethesda. |
Anonymous
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DCUM loves to harp on the difference between daycare and preschool.
Working parents who need full day childcare use daycare or full time nanny/nanny-share. There are daycares that have a preschool program component. If you have a nanny, you sign-up for a class or two that meet once a week, library story time, and play groups. Montessori programs that end at 1pm assume children are going home for a nap. Preschool that happens 9-11:30am 2-3 days a week are for stay at home moms to go to yoga or get their nails done. |
Anonymous
PP is coming on here to flaunt their insecurities. How sweet. Honestly, a nanny can easily be the same price as two daycare fees. |
Anonymous
+1 My kids are in middle and elementary, and this attitude is so obnoxious. Travel sports, summer programs, tutoring, etc., are largely optional. Childcare for young kids? Not optional. |
Anonymous
One parent can always stay home depending on their income. We had to make that choice. |
Anonymous
That only works if one spouse is the clear breadwinner. My husband and I make about the same income. Which one of us do you think should stay home? |