question for "middle class" families: how much are your kids expenses once daycare is over?

[Anonymous]

I think I saw a small decline when both kids moved into elementary but I suspect it will have been erased soon. Just glad that I'm not paying tuition on top of all the other expenses!

[Anonymous]

It's going to vary widely based on activities they're enrolled in.

My DD's aftercare is free. Ice skating is $200 per session. Soccer is $90 a session. Camp for a week is $50 (with $500 of financial aid).

[Anonymous]

I don't understand how it can't be cheaper. We pay $3500 a month for a nanny, plus $700 a month for a pre k program. That's $4300 a month and change. I could see maybe $1,000 a month in aftercare and sports, but even per kid that's still half the cost.

[Anonymous]

Daycare was costing me $760 per month.

When DS starts kindergarden, I will be paying $340 per month for aftercare.

For summer camp, I will be paying $250 per week.

[Anonymous]

Obviously the answer is to discourage participation in sports. I have one kid who just hit grade school and the other is still in daycare. I see the savings, but it's not as great as I thought it would be. Summer camps, especially if you need before and after care are pretty pricey (more than our daycare is). I am seriously praying that neither of my kids develops great interest in sports

[Anonymous]

Our daycare in NW DC is $1,600 a month.

We will be starting in DCPCS in the fall and before / after care will be ~ $400 a month - so for the year we are +12,000

Now lets take out:
5 teacher workdays at $50 a day = $250
$500 - winter break camp (with aftercare)
8 weeks of summer camp at $600 a week (inlcudes before and afterare) = $4800

so care costs leave you at ~ +6K vs where you were.