All the parents saying they can’t afford childcare - what did they do before K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uuuhhh, we already paid for daycare in the for of school through our taxes. Give me back my 35k in state and local taxes that i paid this year and then I'll put my kid in daycare. Otherwise, open the schools and quit complaining that I should be willing to drop an extra $20k in daycare indefinitely at the drop of a hat.

I paid for roads, schools I don't use, firefighters (never had a house fire), libraries (I buy all my books and newspapers), county administration, public pools (don't use it), etc.

Should I get my money back?

Yes, if the firefighters quit responding to calls, cars are banned from the roads, etc. then absolutely our tax dollars should not longer be funding those items.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uuuhhh, we already paid for daycare in the for of school through our taxes. Give me back my 35k in state and local taxes that i paid this year and then I'll put my kid in daycare. Otherwise, open the schools and quit complaining that I should be willing to drop an extra $20k in daycare indefinitely at the drop of a hat.

I paid for roads, schools I don't use, firefighters (never had a house fire), libraries (I buy all my books and newspapers), county administration, public pools (don't use it), etc.

Should I get my money back?

Yes, if the firefighters quit responding to calls, cars are banned from the roads, etc. then absolutely our tax dollars should not longer be funding those items.

But they're responding to fires at other people's houses? Not mine.

I also don't use the schools that I pay for. Or the libraries that I pay for. Or the pools that I pay for.

[Anonymous]

You guys are so funny. You know you are just blowing hot air right? No one cares that you have to pay for childcare, or want a tax refund. No one cares is you move out of the county or pay for private school.

It just seems like such a waste of energy.

[Anonymous]

Your question is like asking: for everyone saying they can't buy a second house, how did they buy a house the first time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uuuhhh, we already paid for daycare in the for of school through our taxes. Give me back my 35k in state and local taxes that i paid this year and then I'll put my kid in daycare. Otherwise, open the schools and quit complaining that I should be willing to drop an extra $20k in daycare indefinitely at the drop of a hat.

I paid for roads, schools I don't use, firefighters (never had a house fire), libraries (I buy all my books and newspapers), county administration, public pools (don't use it), etc.

Should I get my money back?

Yes, if the firefighters quit responding to calls, cars are banned from the roads, etc. then absolutely our tax dollars should not longer be funding those items.

But they're responding to fires at other people's houses? Not mine.

I also don't use the schools that I pay for. Or the libraries that I pay for. Or the pools that I pay for.

You're missing the point. NOBODY is using the schools.

[Anonymous]

It also assumes that there is childcare available to purchase. It's going to be like buying toilet paper in mid March. Hypothetically available, but practically non existant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You suck it up for the daycare years

But they can’t “suck it up” for a once in 100 years global pandemic? This too shall pass.

You’re so damn privileged. Do you remember that millions of people have filed for unemployment? Many Americans can’t “just suck it up.”

You're mixing the issues. Someone who has filed with unemployment doesn't need daycare. It is the person who still has a job and needs to go back to the office, but doesn't make enough to pay for daycare that is at issue here.

And since there are no good answers, there will be a lot of people who have to make sacrifices. Job or savings until this is over, if they can't find alternatives for daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys are so funny. You know you are just blowing hot air right? No one cares that you have to pay for childcare, or want a tax refund. No one cares is you move out of the county or pay for private school.

It just seems like such a waste of energy.

You don't care that someone who is a single parent might not be able to pay their bills, because now they have an added childcare expense? That women are dropping out of the workforce again to care for and homeschool their kids?

[Anonymous]

I can afford it, but now it's on top of paying for a lot of other stuff given that my children are a little older (e.g., tutors/therapies for SNs, extracurriculars that may still go on). We're just going to have to put off some discretionary spending we were planning.

[Anonymous]

I worry that even though we can afford care, we won’t be able to find it. None of the usual places have plans yet. Those that do said to call back in August when I know days of the week. I am literally not sleeping over stress that I will call in August and everything will be booked already. Then what? I’m a teacher, so I’ll end up quitting if I have to and then 25 families are going to get a sub for the beginning of school. It just sucks all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We paid for the first and it was so expensive. We spaced out our children and had our second when DC1 was in preK. I ended up staying home with DC2 so we didn’t have to pay the daycare rates since we determined it wasn’t worth it on my teacher salary.

Now you are telling me to pay for two since they are both in school. We can’t find places that will guarantee they will be open for mid and late elementary. All say maybe and probably but they don’t know yet. My solution to daycare before was to quit my teaching job. Is this what you are suggesting I do again since we figured it out before?

Yes. That is life as a parent. It is your responsibility not the governments.

I never said I wanted the government to pay for daycare. Two of you quickly agreed and told me to quit. Believe me, I’m seriously considering it. I’ve already told my principal and HR. It’s amusing that on this thread you are encouraging teachers to quit because you acknowledge finding affordable childcare is hard, and there are hundreds of other angry posts on other threads right now angry that teachers want to quit because we don’t have childcare.

For the record, I want schools to open full time, with a miracle and be safe, so that this is not an issue for any working parents. Kids need to be back in school and we need to go back to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or do they actually mean they don’t want to pay for childcare? I’m genuinely confused/curious. I totally get that it sucks, but how is it any different than the daycare years?

Because you plan your life out with a certain budget for each year, and you may not have budgeted out for double childcare or any childcare at all after a certain point. Must be nice not having to worry about having a budget. So much privilege in your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You suck it up for the daycare years

But they can’t “suck it up” for a once in 100 years global pandemic? This too shall pass.

Again, must be nice to have so much money that you don't have to think about where it is going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You suck it up for the daycare years

But they can’t “suck it up” for a once in 100 years global pandemic? This too shall pass.

You’re so damn privileged. Do you remember that millions of people have filed for unemployment? Many Americans can’t “just suck it up.”

If you filed for unemployment, can't you watch your own kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You suck it up for the daycare years

But they can’t “suck it up” for a once in 100 years global pandemic? This too shall pass.

Again, must be nice to have so much money that you don't have to think about where it is going.

How do you know I don't have the same amount of money you do, and I just had fewer kids?