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

[Anonymous]

I only found one place offering elementary full day care nearby for $1500 per month. I will make it work for my single parent budget but I probably won't even get off the wait list! I have to start calling the home daycares but I doubt they will want school age kids underfoot all day.

[Anonymous]

I know a few families who waited until their oldest was entering kindergarten before their youngest had to go to daycare. Now they have a kids in daycare (who they can afford) and an early elementary age kid who they cannot afford to pay extra care for.

I also know families who cut back or eliminated 401K, 529 and other savings to pay for daycare bills. I guess they could cut back again this year, but that hurts and is worth complaining about.

Many families struggle to afford daycare, and are being put in a tough position once they thought they were past those years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only found one place offering elementary full day care nearby for $1500 per month. I will make it work for my single parent budget but I probably won't even get off the wait list! I have to start calling the home daycares but I doubt they will want school age kids underfoot all day.

You need to call the TKD/Dance/Gymnastics type of places that offer aftercare. They will be more affordable and available.

[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?

We brought a nanny from the foreign country and she is long gone. I cannot afford paying american nanny.

[Anonymous]

I went back to work when my kids started FT school, so I already paid the price.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The least expensive options for school aged kids are before/aftercare through the county and an au pair. Those were our #1 and #2 plans. Trump has suspended the au pair program and the county is unlikely to offer before/aftercare.

I personally haven't seen an kid activities that are offering camps where I am located. In fact several of our standby places have gone out of business. All of our summer camps have been cancelled. Has anyone seen these options for a 4 and 6 yo in Arlington? Maybe for older kids...

That leaves a nanny. They ones I've spoken to want $27-30 per hour and a year commitment. That's insane COVID-19 pricing and isn't something anyone could have anticipated.

You think it’s crazy for someone to expect to make $50k/year (plus pay their own medical, dental, self-employment taxes, etc) so that you can go to work and make $150k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The least expensive options for school aged kids are before/aftercare through the county and an au pair. Those were our #1 and #2 plans. Trump has suspended the au pair program and the county is unlikely to offer before/aftercare.

I personally haven't seen an kid activities that are offering camps where I am located. In fact several of our standby places have gone out of business. All of our summer camps have been cancelled. Has anyone seen these options for a 4 and 6 yo in Arlington? Maybe for older kids...

That leaves a nanny. They ones I've spoken to want $27-30 per hour and a year commitment. That's insane COVID-19 pricing and isn't something anyone could have anticipated.

You think it’s crazy for someone to expect to make $50k/year (plus pay their own medical, dental, self-employment taxes, etc) so that you can go to work and make $150k?

Why do you assume everyone who needs childcare makes $150k? Do you think everyone who isn't a nanny has enough money after their own taxes, medical, dental, etc., to pay someone $50-60k plus employer taxes? Seriously?

[Anonymous]

I don’t even make $50k/year, so I’m basically screwed

I’m just hoping my boss can be understanding for a year, maybe let me be part time or something? I don’t know.

Otherwise, I’m probably back to square one. Again. I’ll quit and we’ll live on my husband’s salary. We did it for a couple years. It wasn’t ideal, but it can be done.

We have been lucky so far that my parents have been here since mid-March. But this can’t go on indefinitely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even make $50k/year, so I’m basically screwed

I’m just hoping my boss can be understanding for a year, maybe let me be part time or something? I don’t know.

Otherwise, I’m probably back to square one. Again. I’ll quit and we’ll live on my husband’s salary. We did it for a couple years. It wasn’t ideal, but it can be done.

We have been lucky so far that my parents have been here since mid-March. But this can’t go on indefinitely.

I quit when mine was little as I was in that situation, worked long hours too and it made no sense to pay more in day care than I took hom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Let's compare!!! Please lay out your entire budget, as well as savings, income, and debt here for us to dissect and discover how you can afford camp/aftercare for your one child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The least expensive options for school aged kids are before/aftercare through the county and an au pair. Those were our #1 and #2 plans. Trump has suspended the au pair program and the county is unlikely to offer before/aftercare.

I personally haven't seen an kid activities that are offering camps where I am located. In fact several of our standby places have gone out of business. All of our summer camps have been cancelled. Has anyone seen these options for a 4 and 6 yo in Arlington? Maybe for older kids...

That leaves a nanny. They ones I've spoken to want $27-30 per hour and a year commitment. That's insane COVID-19 pricing and isn't something anyone could have anticipated.

You think it’s crazy for someone to expect to make $50k/year (plus pay their own medical, dental, self-employment taxes, etc) so that you can go to work and make $150k?

How do you know PP doesn't herself make $50K?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious, OP, what do you suggest my BFF, whose dead mother took care of her children until they started preK, do? Or my co-worker, whose au pair went back to her home country in March and is unable to get a new one because of Visa and valid health concerns?

[Anonymous]

I was a nanny and brought my kid to work with me. I babysat on weekends and brought him with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious, OP, what do you suggest my BFF, whose dead mother took care of her children until they started preK, do? Or my co-worker, whose au pair went back to her home country in March and is unable to get a new one because of Visa and valid health concerns?

Stop paying people nothing to $800 a month to watch an actual human. Seriously. Its a lot of work watching infants and toddlers which is while all the parents have been complaining about it 24/7 since March.

You don't want to pay? Continue to watch your own kids.

[Anonymous]

Such an entitled rich person question!