Reply to Do kids really not get less expensive after the daycare years?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We could never use the after school daycare because we could t make a 6 pm pickup.  So we needed a part time nanny, which was expensive.  And then summer camps.  Plus ES is often when you find out kids have issues that require some sort of therapy or tutoring.  The clothes also becomes a lot more expensive and the toys.  When they were little I used hand me downs from cousins or would buy on clearance for the next growth spurt.  But the older they get the more opinions they have.  
And of course the sports stuff.  I was a “we’ll never do travel sports!” person.  And now I have 3 kids in travel sports.  What I didn’t realize is that the rec options basically disappear after ES and if they want to do HS sports they are expected to do club or travel in the off seasons and summer.  It’s a huge racket, but there’s not much of a way around it unless you’re just willing to opt out of sports entirely.  That would be my choice but my kids would be really upset about that.  
And then there’s the food.  They really do eat a lot!  [/quote]

I’m guessing you were never a daycare family since most daycares similarly don’t offer a later than 6 pm pickup.[/quote]

That is true.  I was anticipating a big drop in expenses when our kids went to school but it really didn’t work out that way.  I think by the time the youngest hit 5th grade, we did see the savings (although other costs did go up).  But the only way we’ve been making it work is because we are now senior enough at our jobs that we basically set our own schedule.  We’ve also spent over a decade building relationships with other parents in the neighborhood so that we can maximize carpooling.  And we make our kids take the public bus when it’s at all practical.
I feel like modern middle class parenting is set up to expect that kids have someone to drive them around between 4 and 9 pm.  Our part time nanny did the 4-7 driving for years.  Even the parents I know who use after care have real trouble with the driving necessary to allow kids to participate in even rec sports, take music/dance lessons, or even go to religious Ed.  It’s challenging.  I had underestimated all this when my kids were little.  [/quote]

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