Anonymous
08/14/2025 14:09
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Young children require stability of care, basic competence, and love — to grow up healthy.
Which daycare provides all of that?
Anonymous
08/14/2025 14:05
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Most women won't earn more than men anyway so it truly makes more sense for them to stay home.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 14:01
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Then wife stays home
Wife? You mean parent.
No, I meant wife.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:43
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Anonymous wrote:Then wife stays home
There is a huge opportunity cost to the wife staying home - lost pay increases, lost seniority, lost employment opportunities after the kids are older. Those costs should be included in the analysis.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:43
Subject: Kids are really expensive
OP- I hear you. It's a problem- both the labor and expense of child rearing in the US with two working parents. Back when my DS was young there was no "work from home" or meaningful flexibility. It's a major reason why we delayed children and then had one child and stopped there.
Plenty of couples are choosing not to have children. Some couples have a SAHP (mostly women) and there's a high cost to that- career, how society views SAHMs, and being financially dependent on another person can be risky.
Plenty of couples are choosing not to have children. Some couples have a SAHP (mostly women) and there's a high cost to that- career, how society views SAHMs, and being financially dependent on another person can be risky.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:42
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Anonymous wrote:Then wife stays home
Wife? You mean parent.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:41
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Feeding, clothing, a bed to sleep in do not cost much.
Daycare (or earnings hit), bigger house, activities, college, and setting them up is what costs $$$. A lot of that is keeping up with the Joneses. We take it for granted that it’s all “necessary”. Myself included.
Daycare (or earnings hit), bigger house, activities, college, and setting them up is what costs $$$. A lot of that is keeping up with the Joneses. We take it for granted that it’s all “necessary”. Myself included.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:32
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Water's wet and the sky is blue. This is not new information.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:28
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Anonymous wrote:Water is wet.
Yeah, but even wetter than I thought.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:19
Subject: Kids are really expensive
This is why women find it more difficult than men to climb the ladder in this country.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:18
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Anonymous wrote:Then wife stays home
That is long term hurting you, because their career and salary could grow over those 5-9 years, and then if they try to return to work after a decade at home options may be limited.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:17
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Water is wet.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:17
Subject: Kids are really expensive
This is why we’re seeing an increase of SAHM.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:15
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Then wife stays home
Anonymous
08/14/2025 13:06
Subject: Kids are really expensive
Fascinating article in the Post. For DC, if annual COL for a two-earner couple is $77,100 - an extra 55%, or 42,100 is needed to cover the cost of one child. Daycare is a huge part of that of course. No wonder people aren't having kids.
https://wapo.st/45hfpUx
Lots of interesting data in this article.
https://wapo.st/45hfpUx
Lots of interesting data in this article.