Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh easy! I'd buy close in for a short commute and decent schools (with a $400k housing budget all my choices involve bad tradeoffs). We would have an actual yard. I'd hire a nanny for the baby and do part time preschool for the older kid. They're not old enough to appreciate trips yet but it would be nice to travel in a few years.

You can get a small house close in DC for $400-450K with a yard.

Ok, $450k is $50k higher than my budget. But where can you do this with decent schools for $400k?

Down county Montgomery County - Kensington, Wheaton, Silver Spring. Ours was around $400.

Anonymous wrote:I would’ve sent my kid to private school starting in kindergarten. Moving him from an unchallenging public school to private school in middle school was a big change. He went from straight As to not even close to straight As. It was a real eye opener for him. He spent six years coasting along through ES. He never learned how to work hard.

Same. Definitely a competitive private school from kindergarten.

I've recently been thinking that if we could easily afford it, I would pick a reputable and "good fit" private school.

Public schools it seems have too many things non-academic to worry about that challenging academics are just not a part that gets much attention.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh easy! I'd buy close in for a short commute and decent schools (with a $400k housing budget all my choices involve bad tradeoffs). We would have an actual yard. I'd hire a nanny for the baby and do part time preschool for the older kid. They're not old enough to appreciate trips yet but it would be nice to travel in a few years.

You can get a small house close in DC for $400-450K with a yard.

Ok, $450k is $50k higher than my budget. But where can you do this with decent schools for $400k?

Anonymous wrote:Oh easy! I'd buy close in for a short commute and decent schools (with a $400k housing budget all my choices involve bad tradeoffs). We would have an actual yard. I'd hire a nanny for the baby and do part time preschool for the older kid. They're not old enough to appreciate trips yet but it would be nice to travel in a few years.

You can get a small house close in DC for $400-450K with a yard.

Anonymous wrote:I would’ve sent my kid to private school starting in kindergarten. Moving him from an unchallenging public school to private school in middle school was a big change. He went from straight As to not even close to straight As. It was a real eye opener for him. He spent six years coasting along through ES. He never learned how to work hard.

Hey, mine too!

I would’ve sent my kid to private school starting in kindergarten. Moving him from an unchallenging public school to private school in middle school was a big change. He went from straight As to not even close to straight As. It was a real eye opener for him. He spent six years coasting along through ES. He never learned how to work hard.

I really wish that I would have bought a place in rehoboth or bethany in 2005 instead of in Florida.

Private school. No question.

If money were no object, I'd be able to spend more time with my kid. Basically, I'd buy time. I could do something part-time, but not need to use before- or aftercare unless it was an activity she were really interested in. We'd be able to spend more time with extended family, or travelling in the summer. I'd hire someone to clean my house and handle other household errands. I wouldn't hire a nanny. We rent now, I'd probably buy a house but not a huge one, but one big enough to have guests, and a small yard.

High quality public education. Other than that? Truly nothing. They’ve had have a pretty idyllic childhood.

Oh easy! I'd buy close in for a short commute and decent schools (with a $400k housing budget all my choices involve bad tradeoffs). We would have an actual yard. I'd hire a nanny for the baby and do part time preschool for the older kid. They're not old enough to appreciate trips yet but it would be nice to travel in a few years.

Yes, if I had money without having to work, I’d quit or reduce my hours to spend more hours with them. We’d also move closer to family so that they spend more time with cousins etc

Anonymous wrote:We made financial sacrifices for us to spend more time with our kids, and no I wouldn't change that for more money. We are comfortable and relaxed. We're very lucky, though by the lifestyles of some of DC's peers, we are "doing without". I see the stress on parents' faces at pick up on days where there's no aftercare, though, and I feel justified. I feel bad that so many of them don't think they can jump off the hamster wheel.

This is is not helpful. Now that money is no object, and you don't need to sacrifice, what would you add back in? That's the OP question.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would buy a bigger/family home from the jump in a great neighborhood. Yard, pool, etc. And stay put, not move. Quit my job. Have a chef for health meals. Have a tutor. Great nanny that they love and have grown up with. Longer vacations.

Ahh... This sounds nice...

No job and a chef and nanny? Sounds amazing did someone who didn’t want to be a parent in the first place