Before the pandemic I WFH two days a week, and my younger child, age 8, would not go to aftercare those days. Our bus comes on the later side, after 4, so it was fine for her to hop off and be in the house while I wrapped up working.

Now that DH and I likely won't be going in at all in the next year, we won't need to pay for aftercare.

As for camps, I wanted to send both kids this summer just to keep them active, social, etc., but the risks didn't outweigh the benefits so they are home. That sucks, I would have happily paid for camp. So those are cost savings I'm not particularly excited about. But cutting after care will be nice during the school year, though she did enjoy it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?

Sure, but it's pretty awful if your wallet is more important to you than your childs mental health.

Yup--this is a false dichotomy, and my kid has a sibling. They're spending more time together than ever.

Do SAHMs harm their children's mental health? Is spending gobs of money on childcare the only way your children socialize? Be more creative!

+1 we let our kids play with 4 other kids in the neighborhood all day long like I did growing up. I’m loving their looong days of hanging in the yards and thinking of new games together. They work out their squabbles without parents getting involved and watch out for each other. I’m so thankful we chose location over house. We live in a cape, which is smaller than I could afford, in an amazing, close neighborhood.

I’m a SAHM and my kids are doing some camps. We also just started socializing and kids are starting to do play dates. These are not mutually exclusive.

Our ranked reasons where:
Afraid kid wouldnt like camp w restrictions
Camp schedule less convenient than usual
Cost
Health (I think camp will be quite safe)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?

Sure, but it's pretty awful if your wallet is more important to you than your childs mental health.

You are coming towards this from a very privileged perspective. More money in most households can make huge difference in the health (both mental and otherwise) of children.

It’s not why but I’m also not complaining! All told I think we’ve saved about $60k thanks to the pandemic (canceled trips, refunded aftercare, camp, commuting expenses, etc etc).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?

Sure, but it's pretty awful if your wallet is more important to you than your childs mental health.

Yup--this is a false dichotomy, and my kid has a sibling. They're spending more time together than ever.

Do SAHMs harm their children's mental health? Is spending gobs of money on childcare the only way your children socialize? Be more creative!

+1 we let our kids play with 4 other kids in the neighborhood all day long like I did growing up. I’m loving their looong days of hanging in the yards and thinking of new games together. They work out their squabbles without parents getting involved and watch out for each other. I’m so thankful we chose location over house. We live in a cape, which is smaller than I could afford, in an amazing, close neighborhood.

Me. I’m trying to hoard every dollar I can. There is no certainty in the future. My kids are old enough to play outside without my supervision.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?

Sure, but it's pretty awful if your wallet is more important to you than your childs mental health.

Yup--this is a false dichotomy, and my kid has a sibling. They're spending more time together than ever.

Do SAHMs harm their children's mental health? Is spending gobs of money on childcare the only way your children socialize? Be more creative!

Anonymous wrote:It was nice to not pay for 6 weeks, but it was also nice to send her back to daycare once they reopened with health protocols in place because our sanity with trying to manage/entertain/properly exercise a 3 year old that talks nonstop while doing two full time jobs was used up. Going back and being with her peers has really improved her behavior as well.

+1

The first month I was excited to save the daycare money, but after almost four months at home I feel like daycare is a bargain really. I am extremely ready to send him back. It's necessary for us to keep our jobs/sanity plus it's good for my son to interact with kids and have some school-like enrichment.

Nope. My kids did golf camp last week and tennis this week. Everyone is so much happier. It isn’t like they are gone all day. Golf camp was 3 hours per day. Tennis is only 1 hour per day. I’m so glad my kids have activities to do.

I still have my toddler with me all day and we have plenty of time together. Pools will be opening up.

Yes, we are trying to make it work through end of August but it is hard. I just want him to play with other kids for a bit!!!

Finally broke down and took him to the playground today. No other kids were there and it didnt look like anyone had been there in weeks, or months. Cobwebs, etc. DH has all day training today and tomorrow so I am stuck on primary duty. Normally we do one hour stretches and then switch but his boss oscillates between being completely understanding and completely blinded.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?

Sure, but it's pretty awful if your wallet is more important to you than your childs mental health.

NP
I think I'd only be worried about my kids mental health if I had an only.
Now that we've gotten used to being together all the time and my kids get along better spending the day with each other, I'm not worried about lack of social interaction at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?

Sure, but it's pretty awful if your wallet is more important to you than your childs mental health.

Anonymous wrote:OP (or any other posters who aren't sending their kids back), do you work? I was happy to get the refunds for the camps we have signed up for and I'm not sure how I'd feel sending my kids off to camp right now even if we hadn't gotten the money back, but the only reason we're surviving is because my husband and I are strategically using our leave and trying to get work done while the kids are asleep or otherwise entertained, but this is not sustainable for the long term, even though the extra savings are nice.

OP here. I work part time. I, too, seriously worry about burning out. I also realize I can enjoy my kids more when I don't feel stuck with them 24/7. I could probably not use childcare indefinitely, but it would require some odd staggering of schedules between myself and my husband. I suppose I have to factor in those costs, too! There are tradeoffs in everything, I suppose...

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the cost savings, but I think that's a terrible reason to keep your kids home. We'll be sending my younger child back to daycare in August if we feel it's safe. She needs the social interaction.

Really? Aren't finances a huge factor in just about everything most of America does (or doesn't do)?