maybe dont have a third kid if you cant afford a regulation, normal thing for your kids.

Maybe you can consider some half-day church preschool. They are usually much cheaper and your older kid can get a chance to socialize with other kids.

Anonymous wrote:I'd look into turning the solo nanny into a nanny share and put your oldest in the preschool.

+1

I have the same situation as you, OP. Initially I had my 3 year old in a PT preschool and switched her previously-FT nanny into a nanny share. The other child in the share also attended PT preschool and it worked out great and was net neutral for us cost-wise. THen baby #2 came and we got an au pair for them both. When she turned 4, we moved the 4yo to FT preschool and baby stays with the au pair. COst would have been similar to do nanny share with the baby + FT preschool but I love the au pair for better convenience. We are planning on a 3rd and as of now my plan is that by the time #3 comes along, oldest will be in K or 1st grade, #2 will go to the FT preschool, and baby #3 will be either with au pair or nanny share. This keeps costs relatively consistent but of course the key is not having them too close together

Anonymous wrote:I'd look into turning the solo nanny into a nanny share and put your oldest in the preschool.

PP I just want to thank you. This is so much the obvious solution and I can't believe I hadn't thought of it. I just had a long talk with my nanny about it and it just makes sense on every level (she will make more, we will pay less, kid will get preschool). It is a win win win.

Sometimes DCUM really knows the answer, thank you!

Didn't read all the posts so maybe this has been said before, but your child needs a peer group to socialize with, and she needs to be able to follow a structure. Preschool is really important for the social-emotional piece, not for academics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like DD needs to go to preschool next year? Or society is convincing me that that needs to happen? But like, I am struggling to see how we make it work financially. It would add hundreds of dollars a month. I would have to stop contributing to retirement (which I know I'm lucky that that's all it would take) to pay for her to go to preschool. We would be paying like 40k a year for childcare. Probably more.

Would be 40K? How much are you paying your nanny now? I'm surprised that with two kids, after taxes and holiday bonus and reimburements etc etc you're not to 40K already.

That's what I'm wondering too. Our nanny for one kid was making $45k and that was before my employer tax portions.

We don't live in the DC area. Many makes 37k a year. She made 35k last year so we gave her a raise and yeah factoring in employer contributions we will come just shy of 40k I believe.

I dont know what reimbursements you're talking about though. She's well compensated for the area, has unlimited sick days and we are her first family, she's very young. Everyone is very happy with the arrangement.

Oh I should add a key component to making this affordable (and something that is appealing to nanny) is that because we work from home we dont need to account for any overtime hours. That saves a lot that I know people in DC struggle with.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like DD needs to go to preschool next year? Or society is convincing me that that needs to happen? But like, I am struggling to see how we make it work financially. It would add hundreds of dollars a month. I would have to stop contributing to retirement (which I know I'm lucky that that's all it would take) to pay for her to go to preschool. We would be paying like 40k a year for childcare. Probably more.

Would be 40K? How much are you paying your nanny now? I'm surprised that with two kids, after taxes and holiday bonus and reimburements etc etc you're not to 40K already.

That's what I'm wondering too. Our nanny for one kid was making $45k and that was before my employer tax portions.

We don't live in the DC area. Many makes 37k a year. She made 35k last year so we gave her a raise and yeah factoring in employer contributions we will come just shy of 40k I believe.

I dont know what reimbursements you're talking about though. She's well compensated for the area, has unlimited sick days and we are her first family, she's very young. Everyone is very happy with the arrangement.

Your DD will be just fine without preschool, provided you, DH, and nanny are giving her opportunities to do things she might normally do in preschool (explore arts and crafts, socialize, etc.).

I'm struggling to understand how you aren't already paying at least $40k per year on childcare if you have a full-time nanny for 2 kids -- and that makes me think that you have a nanny who wouldn't be the preschool teacher type, since they usually command a higher salary.

If finances are this tight, I would reconsider a DC3.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like DD needs to go to preschool next year? Or society is convincing me that that needs to happen? But like, I am struggling to see how we make it work financially. It would add hundreds of dollars a month. I would have to stop contributing to retirement (which I know I'm lucky that that's all it would take) to pay for her to go to preschool. We would be paying like 40k a year for childcare. Probably more.

Would be 40K? How much are you paying your nanny now? I'm surprised that with two kids, after taxes and holiday bonus and reimburements etc etc you're not to 40K already.

That's what I'm wondering too. Our nanny for one kid was making $45k and that was before my employer tax portions.

Anonymous wrote:I feel like DD needs to go to preschool next year? Or society is convincing me that that needs to happen? But like, I am struggling to see how we make it work financially. It would add hundreds of dollars a month. I would have to stop contributing to retirement (which I know I'm lucky that that's all it would take) to pay for her to go to preschool. We would be paying like 40k a year for childcare. Probably more.

Would be 40K? How much are you paying your nanny now? I'm surprised that with two kids, after taxes and holiday bonus and reimburements etc etc you're not to 40K already.

The preschool my child attends in the VA Burbs is $230 a month Sept-May for 2 half-days per week. I'm a teacher and while I am confident in my abilities to teach my child what they need to know for K, I know that part of what he needs to know includes things like how to sit during circle time, line up, take turns with other kids, and tell the teacher he needs to use the restroom. I think that a few months of preschool is really important. And it isn't even a full year of payments...9 months. I would also sign your kid up for free things like Vacation Bible School to get some additional group experience.