Reply to NOT cheap childcare

Forum Index » Au Pair Discussion

Reply to "NOT cheap childcare"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There's absolutely no reason to pay $100/hour for a nanny.

For example, our local martial arts place offers summer camp for around $300/week. 7:30am drop off and pick up by 6:30pm. Kids don't have school for 12 weeks. $300x12 = $3,600.

For three kids, $3,600x3 = $10,800.

Our private school offers summer camp for 8 weeks of summer (and a 4 week gap) for $450/week from 9:00am-3:30pm. Extended day is offered for $215 (AM and PM). So, 7:30am-5:30pm is $665 and $665x8 = $5,320 plus a 4 week gap.

For three kids, $15,960 plus a 4 week gap for an expensive summer camp.

That leaves... covering those additional 4 weeks of summer and every other break during the school year that can't be dealt with by taking vacation by one or more parents. Somehow, if we're assuming an AP's total costs average about $25,000/year, $9,000 easily covers all those random school day breaks with various camps and other options.

So, again, to support OP's point before someone argues that she only has 1 kid. APs are NOT cheap childcare. I could have a LOT less hassle with onboarding an AP and dealing with various issues (such as driving) through other options. But we have currently chosen the AP option because we like the relationship APs can have with the kids.

[/quote]

what about parents who, ya know, work during the school year?

In your cheaper scenarios for my 3 children, I'd be at

summer $10,800
school year $18,000 in aftercare (cheap where I live is $150/wk per kid)

You can't compare live in personalized childcare to the cost of institutionalized warehouse care.  An AuPair is closer to a nanny than warehouseing your kids.

not sure why you all get so defensive than AuPairs are cheap for live in care. I have an AuPair and I've had a nanny for years.  I don't like daycares which is why we always did home care. It is not even a comparison and once my kids became verbal and old enough for an AP, I'm very happy get the the financial relief and move to cheaper personalized care.

[/quote]

You missed the part where I said they already go to private school. This calculation is solely based on the hours that we absolutely need childcare, so summers and breaks. Sure, we use the AP during the school year to pack lunches in the morning, etc., but that part is not necessary in the way we require summer childcare.

If our non-public school age kids were stuck with an AP all day, we'd be highly dissatisfied with the program. APs are sufficient childcare to keep the kids alive and (mostly) safe. They're not Master's degree in childhood education nannies. Sometimes APs barely speak adequate English. Therefore, we spend the $$$ on expensive private education and have left our oldest in the same school (who has been eligible for public school) for ease.

These are the choices we've been privileged to make. However, my original point stands that APs are NOT "cheap" childcare for even a family with 3 kids. "Cheap" childcare may simply not exist in the DC area unless you devalue a SAHM enough to call it the "cheapest" option (which I don't).
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics