Childcare WTF! I have to take out a loan for this shit!

When I knocked up the ol lady the first time fourteen years ago, I told her that she was gonna stay home and raise the child. When I knocked her up the second time eleven years ago, I told her the same thing. We chucked a car payment, cut a few corners, and everything worked out ok.

She's now got two part time jobs, and STILL finds time to raise the chirrins in an appropriate manner.


It's not that hard ya'll.

 

Duct tape is much cheaper

 

Ummm, yeah it is. 10 or 15 years ago the pay scale was close what it is today but the cost of living was much lower for the most part.

There is a reason there is a sharp jump in two income families nowadays. It's not because the wife suddenly want sot go to work vs. taking care of the children. So unless you're rocking the EBT card and screwing the system as I've seen it done by some, you're probably gonna need to get to work.

And then there is the problem of the wife having a huge gap in her work history essentially making her unemployable for anything but remedial type work that don't pay shit once the kids are in school or out of the house. I've seen that too.

 

Fair enough. BUT, when we got marred (yes I spelled that right), we based our whole lifestyle off one income only. It was real easy.

 

Time to re-schedule my vasectomy, damn doctor up and quit the first time around and I never bothered to make another appointment.

 

We were paying so much when my daughter was little baby momma actually went to work there part time to offset the cost. She couldn't do it anymore after a month. I didn't blame her in the least. What a zoo, plus it's tough treating your own kid the same as all the other snot noses.

 

^^^ This

 

Then I assume you are not bitching about the cost to pay some one to raise your kid (if you have one).

 

I hear this often and, not having a kid, I hope the question comes off as sincere. What is the difference between taking a kid to daycare where they (hopefully) have decent people who lead programs that have been proven to be successful, vs. sending a kid off to school to learn stuff? Isn't it kinda the same thing just at a different age?

 

Depends on whether you want other people instilling their values in your kid from early on or you instilling yours. And whether or not that person is actually qualified.

Edit: I guess is you're a really shitty parent it might be a good thing to send your kid off to be raised by somebody else.

 

So, daycare is someone else raising your kid, but school from kindergarten on is different, because your child isn't as impressionable? Am I hearing this right?

 

I agree that public school isn't the best for most kids (although they do need the social interactions) but no, if you send your kid to daycare from day one (or six weeks), then that's about five years that you aren't impressing them.

 

I think our ideas of daycare are different. I gotta feeling yours is of the hog lot version, and mine, which is what ours go to, is one with structured curriculum, qualified teachers and a full time chef serving healthy meals.

 

This .

Insurance, taxes, fees, etc are all high. Dropping a couple million on a building/property is high. 30 womens bitching about everything imaginable is painful. Collecting from people is more difficult. No one wants to pay any more or thinks it should be free.

And yes sometimes it is beneficial to hire an in house sitter......I strongly caution against dropping ur kids off at someones house and if someone comes to you make sure you have cameras.

 

Daycare is fine if that is what you want to do. If you are going to bitch about it though... And yeah, I see a difference in putting a 5 year old, that is fully capable of having a conversation and has had your own influence through the most developmental time of their life, in kindergarten as differnet than putting a 3month, 6month, 1 year old, totally helpless child with no ability to communicate, in a daycare. Plenty of people do it and some want to, and that is fine. But when people tell me they can't afford for a parent to stay home while they make a couple of new car payments and let the bank tell them how much house they can afford (sort of like having Ben and Jerry's how much you should weigh), that I don't understand.

 

It's nice that my wife is a director of a local child care facility. 90% discount!

 

Sitting back having a coffee thinking how glad I am I do not have to fork over luxury car payment every month to have someone tell my kid not to color outside the line.

 

Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm not knocking anyones choice to put their kid in daycare, nor am I trying to act all uppity. I understand sometimes there are circumstances where daycare is the only choice.

But, I'm hoping that maybe someone here who's just starting a family will realize it is possible to make it on one income so's one parent can stay home and raise the child. Sacrifices have to be made sometimes. Funny thing is, is that it's not as hard as some folks think.

 

:up:

 

I'm a firm believer in daycare because I think the social interaction at a young age helps your kids later in life.

One point that I have a strong opinion on is don't have kids until your financially able to take care of them, whether that be putting them in daycare or having one spouse stay home.

We waited until we were in our 30's and had good incomes before we considered procreation. But we practiced a lot before then just to make sure we had it right.