I am kind of stressing over the daycare situation for DD next year when she goes to school.
We are actually debating sending DD to private school next year. It's 8% of our take-home income to send both kids to private school. I have NEVER been a private school fan (seems elitist) but I wonder if it would be better for the kids or not. Still, $175K for their education is a shitload of money. Especially since they may thrive in public school. I can't really send them to this private school later than kindergarten because it's a French immersion program so they need to start there. (Although we could bus them to the public French immersion school).
One of the big selling points for me is the quality of their before and after school care. Obviously I can get care for public schools, but this is a "known commodity" even if it's much more $$.
I should also add, that I currently work 80%, and we'd pay for school by me going to 100% Full Time. So, less time with my kids but no impact on finances.
Re: What are you going to do for school aged kids?
I'll be in your shoes in a few years. Our public schools are actually very, very good but I am worried about the economy. Private school would run us 50K per year, though, for both boys! I keep telling myself I could give them a fabulous 4 week education in Europe every year (w/ Mommy and Daddy included) for less!
I am kind of taking a wait and see approach. The problem is you need to aply to private schools early before you know if you get the good school or the crappy one, right?
Tough call, but if you don't know which one you'd get, I would probably go for the private school for now. And I, too, have never been a fan of private education. But, it sounds like the worst case scenario is that DD ends up in the lower ranked school, being bussed there, and then you still have the open question of after school care. That would be too much uncertainty for me, and for 8% of take home income, I'd probably choose the more known outcome -- good school, known and good after school care.
Not knowing which - that sucks. I'd probably go with the private school right now, assuming you're okay with going back to work 100% and it overall works for your family. I appreciate known commodities when it comes to children's well-being.
There are excellent after-programs here. The bus picks them up at school and takes them to play sports, crafts, etc. Then I will pick them up from there.
Another option for us - get a part time nanny for after school care.
Yes, and I am the type to stress over the unknown. She could end up in an amazing situation, or a terrible one. At least with the private school, I know she'll be in a fantastic school with fantastic before/after care.
I am really struggling with this! First, DS is a little on the immature side, but very smart and fine socially. He would be fine to go into kindie, if he was in a smaller classroom. But, all of our public schools have suffered huge budget cuts this year and even kindie classes are going to have 30 kids in them. He's at a Montessori school now and could stay there for kindie, but then I feel we'll be in a worse position the following year b/c he'll just be that much farther ahead of the public school kids and still immature. There's no way he could go into public school kindie after doing kindie at Montessori. I've considered an early 5's program, but it's only 1/2 a day and he already goes to school a full day, so that would be weird. There is a private school with smaller class sized and a huge bill, but everyone who makes under $200k is on scholarship apparently.
so, I will probably sign him up for public school, but see where he's at in the summer. I may just send him and see how he does. If I don't like the school or I think he needs to repeat kindie, I may consider sending him to private school then. I will still go to the orientation for the private school and check it out.
As for before/after school care - I will work FT, but DH and I will have different hours. I'll go in earlier and he'll come home later. Elementary schools get out at 4 here, so I hope to not need aftercare or only a half hour or so. If DS goes to public school, he'll be dropped off at home where my ILs will be waiting for him, which would be very nice.
Ha ha. That's the total cost, not per year. Have you added it up?
ETA: I'd love to have the income where $175K was only 8% of my yearly take home
I plan to send DD to public school and either sign her up for the Y's after-care at the school or pay my SAHM neighbor to get her off the bus and keep her for an hour or so till I get home from work...
In your situation, it sounds like you could afford private school, so I'd probably go with that...
Friend of ours moved to England and it sounds pretty similar. They have two different schools in their "district" but have no control over where their daughter will be assigned. They are opting for private because of that.
We have really good public schools in our area but we are considering sending the boys to Catholic school. DH went to Catholic school until college and I was public then went to a Catholic college. I worry about public schools "teaching to the test" and wonder how much real learning goes on.
I think if we can afford it, they will go to private school.
My twins are 5! My baby is 3!
DS#2 - Allergic to Cashew, Pistachio, Kiwi
DS#3 - Allergic to Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nuts and Sesame
Ha! guess i didnt read the whole post