2 kids in daycare

jlaOK · September 2013

Today was the first day that a full month payment for 2 kids in daycare. I obviously had been preparing for it for the last year (plus) but I have to admit, it hurts. It really hurts. Does it get easier or will I just become immune to the amount we are paying?

dizzycooks · September 2013

I doubt you become immune to it, but I think you get use to it. I am not looking forward to that day.

jf198400 · September 2013

Well eventually the cost goes down, we went down about $150/month from last year. But mostly you just adapt to the insane cost. It sucks but I keep reminding myself that in another 2yrs dd will go to kindergarten.

jlaOK · September 2013

jf198400 said:

Well eventually the cost goes down, we went down about $150/month from last year. But mostly you just adapt to the insane cost. It sucks but I keep reminding myself that in another 2yrs dd will go to kindergarten.

Ours will only go down about $50/year. I also keep reminding myself that I only have to do this for 2 more years until DS goes to kindergarten.

financialdiva · September 2013

Almost 5 months in and it is still painful to write that check!!

Counting down the days when our tuition will drop by $100 per week, which won't be until next fall when DS1 starts pre-k and DS2 moves into the toddler room. Lol

jf198400 · September 2013

Oh also I have our DC tuition put on our credit card, so we get 1% cash back on it each month, every little bit helps.

aglenn · September 2013

It is insane, but it is temporary. DD has one more year to go before kindergarten....that will be the biggest "raise" I've had in years!

FemShep · September 2013

It doesn't get any easier, and unfortunately our center doesn't take credit cards. The cost of daycare is the primary reason we're on the fence about #3.

LoCarb · September 2013

Its rough! The first 5 yrs is financially draining for childcare. But it is worth it when you chose the right place and feel confident in your career.

mittensonkittens · September 2013

DH writes the check, so I'm able to avoid thinking about it. Next month we'll have 3 in daycare. Yikes! I wish they took credit cards, I would be rolling in reward points...

financialdiva · September 2013

I so wish our DC took credit cards!!!

litzo27 · September 2013

Next spring when I have one with a nanny, one in daycare and one already in public school but with extended hours I will pay close to $4000 a month. It. will. hurt. But since I'm not willing to consider pulling DS2 to stay home with the nanny this is just what it is. It won't last forever and we can handle it while it does.

jlaOK · September 2013

litzo27 said:

Next spring when I have one with a nanny, one in daycare and one already in public school but with extended hours I will pay close to $4000 a month. It. will. hurt. But since I'm not willing to consider pulling DS2 to stay home with the nanny this is just what it is. It won't last forever and we can handle it while it does.

Holy moly. That would be my entire paycheck even if I worked full-time. Hell, it would be my entire DH's paycheck and he's the "bread winner" in the family.

honeybee111 · September 2013

I'm currently on maternity leave, but will be returning to work next month, so I'm already dreading the cost of care for 2. Full time preschool + aftercare for DD and a nanny for DS = basically another mortgage payment.

preggersin2011 · September 2013

I'm curious why people have a nanny for one child and another in day care?

litzo27 · September 2013

preggersin2011 said:

I'm curious why people have a nanny for one child and another in day care?

Because with kids 3 years apart I want the older one to be enrolled in a full time preschool for social development. Our preschool does not do half days. I could do part-time - say 2 days in preschool and 3 days home with a nanny but I feel that this is too disruptive to their routine.

mae0111 · September 2013

I was just looking at the cost of secondary private schools in my area. My alma mater just showed up on the Top 50 Most Expensive Private High Schools list, coming in around $35K per year per kid. Clearly my kids aren't going there. But private Catholic schools in the area are $14 - $17K per year per kid. So we'd be looking at $35K per kid for middle/high school if we went that way. I about choked, until I realized that we're paying more for our nanny. And DD1 is in preschool half days 3 days a week, so we're paying for that, too...

Bella427 · September 2013

We paid for 2 in fulltime daycare for 2 years (DD just started kinder). Not gonna lie- I winced every single time I wrote that check.

EMOmamma · September 2013

It still stings but I've gotten used to it. Unfortunately for us even when they move up a room and the cost goes down we don't save much b/c the overall rates go up every year anyway (not a lot mostly just a COLA).

jnealet · September 2013

I do what pp does, I count down the days until kindergarden for both of them. And then I curse myself for having a Nov baby.

mrskelly731 · September 2013

We are TTC #2 and a very small piece of me is glad it is taking so long to get KU because of the 2 in daycare cost. Right now if I were to get pregnant DD would be 3.5 years older than #2. Once she starts Kindergarten they offer free care after school until 6 for the students. That is the light at the end of my tunnel.

honeybee111 · September 2013

litzo27 said:

preggersin2011 said:

I'm curious why people have a nanny for one child and another in day care?

Because with kids 3 years apart I want the older one to be enrolled in a full time preschool for social development. Our preschool does not do half days. I could do part-time - say 2 days in preschool and 3 days home with a nanny but I feel that this is too disruptive to their routine.

I agree. There's 3.5 years between DD and DS. DD benefits so much from preschool. I guess I could send her half day, but then the nanny would have to pick her up and the cost of half day vs full day is less than what we would have to pay the nanny for 2 kids.

preggersin2011 · September 2013

honeybee111 said:

preggersin2011 said:

I'm curious why people have a nanny for one child and another in day care?

Because with kids 3 years apart I want the older one to be enrolled in a full time preschool for social development. Our preschool does not do half days. I could do part-time - say 2 days in preschool and 3 days home with a nanny but I feel that this is too disruptive to their routine.
I agree. There's 3.5 years between DD and DS. DD benefits so much from preschool. I guess I could send her half day, but then the nanny would have to pick her up and the cost of half day vs full day is less than what we would have to pay the nanny for 2 kids.

I see. I guess the nanny is cheaper than putting the younger one in full time day care . Now it makes more sense. I only have one, but i see parents picking up and dropping off two kids all the time at our center.

litzo27 · September 2013

No. Nanny is more expensive than daycare (for me). I just want my kids home with the nanny when they are little but in daycare when they are older. My set up is the least cost effective but I'm Very lucky to be able to afford my first choice of arrangements.

mexicolombiana · September 2013

EVERY single time we pay our nanny (for 2 kids) I cringe. I cannot get used to it. We are so broke because of the nanny. I love her, she's awesome but yeah. It's killing us.

ASmallWonder · September 2013

For us we will actually pay slightly MORE when DS1 starts K. We will lose our two kid discount at daycare but will have to pay before and after school care. My heart sank the day I figures that out.

ByGrace22 · September 2013

I have become immune. It's a crazy amount of money and it makes me a little sick if I stop to think about it.

KJKNAJ · September 2013

I'm in a unique position because technically I don't pay for my two in daycare. It is part of my salary/ compensation so I don't write out a cheque. But I know the math and it's still just as painful!

kanga1622Wed220857 · September 2013

It is hard no matter what. I'm just glad we pay every week so the check feels smaller.

Lynnja616 · September 2013

Eh, we have ours set up on a weekly auto-draw and I'm totally immune to it. It's a temporary and necessary expense. I love our center and it's not something I'm willing to bargain-shop for. It just is what it is. DS will start kindergarten next year and DD will move into the pre-school room, so that will lower the cost for us quite a bit.

st.augbride · September 2013

Ours is automatically taken out of our bank account. It's almost the same amount as our mortgage!

kristinc01 · September 2013

mae0111 said:

I was just looking at the cost of secondary private schools in my area. My alma mater just showed up on the Top 50 Most Expensive Private High Schools list, coming in around $35K per year per kid. Clearly my kids aren't going there. But private Catholic schools in the area are $14 - $17K per year per kid. So we'd be looking at $35K per kid for middle/high school if we went that way. I about choked, until I realized that we're paying more for our nanny. And DD1 is in preschool half days 3 days a week, so we're paying for that, too...

Yea - I plan on sending my child to a private school and it will be cheaper than daycare - never expected that.

heath06 · September 2013

I only have one child, but would like another. But having 2 in daycare is what holds us back, and we live in a very expensive area. I too never bargain shopped for my daughter's care, as the care was always top notch and she's so happy there. But if we have another, it would be my husband's entire salary. It's just ridiculous. If he made what I made and vice versa, I'd probably just quit. But for him, because he's in the middle of his post-doctoral position, he should "eventually" (before I'm gray, let's hope lol) be the breadwinner once that position ends. But until then, we have to suck it up, whether it's continuing to wait or paying for 2.

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