I have never been more excited and sad to register Collyns for kindergarten. It’s only January but I already filled out the necessary paperwork and made her appointment for her kindergarten physical. August 13 can’t get here soon enough! My last baby will be in school come the fall. Yes, I am sad. Yes, I will cry. But, that means no more full-time daycare! Now I feel like there is a light at the end of this daycare tunnel.
The Costs of Daycare Can Be Overwhelming
$1,200 a month. That is the amount my husband and I currently pay for daycare for both kids. That is just the base amount. It doesn’t include the extra fees, like days off, extracurricular activities, teacher gifts, field trips, food, etc. With all of that included, we expect to shell out $15,000 a year for basic childcare. My children aren’t even learning Mandarin.
Each month I pray we have the money in our account to cover the cost. But how can I complain? The teachers at their daycare deserve a generous living wage and my children deserve a safe environment while my husband and I work.
Parenting is basically opening your wallet while your money flies out, but we have no choice. I mean, I could stop working, but then we’d literally have no money. Some money is better than no money, especially when you have children to feed and eventually send to college. I am also one of those women who like to work and be a mother at the same time.
We could find a cheaper option, but the places my children attend are pretty affordable for our area, and other options aren’t much cheaper.
Opening Up About the Struggle
I know I’m being upfront about a hush-hush topic…money. When economists talk about the costs of childcare, I don’t think anyone really knows what a sacrifice it is. It’s not like, “Oh, let me cut out my morning latte and then we’ll magically have enough to make pay for these places.”In some instances it’s the cost of a mortgage. Luckily for us, only one child is in full-time daycare otherwise that $15,000 would double!
What is so frustrating is that there is no answer to this dilemma. It’s the same problem every parent who wants to work and every worker who wants to parent must face.
Luckily for all of us in this position there’s a wonderful financial break called “kindergarten”. We’re about six months away from cutting our daycare costs in half. I can’t imagine having that much “extra” money!
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
