daycare questions

[rilbrianne]

I'll try to answer all of your questions, I do appreciate your input.
1. I really don't like to babysit, (I love my own kids dearly) but I'm not the daycare provider type - meaning I wouldn't want to do home daycare... I hope that came out right... you know what I mean. I don't want to babysit for someone else. I wouldn't do it for the money, it's one of those things you really must have a passion for. I would only want someone like that watching my kids.
2. I can't really take training to make more money, I am a legal secretary and that is what I love. What I was saying was that if I had that job again, my income would be used for daycare AND I wouldn't qualify for help. If I get a small job at a grocery store or something, my income wouldn't be near enough to pay for daycare but just enough to be over the limit for help, again.
3. My husband COULD stay home, but I don't think he'd last that long, HAHAHA!
4. I love being home with my girls, but I REALLY need to get back to work, I miss working with adults. I want them to get used to being around other people as well. My 4 yr old is already so reserved. Not shy, but doesn't want to interact with others.

I'll have to get back to this later, both girls are at my feet.

[isitreal]

How about opening a daycare in your house? You already do it.. make money off of someone else for a change!

[JollyGG]

1. How many children do you have?

Two children aged four and 1 1/2

2. Who cares for them (ie. daycare, grandparents, babysitter,etc.)

Home daycare provider.

3. How much do you pay for childcare? (results will vary depending on location - that's my assumption anyway)

I pay $700 a month which is considered dirt cheep here. Most people I know pay twice what I do.

4. Do you find that (assuming that both parents are in the home) your daycare costs eat up one whole income?

I make 38,000 and my husband makes 34,000. But my paycheck is actually smaller because I carry benifits. One persons paycheck covers student loans, daycare, and the mortgage. The others has to cover everything else.

You need to figure out a few things to decide if it is worth it. Do you enjoy staying home? Do you enjoy the challenges of working? The choice to stay home shouldn't be purely financial. I love my job and my husband enjoys his. I feel that I am a better parent when I am doing something I enjoy even if that means that I have to find someone else I trust to care for them during the day. Others feel strongly that they are the only person who can best care for their child and they enjoy doing it. I think that is wonderful as well.

Look at the whole financial picture. Would your income change your tax bracket? What about transportation costs to and from work (gas, tolls, parking)? What about the cost of a work wordrobe, work lunchs, ect.? You already mentioned your income would disqualify you for aid and the cost of daycare.

Is the position one that will lead to promotions or other carreer oportunities? Can you request a flexible schedule so that you would need less daycare (evenings, weekends, telecommuting, ect.)? Can you get additional training and make more money? Can you make more money than your spouse? Would he stay home with the children? Can he get more training or does he have advancement opportunitees?

[nazstar]

1. How many children do you have?
2. Who cares for them (ie. daycare, grandparents, babysitter,etc.)
3. How much do you pay for childcare? (results will vary depending on location - that's my assumption anyway)
4. Do you find that (assuming that both parents are in the home) your daycare costs eat up one whole income?

1. I have a 7 month old and one on the way.
2. Between my husband and I, we telecommute so someone is home with her everyday.
3. We don't pay but my co-worker has a 3 month old and she pays $275/week for KinderCare.
4. My husband would be working just for daycare. We didn't want someone outside the home caring for our kids so having a nanny come to our house would be anywhere from $1500-2000 a month for ONE CHILD! With another one on the way, we assume that would go up. That's about 70% of my husband's takehome pay. So, it makes sense for us to be a one income family. Plus, we don't qualify for Chapter 7 with 2 incomes.

[chpxiii]

Would it be at all possible for you to do some in home training or education during this time? That way when your children *are* ready to go to school you could possibly get a job that paid more than grocery store clerk.

[rilbrianne]

1. How many children do you have?
2. Who cares for them (ie. daycare, grandparents, babysitter,etc.)
3. How much do you pay for childcare? (results will vary depending on location - that's my assumption anyway)
4. Do you find that (assuming that both parents are in the home) your daycare costs eat up one whole income?


I'm asking simply out of curiosity. I won't go into too much detail but we seem to be in the middle. DH makes about 18000/yr. Yeah, middle... sure. We qualify for daycare and food assistance now. If I get a job that I'm qualified for or even something like a grocery store clerk, we would be over the income limit and would have to pay daycare out of pocket - which in turn would be pointless after gas costs and daycare costs would eat up my paycheck. I feel so stuck. I don't want to wait until both of my girls are in school for a full day. I have a 4 yr old and an almost 1 yr old. I'm curious as to how others do it. I don't understand it.