tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post7277738679915985594..comments2023-11-09T22:12:38.418+00:00Comments on Mummy do that!: How much is childcare costing you?cartsidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07443437791014670129noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-86356423971084220362011-09-20T05:51:53.787+01:002011-09-20T05:51:53.787+01:00Excellent campaign, thanks for introducing it.
Ch...Excellent campaign, thanks for introducing it.<br /><br />Childcare costs account for 90% of my husband's salary at the moment. It's very frustrating. <br /><br />In Japan we are doubly hit, as stay at home wives (not husbands!) get huge subsidies not available to workers, no matter their income. So my mother-in-law works at a "part time" job for 50 hours a week to take home what her co-workers who are registered housewives take home in 5 hours, just because they are married. It's really discriminatory.Perogyohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01066575445602451389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-9748293988396519052011-09-15T10:03:32.788+01:002011-09-15T10:03:32.788+01:00I was lucky in that I only had a small overlap of ...I was lucky in that I only had a small overlap of having both kids at nursery. Now I'm going full time (youngest is 2) the childcare is obviously going to go up. And I have some after school care to pay for too (my nursery does pick ups of eldest daughter too). It is really tough juggling everything - but we did know about childcare costs when we were planning having a family, so we did kind of expect this.<br /><br />I do think the state should help low income familes. I was speaking to another friend who is going to see a very small wage packet coming in after the childcare cost for her twins. BUT we both agree there were other factors to take into account:<br /><br />1) The childcare obviously comes off both parents wages, not just the mothers<br />2) The social contact and empowerment you can get from work (note: CAN get!)<br />3) The bigger picture: continuing to work means that when the childcare costs finally do come down, you've sustained your career rather than starting over as many women do<br />4) Shared, community childcare seems a good thing, not so unnatural as it sounds, and I really think if you and your child is happy with the nursery then there is a lot the child can benefit from. <br /><br />In the LONG term I decided that I'd be much better off working. I just try to enjoy the time I have with the kid as much as possible and not wish away the early years.<br /><br />Interesting post :0)Jules Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-86591555166320203092011-09-08T14:52:52.194+01:002011-09-08T14:52:52.194+01:00Childcare is a nightmare and its sad that many par...Childcare is a nightmare and its sad that many parents wish the first few years away so the kids can start school and save some money. Where we live it is so expensive that my wife was unable to work for many years and the childcare costs were more than the salary so a no brainier really.<br /><br />The downside is the added pressure it puts on the working parent, which sometimes means they work longer hours and miss out.Johnhttp://www.bibbledribble.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-89942828214044279592011-09-08T12:47:20.209+01:002011-09-08T12:47:20.209+01:00It's a tough one, but isn't paying for chi...It's a tough one, but isn't paying for childcare part of the package if you're a working parent? We chose to have these kids and do these jobs, and part of us making choices like that as independent adults is that you have to take responsibility for the consequences of those choices.<br /><br />I wouldn't like to add up what I've paid in childcare over the years, especially when my children were small. And the other end of it is the lost wages that I have experienced in order to work less and keep childcare time to a minimum. Having children is a costly business whatever angle you look at it from, but the benefits are priceless.Joanne Mallonhttp://joannemallon.typepad.com/joanne_the_coach/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-90040421929571571512011-09-08T11:32:14.096+01:002011-09-08T11:32:14.096+01:00I too have managed to negotiate a three day return...I too have managed to negotiate a three day return to work so as to keep childcare costs down. I, however, had forgotten that this would then affect my six year old (as school finishes at three and I finish work at five thirty) and now have to factor in the cost for before and after school care too plus her change to school dinners (or she will be starving by the time I pick her up at six (believe you me she likes her food!). My salary will be half what it was before I went on maternity leave but like many others that half a salary is better than no salary when you need to keep a roof over your head and food in your mouths. Something really does need to be done to get those childcare costs down.Larahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07705243007738104380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-22479025958726910862011-09-07T23:10:29.575+01:002011-09-07T23:10:29.575+01:00I just blogged on this same subject. I've been...I just blogged on this same subject. I've been paying to go to work for the past two months (summer holidays so no free hours for my 3 year old!). <br /><br />I had to request flexible working and go part time because we just couldn't afford for me to work full time - childcare costs were more than my income. As a result, I'm no longer responsible for my department and feel like I've been effectively demoted.<br /><br />I love my job and I needed to feel like I still was gaining experience and had my hand in (for networking reasons if nothing else). But these are the only reasons I returned to work at all.Seaside Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11120183016723945858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-18907863038765193002011-09-07T14:35:28.089+01:002011-09-07T14:35:28.089+01:00I also went freelance after my maternity leave end...I also went freelance after my maternity leave ended, because I couldn't justify leaving my daughter in daycare/preschool 40 hours a week for the fraction of my paycheck I'd get to keep. She goes to preschool half-days and I spend a good deal of time working during naps and in the evenings, but it definitely pays off. I end up working about halftime in a good month (taking it easy since am about to have our second) and spending 1/3 of that income on childcare. Two kids in full time care would be significantly more than my old full-time salary and I'd definitely have to quit if I hadn't already!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03606614582290926158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804194858842522280.post-78913651503013093082011-09-07T13:32:29.372+01:002011-09-07T13:32:29.372+01:00Really interesting post. I decided not to go back ...Really interesting post. I decided not to go back to my full time job when my daughter was born, simply because the cost of childcare meant I'd have £300 in my pocket at the end of the month. I went freelance instead, working during school holidays (my husband's a teacher, so free daddy daycare during hols) and working from home during term time. I'm lucky I had the option to do this as I don't know how we'd have survived if I hadn't. <br /><br />Ironically, I now work part time and end up bringing more than double (sometimes triple) home at the end of the month, as I don't have to fork out on childcare. <br /><br />That said, there are some months when I may do a week's work somewhere just to get it on my CV. But it's certainly not for the money, as once the childminder and travel costs have been paid there's little left for me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com