Thanks Obama, Daycare cost is ridiculous.

[Bubbaleone]

Outrageous child care costs were well entrenched a long, long time before Obama. Between 1975 and 2016, the U.S. has experienced inflation at an average rate of 3.70% per year or, $100.00 in 1975 = $445.00 in 2016. So the ~$200.00 a month my generation was paying for good child care in the mid-seventies was just as tough on us then as the costs you guys are having to pay for your kids today. Just part of being a Dad...like it or not.

 

[Slew Foot]

Grandparents, whew

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Grandparents, whew

I moved grandma with me from state to state: best idea ever.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

This is one (of many) reasons why I don't (and won't) have kids.

 

[purbeast0]

Thankfully my wife's mother watches our son. We give her $250/week which is nothing compared to a real day care center I don't think. On top of that, she comes to our house to watch him so we don't have to drop him off and pick him up anywhere. She's also watching him right now for 2 weeks while we are in Spain/France, and she watches him other times when we have things to do.

 

[rh71]

Grandparents, whew

We did this too but only the first 3 years. We wanted them to socially interact with other kids. It was evident that other kids in daycare since age 1 were much more social and outgoing and even at 8 today we can tell the difference with other kids who started younger. Those kids seem to have fewer inhibitions. You can imagine this matters throughout their life ladder climbing.

 

[MixMasterTang]

My kids are 15 and almost 12 now, glad they are out of the day care stages but that does not lower the costs all that much!

 

[JTsyo]

Just made my last daycare payment. Both kids will be in school this year.

 

[SearchMaster]

Thankfully my wife's mother watches our son. We give her $250/week which is nothing compared to a real day care center I don't think. On top of that, she comes to our house to watch him so we don't have to drop him off and pick him up anywhere. She's also watching him right now for 2 weeks while we are in Spain/France, and she watches him other times when we have things to do.

Such a great deal for both sides, right? They love spending time with the grandbabies and get paid for it And you don't have to worry that the child isn't getting the right amount of love and attention because nobody does that better than grandma. If my mom had been alive and available during my boys' early days, she probably would have paid me to keep them.

 

[Eug]

Unfortunately, my mom and in-laws aren't in good enough health to keep up with our two kids. Maybe babysitting once in a while, but that's it.

But I'd still prefer to send them to daycare for the socialization anyways. Luckily we can afford it. Many people can't with these high daycare costs.

 

[dethman]

$3000/mo for 2 kids, 3 and 1 in montessori day care. sucks but what else are you gonna do. not sure what it has to do with obama.

oh and they don't include lunch so that's another $10/day for both x 20 days. lame.

 

[Anubis]

I hate daycare costs. It's like a mortgage payment. It's the single reason we're only having one.
.

daycare cost for my friend is 2x+ what my mortgage is

 

[Adrenaline]

This is one (of many) reasons why I don't (and won't) have kids.

I have told my oldest child if she did not want to have kids that is fine. I have told her that kids can be a total drain on you, financially and physically. She can figure out later in life that they can possibly wreck her body. If I did not have kids, I could retire a lot earlier than I will be able to.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I have two kids in a really good Daycare here for $1300/month.

There are plenty of places that are cheaper than that even....many run by churches. I just don't want my kids in the less-regulated day cares. We can't wait to get our $1300/month back. Cost of living and average salary in our area are likely much lower than where you are....so $1300 is pretty serious.

 

[master_shake_]

800 a month with a 10 percent discount.

 

[Shawn]

We did this too but only the first 3 years. We wanted them to socially interact with other kids. It was evident that other kids in daycare since age 1 were much more social and outgoing and even at 8 today we can tell the difference with other kids who started younger. Those kids seem to have fewer inhibitions. You can imagine this matters throughout their life ladder climbing.

So very true. My daughter has been in daycare since 12 weeks old and is extremely social. Plus all of the learning activities and interaction with her peers really accelerated her development. I really think keeping kids out of daycare does them a huge disservice.

 

[ichy]

If I did not have kids, I could retire a lot earlier than I will be able to.

That's a huge part of the reason I don't want kids. I'm putting away a lot of money so that I can hopefully retire at a relatively young age. There is nothing in the world that could make me voluntarily spend many additional years going into the office.

 

[werepossum]

Currently paying $1800 for my toddler. If I have two kids, I'd be paying $3500 a MONTH. That's someone's $50-55K salary before taxes, full time.

And ATOT parents know that this is the norm. My friends pay similar up in Boston, and even down in south- ATL.

The friend of mine in ATL makes similar salary as mine, but the low CoL is amazing. 6 bed, 5 ba house for 650K...AND he still gets to enjoy all the cosmo/trendy/metro scenes the Atlanta offers as a city.

Just so I'm clear, is this a child you already had, or like, rent to own?

 

[purbeast0]

So very true. My daughter has been in daycare since 12 weeks old and is extremely social. Plus all of the learning activities and interaction with her peers really accelerated her development. I really think keeping kids out of daycare does them a huge disservice.

While I'm not disagreeing with you there is so much anecdotal evidence on the contrary that trying to say it is one way or the other is kinda moot.

 

[Staples]

You must live in an expensive area. It is 2000$ a month here in San Jose for an infant but $500 a month in cheap areas. Simple solution.

 

[highland145]

While I'm not disagreeing with you there is so much anecdotal evidence on the contrary that trying to say it is one way or the other is kinda moot.

And by the 5th grade, preschool doesn't matter.

The in-laws are 1/2 mile down the street so the kid was with "us" 24/7. The only issue was that he was kicked out of 2K. Would not stop crying because he didn't know those people. 3K, he went to our church and it was the wife crying like a baby..."He just jumped out and threw his hand over his shoulder"....lololol

 

[sdifox]

Twin toddlers, no multi kid discount.

 

[highland145]

Twin toddlers, no multi kid discount.

Double the love. Grats X 2.

 

[Eug]

While I'm not disagreeing with you there is so much anecdotal evidence on the contrary that trying to say it is one way or the other is kinda moot.

Not that I really think it's a necessity, but:

Study shows consistent benefit of early daycare

The latest results from the long-running U.S. National Institutes of Health study show children in high-quality childcare scored slightly higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement years later as teenagers.

They were also slightly less likely to act out than peers who were in lower-quality childcare, the researchers reported.

But children who spent the most hours in childcare had a slightly greater tendency toward impulsiveness and risk-taking at age 15 than teens who had spent less time in childcare, the researchers wrote in the journal Child Development.

Quality for childcare is usually measured by how much time the provider spends interacting with the children, as well as warmth, support and cognitive stimulation.

The ongoing study is meant to inform the policy debate on whether both parents should work when children are young and whether providing childcare is good for the children, their parents and society as a whole.

"High quality child care appears to provide a small boost to academic performance, perhaps by fostering the early acquisition of school readiness skills," said James Griffin of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the NIH institute that paid for the study.

"The current findings reveal that the modest association between early childcare and subsequent academic achievement and behavior seen in earlier study findings persists through childhood and into the teen years."

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Not that I really think it's a necessity, but:

Study shows consistent benefit of early daycare

The latest results from the long-running U.S. National Institutes of Health study show children in high-quality childcare scored slightly higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement years later as teenagers.

They were also slightly less likely to act out than peers who were in lower-quality childcare, the researchers reported.

But children who spent the most hours in childcare had a slightly greater tendency toward impulsiveness and risk-taking at age 15 than teens who had spent less time in childcare, the researchers wrote in the journal Child Development.

Quality for childcare is usually measured by how much time the provider spends interacting with the children, as well as warmth, support and cognitive stimulation.

The ongoing study is meant to inform the policy debate on whether both parents should work when children are young and whether providing childcare is good for the children, their parents and society as a whole.

"High quality child care appears to provide a small boost to academic performance, perhaps by fostering the early acquisition of school readiness skills," said James Griffin of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the NIH institute that paid for the study.

"The current findings reveal that the modest association between early childcare and subsequent academic achievement and behavior seen in earlier study findings persists through childhood and into the teen years."

Affluence to afford daycare is very good for the kid!