Day care / preschool cost (1 Viewer)

[El Floppo]

$180/week for my almost 4 year old son. Full-time care, with meals and snacks, from 745a-530p weekdays. It's walking distance for his mom and about 5 mins from my place. For Chicago and under these circumstances? It's a good deal.

We pay $180 for a nanny 2 days/week for our 2yo daughter. She goes to a private preschool 2 days a week for 6k/year- next year for 5 mornings (not full days) a week it's 21k!

The wife used to make twice as much as me before the kids. Had the first kid and she cut back to doing only consulting work for about a third what she was previously making- that work dried up after the 2yo was born. We are looking at other options, as the school (which we love) doesn't offer tuition assistance until K.

I live in NYC (Manhattan), so #### me.

Thank god the older one is in a good public school- we'd be paying 35k/year for him if he had stayed at that school.

eta: neither of us has family anywhere near us... I'm envious of you guys who have the built-in family support system for the kids.

 

[shadyridr]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

My son is an only child. Daycare is the best thing we ever did for him. Hes learned so much and knows how to interact with other kids. He has tons of friends there and loves it.

 

[Sweet Love]

Just sent off my last child to kindergarten, but went through a wave of about 11 straight of paying for daycare. I'll throw an option out there to people with multiple children. I have three kids (11, 8, 5), so when my 3 year old was born, we struggled with options for our kids (one was in kindergarten, another in 1/2 preschool and the third would need to be sent to a separate preschool), we chose to go the route of an au paire. In NC, it cost about 17k to have a woman come from Thailand, but it really worked out well. She could work 40 hours a week (you can pay them under the table if you need more) and she could work 4 hours on Saturday.

We lucked out and had a really nice girl; she was great with the kids and we never had to tell her twice how we did things. She also made a ton of friends, but did not party, so it was a nice balance. We were nervous about having someone in the house, but she immediately (maybe through training), kept to herself and hung in her room (she was on our third floor) when she was home, and spent the weekends out for the most part. Again, I think we got very lucky, but with multiple kids, it is actually more affordable to have that option than daycare.

 

[xulf]

I have 22 month old in daycare 3 days a week. Cost is $60 a day which includes food...though I don't get her there until after breakfast.

 

[BigJohn]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

My son is an only child. Daycare is the best thing we ever did for him. Hes learned so much and knows how to interact with other kids. He has tons of friends there and loves it.

If the insinuation is that my kids are sheltered, it's far from the truth. Plenty of kids in our neighborhood and they have cousins. All 3 are great kids and have plenty of friends in school.

Everybody is different.

 

[El Floppo]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

My son is an only child. Daycare is the best thing we ever did for him. Hes learned so much and knows how to interact with other kids. He has tons of friends there and loves it.

If the insinuation is that my kids are sheltered, it's far from the truth. Plenty of kids in our neighborhood and they have cousins. All 3 are great kids and have plenty of friends in school.

Everybody is different.

If I could choose between having one person take care of my kid and one person taking care of my kid along with a bunch of other kids, I'm always going to choose the former. Add in playdates, the playground and a class here or there and that's plenty of socializing.

 

[BigJohn]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

After I had my daughter, I was going back to work when she was about 4 months. I cried continuously. I felt the guilt of being a horrible mother, who sends her child to be raised during the day by strangers. I too, grew up with my siblings, with a stay at home mom and a full time working dad. It was awesome, and I wanted my daughter to experience the same.

My mom finally confessed to me, that she gave up her life for her children. She never had a career or friends or a life outside of her 4 children. She told me not to make the same choice. I realized this, and add this to how awesome my daughter's day care / preschool is, I couldn't imagine it any other way. The center has taught her things I would have never even thought of. They definitely bridge the gap for things I just can't or haven't thought about teaching.

Again, everybody is different. My Mom loved that she got to be at home with us. She tried to convince my wife to choose the same. My wife was determined to work, so we found the next best solution. We've loved the arrangement.

 

[Patriotsfatboy1]

I guess I shouldn't complain too much that my wife stayed home instead of going through the daycare thing. However, she just started going back to work part-time and my youngest is in 5th grade.

 

[shadyridr]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

My son is an only child. Daycare is the best thing we ever did for him. Hes learned so much and knows how to interact with other kids. He has tons of friends there and loves it.

If the insinuation is that my kids are sheltered, it's far from the truth. Plenty of kids in our neighborhood and they have cousins. All 3 are great kids and have plenty of friends in school.

Everybody is different.

woah woah woah. I wasnt insinuating anything. I was talking about my particular case. My son has no siblings. His cousins all live in another borough and my wifes friends kids are all much younger. Without daycare HE would have been sheltered

 

[BigJohn]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

My son is an only child. Daycare is the best thing we ever did for him. Hes learned so much and knows how to interact with other kids. He has tons of friends there and loves it.

If the insinuation is that my kids are sheltered, it's far from the truth. Plenty of kids in our neighborhood and they have cousins. All 3 are great kids and have plenty of friends in school.

Everybody is different.

woah woah woah. I wasnt insinuating anything. I was talking about my particular case. My son has no siblings. His cousins all live in another borough and my wifes friends kids are all much younger. Without daycare HE would have been sheltered

I wasn't taking offense. Just giving our point of view.

 

[LinusMarr]

I pay 110.00 a week for my 4 year old daughter. I need her to start school so i can get some of that cheap daycare.

Daughters are almost 13 and 10. Daycare is a distant memory thank goodness!!

 

[TheWalkmen]

I'm currently paying $305 a week for my 14 month old. My wife is due with baby #2 in April, so in mid-July we plan to have 2 in daycare at the same place. We will get a 10% discount on the older child so that puts us at $274.50 per week for the older child and $305 per week for the younger child for a total of $579.50 a week. Annualized at 50 weeks that's $28,975 cash. That includes food though. F me.

Oh, when the youngest turns 2 we'll be at $512 a week combined, annualized at 50 weeks it's $25,600.

Anyone else paying this much?

Would you ballpark what your wife brings home? Because for my wife and me the money difference would have had to have been pretty large for us to put the kids in daycare (we didn't). I'm talking about if it cost $25k, she'd have had to have brought home at least $65k to make it worthwhile.

She brings home more than daycare costs, but for me it's just hard to swallow paying that much for daycare. She doesn't want to be a stay at home mom so that's not really an option.

I guess with $5,000 going to deductible care I get a 25% or so break on $5,000 of the cost, but that's only like $1,250. I guess I should look at some other options.

 

[Jayrod]

My wife stays home with our 20 month old son.

But she does provide day care for two girls, both only 2 days per week.

One is the same age as our son and her mother currently pays $20/day. It used to be $30, but her husband lost his job, started drinking again (alcoholic) and they got divorced. To help her out, my wife dropped the price until he gets another job and can chip in and the price will go back up to $30. She is dropped off around 8:30am and picked up around 5:30 pm.

The other girl is almost 3 and her parents pay $35/day and drop off around 6:30 am and pickup around 3:30 pm.

ETA: Both families provide most of the food, but my wife does supply some snacks.

No wonder I didn't remember posting in this thread.

This is almost 6 years ago. My son is now 7 years old and in 2nd grade and my wife is teaching again. Good grief I'm getting old.

 

[James Daulton]

I guess I shouldn't complain too much that my wife stayed home instead of going through the daycare thing. However, she just started going back to work part-time and my youngest is in 5th grade.

My wife started working 20hrs per week about 2 years ago when my youngest was in 7th grade! She got totally wrapped up in the volunteering thing with the schools. As my youngest is now in high school, she's starting to pick up more work and I think full time is only a year or two away. We're lucky that I'm able to support her "work when she feels like it" but I've been stressing lately that the sooner she starts working full time, the younger I'll get to retire. This is getting some traction, a little anyway.

 

[Patriotsfatboy1]

I guess I shouldn't complain too much that my wife stayed home instead of going through the daycare thing. However, she just started going back to work part-time and my youngest is in 5th grade.

My wife started working 20hrs per week about 2 years ago when my youngest was in 7th grade! She got totally wrapped up in the volunteering thing with the schools. As my youngest is now in high school, she's starting to pick up more work and I think full time is only a year or two away. We're lucky that I'm able to support her "work when she feels like it" but I've been stressing lately that the sooner she starts working full time, the younger I'll get to retire. This is getting some traction, a little anyway.

I have been pushing it hard. I need her to get some money coming in the door so that we can pay for the kids to go to college and then make sure that we can retire comfortably. I am all for having a little honey that does nothing all day but look pretty and satisfies my animal desires. However, if I am going that route, I am trading her in for a couple of 21 year olds.

 

[Doug B]

Jebus. Reading the amounts others pay/paid in other regions makes me feel ridicuously lucky.

In this area, there are expensive options. But there are also many, many independent daycare providers who work out of their homes. While they vary widely in quality, the best ones are advertised strictly through word-of-mouth.

Long story short: when our kids were day-care age, my in-laws recommended the day-care lady they used for my sister-in-law in the early 1980s. She was elderly, but still in business with a smaller roster of kids than in her younger days. In 2006, she was charging $65/week (parents paid for lunch M-Th, she made lunch on Fri). The following year, she sent an apologetic note home to the parents that increased costs and such required her to charge $75/week. As of 2011, she was still at $75/week.

IMHO, she wasn't cheap because she was lousy. Far from it ... she rocked. The thing was that she had almost no overhead whatsoever. No employees (her retired husband was still spry and helped her), no mortgage or rent, not much outlay at all. And she gave pre-school academic lessons to the kids, to boot -- it wasn't just a dumping ground.

Are these kinds of independent day care options available in other areas? Seems they'd just about have to be, unless local regulations in other places are prohibitive.

 

[jb1020]

Officially pulling our 4 year old and 2 year old out of their current daycare. That place just seems to be a mess every day I drop them off. We were paying $1100 per month. We found a nice little nanny that will come to our house and keep them, take them to the kids museum and the park. Shes charging $1500 per month.

I hate to spend the extra, but that day care just had a bad vibe.

The 4 yo will start K-4 next year and this nanny will go pick him up at noon.

This all starts Monday.

Anyone got any nanny advice?

 

[El Floppo]

Officially pulling our 4 year old and 2 year old out of their current daycare. That place just seems to be a mess every day I drop them off. We were paying $1100 per month. We found a nice little nanny that will come to our house and keep them, take them to the kids museum and the park. Shes charging $1500 per month.

I hate to spend the extra, but that day care just had a bad vibe.

The 4 yo will start K-4 next year and this nanny will go pick him up at noon.

This all starts Monday.

Anyone got any nanny advice?

Be crystal clear about your expectations for typical and specific days- and make it crystal clear to her. Without clarity, the nanny will do her own thing... which is usually the easy thing.

 

[Johnny Rock]

Anyone got any nanny advice?

Post pics

 

[Wooderson]

Twins 6 month old. Up until a month ago I was paying $450 a week for a nanny to help me out.

Now just have a nanny come once a week so $90. Much easier to swallow.

 

[Wooderson]

Officially pulling our 4 year old and 2 year old out of their current daycare. That place just seems to be a mess every day I drop them off. We were paying $1100 per month. We found a nice little nanny that will come to our house and keep them, take them to the kids museum and the park. Shes charging $1500 per month.

I hate to spend the extra, but that day care just had a bad vibe.

The 4 yo will start K-4 next year and this nanny will go pick him up at noon.

This all starts Monday.

Anyone got any nanny advice?

Be crystal clear about your expectations for typical and specific days- and make it crystal clear to her. Without clarity, the nanny will do her own thing... which is usually the easy thing.

Great advise. Don't forget your in charge of what the kids do. Seems like a good price for two kids.

 

[Wooderson]

We have 3 kids. 3 - 7 yo. We have been blessed, in that, we have always had in home daycare by a relative. My aunt watched the kids for awhile, and now, my sister does. We have paid anywhere from $120-$160 per week. When my daughter was born, we visited one daycare. My wife and I both came out crying. I know it's common for most people, but we just couldn't imagine putting any of our kids in a place like that. We both grew up with parents at home, so we never went to daycare ourselves.

After I had my daughter, I was going back to work when she was about 4 months. I cried continuously. I felt the guilt of being a horrible mother, who sends her child to be raised during the day by strangers. I too, grew up with my siblings, with a stay at home mom and a full time working dad. It was awesome, and I wanted my daughter to experience the same.My mom finally confessed to me, that she gave up her life for her children. She never had a career or friends or a life outside of her 4 children. She told me not to make the same choice. I realized this, and add this to how awesome my daughter's day care / preschool is, I couldn't imagine it any other way. The center has taught her things I would have never even thought of. They definitely bridge the gap for things I just can't or haven't thought about teaching.

I stay home with my boys and I no way regret not having a career at some throw away job. Now we are lucky enough that we can live off one salary but it was an easy choice for me to stay home. I would even say it would of been selfish for me to work just so we could earn more money we don't need and someone else raise my kids most of the day. Having kids takes sacrifice and I have no problem with that at all.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

My kids are growing up on the streets.

 

[Abraham]

Didn't realize it was so expensive. We decided my wife would be a sahm and I work hard to make sure we don't miss her income. Her brother and his wife are both career people who have a 2 year old in day care from 7-7 five days a week. For us, I don't see the money as being worth it.

 

[shadyridr]

Twins 6 month old. Up until a month ago I was paying $450 a week for a nanny to help me out.

Now just have a nanny come once a week so $90. Much easier to swallow.

damn your wife doesnt swallow?