Having a kid in London

[lamii]

Hello!

I am now fishing for your experience if you are raising a kid in London - how much does it costs?

Thanks!!

[messystressy]

How much is a piece of string?

It all depends. How many clothes will you buy? From which shops? Where will you buy your food? Breastfeed or bottle? Private nursery or SAHM? Private school or state? Bugaboo or McLaren?

Is there a specific cost of something you are asking for?

[messystressy]

How long is a piece of string...:D

[Maybebabybee]

Doesn't cost anything more than it does anywhere else unless you're talking about the cost of property?

[Pikawhoo]

The major extra costs in an expensive city are likely to be the cost of accommodation space, and childcare.

But then, the cost of childcare is a bit of a shock wherever you live in the UK!

[Stylingwax]

Our childminder was 50 a day and she was a steal. Nurseries were 80+. That was the big thing. Never really noticed anything else being more expensive than where we live now in the Midlamds (bar housing).

[NotCitrus]

Nursery was 65/day last year, after school club to 6pm is 10 per child per session.
Transport is free though it's £10 to get a card for 5yo+ to go free on trains. Swimming is £2 for kids, £4 ish for me.
Loads of free or cheap baby items being sold and swapped, though now mine are 8 and 5 I've had to buy new clothes.
Depends hugely on who you want to socialise with and how much extra space you give the kids.

[Blu]

Once you are over the high nursery fees there is SO much to do with kids that is free. All those out of season days at the NHM and the many, many other museums with excellent kids sections. So many fantastic parks, so many toddler groups, a busy critical mass of NCT friends nearby (if that is your thing), kids free on buses and tubes til 10, free on buses til 16...

I find shops in London so much cheaper than my Mum's nearest Budgens in her rural area.

Buying a pint, and fish and chips, is more expensive .

[CathFromCooberPedy]

I've had 2 and it's not too bad however we have a very cheap mortgage (for London) and a reasonably priced CM. I'm just starting back from second mat leave which l think will be telling. I'll update in a couple of months

[android909]

A lot, I.e.rent / mortgage. Should be just do-able with 2 working parents or one on a very good wage. Transport is relatively cheap n plentiful. Everything on your doorstep. Probably great (loads to do etc) if u can afford it. But if you're on low income and need financial assistance it's very hard. No matter how many hours you put in it is very hard to get above the breadline. Impossible even. We left.

[OlennasWimple]

What age children?

[lamii]

Thanks all for your answers.
I just hear from people 'we had to leave because London is too expensive'. However, if a couple isn't renting, doesn't have a car, if kids go to a public school. I'm just wondering how does it get too expensive?
Apart from the nursery fees, as everyone is suggesting.

@OlennasWimple up to 18 ;)
I don't have kids yet but I am very curious as I am planning on moving back to London...

[LuchiMangsho]

If you work full time and have two kids in nursery that could well be over 2000 GBP a month. Factor in a mortgage that is often higher than the rest of the country for a smaller property and you can see quite easily, how it adds up.
We've been fine so far but we do take advantage of all the free stuff AND we go to tons of concerts/shows etc. We were at the CBeebies Prom today for instance!

[Dozer]

Housing costs and childcare! Many people lucky enough to have a mortgage rather than renting have one or two bedrooms pre DC and can't afford to upsize.

[MirrorMirrorOnTheFloor]

It's housing and childcare that are the issue. With Zip cards for the kids and the free stuff (museums, adventure playgrounds, South Bank street theatre etc) and cheap sandwich shops around the place to grab lunch, it's actually often cheap and easy to find things to do in London.

Childcare costs are smaller once they're at school (you can find relatively good value holiday clubs as well as the super expensive ones), but housing costs will only go up as you need more space.

[dinodiva]

One of the nice things about having babies in London (or probably any major city) is that if you do NCT, your group will likely live within a short walking distance rather than a drive. There is also loads going on - we could do classes twice a day within half an hour of home, plenty of meet ups and two baby cafes so we are really well supported.

My sister pays similar for nursery in Oxford as I do in London,

[Millionprammiles]

Housing and childcare are, for most people in London (who don't have help from extended family), very expensive. The cost of housing is the prime reason many families are leaving London in droves.

Clothing, food, outings etc can be done cheaply but really that's just tinkering around the edges if the combined cost of your mortgage and childcare eats up over half of your salary.

Yes you could be a SAHP and rely on getting back into work several years later when your kids are school age but its a risky strategy. Even then, school hours are 9am-3pm with 13 weeks off a year. Not compatible with many 9-5pm jobs with an hour commute each way (did I mention most people commute for longer in London?).

Having said all that we're happily raising dd in London and have no plans to move away. There are many advantages and there is more support for parents with fewer public services closing down than some other parts of the country.
But if we earned less money we might feel differently.

[ACubed]

Yes house prices are the obvious kicker. There are affordable nurseries though, mine is 46 a day for a baby. Plus public sector workers will get a high living cost bonus of about 5k I think. I suppose it is pricey, but having lived here all my life and now raising a child here, I can't think of anywhere better. So much culture and history and activities, not to mention job opportunities. A child growing up in London will likely have better contacts for work later in life I reckon. I'm very biased though.

[Dozer]

I doubt the London allowance is as much as £5k!

[Blue4ever]

Cost of housing, childcare, but also public transport to get to work. And if you want a good school you have to pay a premium to buy a house close to the school.

[SparePantsAndLego]

Ex public sector worker, here. Allowance is around £5k.

[Dozer]

Mine is under £3k. And is swallowed up by housing.

£46 for a day for nursery is not at all the norm for london.

[ACubed]

Nope def not the norm, but there are cheap places out there if you look.

[Dozer]

That's not true - some may be lucky, but most people do look hard and have to pay a lot or SAH. Lots of research that childcare costs are a big factor in more london mothers than elsewhere SAH.

[ACubed]

Yes you're right is mostly very expensive. I'm just saying cheap places do exist because I work at one. Maybe it's the only one!