The depressing cost of childcare

[Juicylychee]

I’ve been reading about March of the Mummies yesterday, I didn’t know about it in advance to go. I have an almost 2 year old and pay £1k a month for three days of nursery. Really wanted another baby close together but we just cannot afford it. It’s maddening.

How bloody insulting to the Early Years Professionals. Do your homework and look into the benefits of quality early years care.

We cut back significantly. But I take your point and apologies to anyone I’ve offended but it’s just how I honestly feel, having children is a life choice and it’s tough but sacrifices have to be made one way or another. I know I was in a fortunate position to be able to make the choices I did but it wasn’t easy. Nothing is easy once you become a parent.

@HappySalmon

Take your personal view out of the equation and think economics. We have an aging population; is it 15m people ie. a quarter of the population are pensioners (someone correct me on the specifics). We have a declining birth date so imagine a forecast on the ratios in a few years.

We need people in the country who a) pay adequate levels of income tax and b) can perform roles in core infrastructure (schools, NHS, police etc.) for society to function.

Then imagine everyone does what you do and ‘makes good hard life choices’, having less or no children (many already do). There’s not enough income in the system from working age people and there’s insufficient people to fulfil those jobs. The only choice is ‘importing’ of a labour force. That has been voted against via Brexit and as yet we don’t have a tier point immigration system. Combined with low wages, this is why we have a crisis in almost every sector where there are serious shortfalls of staff and low unemployment.

We’re not talking some Daily Mail story of someone with 16 children on benefits, we’re talking about many essential ‘professional’ people not being able to afford childcare for 1-2 children.

Sometimes everyone making what they think are individually good choices economically doesn’t stack up.

@Tillsforthrills just saw your repeated questions.
I don't know anyone paying 3k on childcare unless they have kids very close together or triplets or something. How common is this or just London prices?

Not London; I live in Hampshire. Cheaper than my old nursery in Surrey actually! 2 little boys, 2 years apart. I work full time and my boys are in 8-5pm 5 days a week. Until my eldest son recently got his 30 hours 'free' (I use that word loosely as it isn't!) we were paying more than £3k a month in childcare fees. Once my eldest son qualified for those free hours, it dropped by around £400. I earn around £64k but honestly, last year when I was paying more than £3k a month, I was literally paying to go to work. It is such a broke system.

Sorry, I think that was supposed to go to @Babyroobs