To think childcare is completely unaffordable?

[Sweetpea5]

i have 2 little ones and was hoping to send them to a childminder when I go back to work. I have been to see several childminders in my not very glamorous part of London and its going to cost between £50 and£60 a day which will be around £550 a week. So basically my entire salary will go on childcare. One of the childminders will also have one other child and 2 afterschool kids, the other will have one other childand one aftercschool.

How can it cost so much? How do people afford this?

Many CMs don't give sibling discounts - why would they? Better for them to fill their places with non-siblings if they can.

if a nanny would cost about the same, personally I would go for that option because they ONLY have your kids and they come to your house so you can have far more say in what they do all day. Our CM is fab (and cheap) bit she has about 4 kids at a time (hence she can afford not to charge much per hour) and mine have to fit in with her schedule of school drop offs etc and don;t get to do the activities or playgroups I would have her take them too if they were her only mindees. + them coming to your house means you don;t have to get them up, dressed and out the door in the morning.

A nanny would be more convenient in that they can arrive, sort out breakfast etc and you can walk out the door, straight to work, and come straight back home again in the evening without the inconvenience of having to trek to and from a nursery/childminder. Plus some nannies are agreeable to helping with washing/ironing/cooking etc.

But, even if you could get a nanny for the same cost as a nursery or less, you then have to factor in the cost/hassle of sorting out payslips/taxes etc and also the cost of food (which cm would normally provide) and toys/activities to do at your house which would normally be included in the cost of a childminder or nursery.

In many cases, nurseries cost more than independent day senior school fees...(errr...which you can also use childcare vouchers for at many schools....a little loophole the government has not yet closed up).

"I will openly admit that I am very jealous of people who are able to have more children. It is not something I am proud of and it is unpleasant and illogical but I do not think I am alone."

we have 2 kids and earn just over 20K

when I was pregnant with ds2 a friend said how on earth can u afford another child? and I said by sticking my head in the sand

there are ways and means, go without, go without, go without

it makes me shake my head when someone says they can't afford more than one child especially on 2 salaries - move area, downsize, cut costs, it can be done unless you are on the breadline with one

My friend didn't plan to have 4 children (she was about 20 weeks when she found out she was pregnant with the last) and she certainly didn't plan that she would become a single mother.

There are also only 2 categories for tax credits towards childcare. Those with one child and those with 2 or more. They will only pay up to a maximum of 300 for 2 or more children. Once you have reached that maximum it doesn't matter how many more children you have they don't pay any more than that.