To ask how people afford to have a second child?

[NotYourHun]

Now that DS is nearly 18 months, I’m starting to think about having a second. I’d love to start trying but I just don’t know how we would afford it! I’ve been back at work PT (24 hours) since he was 9 months but I know that my maternity pay would be so pitiful this time compared to last time (as I was FT then) that it hardly seems possible. We have a sizeable (but manageable) mortgage, only run one car (bought outright), very minimal savings, have a lot of family help with childcare so pay minimal nursery fees, and don’t spend much on going out or socialising. I just don’t know where we would be able to cut back!

Do people just wait until 30 hours funding will kick in? Do they go back to work FT first? I just don’t know how to make it work.

I went back full time

Nearly 6 years between them. Went back FT (couldn’t have afforded to do otherwise, though I’d have liked to). Got promoted. Still struck by how much more expensive it is having 2! But glad I didn’t know, as I’m so glad DC2 is here.

(Within reason) I think you just make it work and spin whatever narrative you like around it.

I went back full time and got a promotion. We won't have another till dd is in school so 5ish year age gap

We are trying for number 2 and the plan is that by the time no.2 arrives no.1 will get his 30 free hours and I'll be on mat leave for 10 months. Whilst I'm still getting full pay from work he'll continue to go to nursery 5 days a week then when my mat pay halves he'll drop to 3 days a week. I'll go back to workpart time three days a week and then theyll both be in nursery 3 days a week. We'll have a tax free childcare allowance for each so that will help and theres a possibilty the OH will get a bonus at work that will pay a year of nursery fees. It will still be really hard and I'll be taking a significant pay cut to go part time and won't have much money to myself but it's not forever. Maybe a year of being really bad before no.1 starts primary school and then we'll have less childcare to pay for.

I wanted a bigger age gap and if I’m honest wasn’t even sure I wanted another. However my body apparently had other ideas given that j was on the pill....

Age gap of 22 months between ds and Dd. Dds just started nursery at 6m as I’ve gone back to work four days a week after finishing mat leave. They’re only at nursery 3 days a week (one day with my parents). I had ds’ tax cert for childcare yesterday. We spent £11,000 on nursery last year. Ffs. And will more than double this year as Dd is there too...!!!

2 years between mine. We choose for me to leave work as childcare costs where to high.

It's childcare that's the killer. Had dc2 when Dc1 was 2.5. We have only ever paid for 2 full days & then some wraparound care. Costs us about £700 using tax free childcare & then we will get some free hours soon (can't wait). The thing I didn't realise is that the 15 or 30 hours doesn't reduce your bill to zero, ours goes down by about a third.