Why do people complain about childcare costs?

[Teawithsugar40]

I’m a working mother and 65% (was previously near 100%) of my salary goes on childcare, we get by but holidays etc are out of the question. We’re not rich and have small children, it’s just how it is. I don’t resent what we pay and feel quite lucky that we’re a few hundred better off than if I was doing the equally important job of caring for my children full time.
Maybe because when I had my first child there was absolutely no childcare help and scant provision but I really don’t understand so many people these days complaining about childcare costs, especially when it still leaves them better off working? Totally understand single parents needing help and thankfully they have had generous help for years but why are couples who are definitely not on the breadline complaining? Did they seriously think they could have children without making any sacrifices and why do they expect people often worse off them themselves to pay for maintaining their previous lifestyle?

I’m not bitter, just genuinely mystified by this sense of entitlement. Especially as I’m currently in the exact situation many grumble about. I can say it’s a whole lot harder when you don’t even have that extra from working because your at home caring for your children yourself. It almost implies that there is some moral superiority of mothers who work rather than care for their babies to say they should receive an extra lump of tax payers money over mothers who stay at home. Despite the JRF showing that single earner families are far worse off than dual earner families despite childcare costs.
I’m a working mother so I’m clearly not anti working mother or anti childcare etc.
As a woman I feel the help through tax credits yes is hugely beneficial for women but even though we’re just getting by as a woman in a professional dual income family I don’t actually feel it actually would have a significant impact on women in my position. Yes we could afford a better lifestyle but doesn’t impact on whether I continue my career or my children can eat

Where I live full time childcare is 1800 a month ....

I don't think you understand what entitlement is.

Saying childcare costs are too expensive doesn't mean you are entitled. I also think housing is too expensive.

It almost implies that there is some moral superiority of mothers who work rather than care for their babies to say they should receive an extra lump of tax payers money over mothers who stay at home

No it doesn't but you realise many of these working mums are also paying tax. As I said the government gets more tax by using the free hours incentive to keep women in work.

@chessycurls

Yes we pay about £700 per month for part time nursery and childminder with the tax free deduction, £5 an hour per child to keep them safe, educated, entertained and safe is fantastic value

So when you're childcare bill was 100% of your salary what do you survive on? How do you survive on £245 after childcare for housing & bills?

I’ve made quite clear that single parents and low income couples deserve the help they receive. I’m not a single parent and my husband is not on minimum wage so we were able to manage, same as when I was a SAHM, just through very careful budgeting, living in a not so expensive part of the country, not having meals out, takeaways, new phones, sky, keeping old car etc

@chessycurls

Yes we pay about £700 per month for part time nursery and childminder with the tax free deduction, £5 an hour per child to keep them safe, educated, entertained and safe is fantastic value

So when you're childcare bill was 100% of your salary what do you survive on? How do you survive on £245 after childcare for housing & bills?

You get benefits.

It's weird you classed childcare costs as a % of your income as opposed to family income.

@RoyalFamilyFan so did the OP get benefits?

just through very careful budgeting, living in a not so expensive part of the country, not having meals out, takeaways, new phones, sky, keeping old car etc

This isn't class dependent.

@chessycurls if they are being truthful and not leaving out their DPs earnings.

@chessycurls

It's weird you classed childcare costs as a % of your income as opposed to family income.

The people that grumble always talk about childcare as a % of the woman’s income, so this needed to be portrayed as a % or my income otherwise would not be demonstrating like with like.

I've not met any of these people I guess

@chessycurls

just through very careful budgeting, living in a not so expensive part of the country, not having meals out, takeaways, new phones, sky, keeping old car etc

This isn't class dependent.

Sorry can you clarify your point? I’ve made it perfectly clear that if someone is poor they should be getting help, I’d go as far as to say the old more generous tax credit system was much better and would be happy if it were reinstated

Middle class people who go on holiday also drive old cars & don't have sky.

@chessycurls

I don't think you understand what entitlement is.

Saying childcare costs are too expensive doesn't mean you are entitled. I also think housing is too expensive.

It almost implies that there is some moral superiority of mothers who work rather than care for their babies to say they should receive an extra lump of tax payers money over mothers who stay at home

No it doesn't but you realise many of these working mums are also paying tax. As I said the government gets more tax by using the free hours incentive to keep women in work.

I’m not sure the evidence is that the government generates more tax than they did previously if you deduct all the support paid out through the tax free childcare, childcare voucher and 30 funded hours schemes

@chessycurls

Middle class people who go on holiday also drive old cars & don't have sky.

Lucky them getting to go on holiday at least, it’s a lot more than many single earner families can manage

I’m not sure the evidence is that the government generates more tax than they did previously if you deduct all the support paid out through the tax free childcare, childcare voucher and 30 funded hours schemes

I think it encourages women to stay in work thus generating more tax, as it's really not a huge subsidy. And many that do need to earn above a certain amount to make it worthwhile as the 30 hours doesn't kick in until after 3.

Lucky them getting to go on holiday at least, it’s a lot more than many single earner families can manage

So no one should go on holiday because others can't?

@chessycurls

It's so bizarre!

And I presume if mc people didn't complain or spend the money on jazzy holidays it would be fine! 😆

Yes indeed, if the media, social media and even toddler groups weren’t so full of people who had just got back off holiday complaining about how ‘ridiculous’ childcare costs are it would be much less irritating. No issue with them going on jazzy holidays, just the implication families that can’t even afford a day out should be digging deeper into their pockets to maintain their pre children lifestyle

@Teawithsugar40

I’m not bitter, just genuinely mystified by this sense of entitlement. Especially as I’m currently in the exact situation many grumble about. I can say it’s a whole lot harder when you don’t even have that extra from working because your at home caring for your children yourself. It almost implies that there is some moral superiority of mothers who work rather than care for their babies to say they should receive an extra lump of tax payers money over mothers who stay at home. Despite the JRF showing that single earner families are far worse off than dual earner families despite childcare costs. I’m a working mother so I’m clearly not anti working mother or anti childcare etc. As a woman I feel the help through tax credits yes is hugely beneficial for women but even though we’re just getting by as a woman in a professional dual income family I don’t actually feel it actually would have a significant impact on women in my position. Yes we could afford a better lifestyle but doesn’t impact on whether I continue my career or my children can eat

Being a SAHM is great if its something the person genuinely actually wants to do. The reality is though that a fair percentage can't afford to return to work and so are forced into it financially, or go part time, again not as they want to, but because its what they can afford. Having accessible (not free, but not ludicrously expensive) would help towards giving women an actual choice in what they want to do which I find it weird anyone would be against, but there we are. This thread is basically I can afford childcare and don't get why people moan, so weird.

"In 2010 the number of free weekly hours increased to 15, and last year doubled to 30 hours. The extension of free childcare hours (for dual earners only) was followed by a further increase in employment rates of mothers of young children to 67 per cent."

From the FT 2018

@chessycurls

Lucky them getting to go on holiday at least, it’s a lot more than many single earner families can manage

So no one should go on holiday because others can't?

Fine with people going on holidays but just don’t ask me to fund even more of their childcare bill than we already do

My family in France and Spain thought I was some sort of Stepford wife for giving up work and becoming a SAHP after having kids. It wasn't until several years later that I discovered that while I would have paid more than I earned in childcare costs, my sister and cousins were paying less than €300 a month for full time nursery places.

Fine with people going on holidays but just don’t ask me to fund even more of their childcare bill than we already do

This doesn't make sense. Why are you assuming someone who complains about childcare costs is expecting you to fund it?

@chessycurls

"In 2010 the number of free weekly hours increased to 15, and last year doubled to 30 hours. The extension of free childcare hours (for dual earners only) was followed by a further increase in employment rates of mothers of young children to 67 per cent."

From the FT 2018

A further increase from what 66.9%??? It doesn’t make any sense without the figures immediately pre it’s implementation, and how many these were actually earning over the tax threshold? Not to mention they’d have to them be paying tax that exceeded the cost of the extra support, so basically be quite high earner and the evidence is such people tended to be in/stay in work anyway

@chessycurls

Fine with people going on holidays but just don’t ask me to fund even more of their childcare bill than we already do

This doesn't make sense. Why are you assuming someone who complains about childcare costs is expecting you to fund it?

Well how else is it going to be funded if not via tax payers?