Childcare costs - how do people manage

[Wrennieroo]

I’ve recently returned to work after maternity leave. We have two children in nursery, one is three and gets some free childcare hours. We also take advantage of the HMRC top up account. My husband and I both have OK paid jobs (£35k pro rata). He works full time I work 4 days (ive just worked out that I would actually take home slightly more dropping down to 3 days).
The nursery fees are crippling us and I can’t see how we won’t get into debt over the next two years! (We live in wales where childcare age is not coming down and don’t live close to family, no childminders locally either, due to husband’s job he can’t have a fixed day off to reduce nursery).
I know it will get easier when our youngest turns three (in 2 years time) but I’m just curious how other people cope and manage?

It must harm our productivity as a nation, we need more kids to boost the falling birth rate and no one can afford to have them. It’s women’s careers who suffer.

Most of my friends kids are older than mine.
Every single one I know well enough to know has extended their mortgage for nursery.

It was a struggle, I felt like I was going to work for very little return, money was tight but we got through.

We claim UC due to childcare costs, have you checked if you would be better off on UC than tax free childcare? I’d drop another day if you can.

We only had one child and earn more money. Even then, the fees before the free hours kicked in were crippling.

It's shit OP. I think it's really common for people to live on credit cards or take out a loan for nursery fees. I also know someone whose parents pay them, lucky bugger!

At one point, nursery fees were double our mortgage. I compressed my hours to drop to four days which helped a little. I'd never judge anyone for leaving the rat race for a few years but since going back (albeit six years ago) my salary has increased by almost £40k so keeping my hand in really did pay off in the end.

Thanks all, nice to know we’re not alone. Probably looking at extending our mortgage, it just seems crazy!

We had our kids further apart so we could afford the nursery. I appreciate this is too late for you but might help someone else.

Single mum, I earned 50k+ but lived in the cheapest 1 bed flat I could find until nursery was over. 12yo car. No social life.

I shrank my world down and trod water until ds went to primary school.

first maternity leave we had quite a lot of savings so it was alright. Second maternity leave (years later) we were middle of big building project (we’d spent 6 years ttc so had given up hope, we wouldn’t have planned doing both at once) and had already maxed out adding to our mortgage. Our daughter is 2.5 and we have about 4k on a credit card and owe my dad about 2k. With the cost of living rises it’s really hit us hard but we are just trying to remember it won’t be forever. I work 3 days and have been looking for an extra day, but can’t find it.