How expensive are your children?

[PirateWeasel]

I've heard so many conflicting opinions from my friends IRL. Some say babies are the most costly because of high nursery fees. Others say school age because of uniform, extra curricular stuff etc, and others say teenagers because they want high tech gizmos, driving lessons and so on...

So apparently kids are always going to cost shedloads of money whatever age they are! But I'm curious to hear your experiences of which stages you found the toughest financially. I need to prepare myself... and my wallet! 😂

God I hope I'm not still paying out more than my mortgage once DC hits their teens - if you don't pay childcare then yes probably teenagers are expensive but full time childcare is £700-£1400 a month depending on whether you're with a childminder or Nursery - can't see a teenager costing that much!

Ours are into their twenties and still take most of our salaries. It’s lovely to be able to help them and do nice things for/with them but it’s not cheap. I’m not sure whether it adds up to more but it comes in bigger one off payments so feels like more. Babyhood was definitely cheaper.

I suppose lots of what we help with is technically optional so they could be cheaper but it’s nice spending and helps them as they enter full adulthood.

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted. I think you may be in for a shock.

I’d say whiles they’re in nappies and at childminder is the most expensive period, mine in 12 now and even if money was no object I doubt he’d go through £300 a week in tech and clothes

Right now the cost is minimal to be honest. Eldest is in school and childcare is free from 9-12 for the youngest so I pay from 12-3.30 at 4 an hour and then when my eldest finishes school at 1.20 she Joins and the cost is an extra 2 an hour. So my childcare is 90 a week. Mine actually don’t grow that fast either which is strange so I’m not buying shoes every 2mins 😂 I bought them shoes once this year so far.

@cherrypavlova I think you're putting your own expectations on others, it is perfectly reasonable for a parent to assume they will not be paying £700 or more EVERY month on teens, many simply couldn't. Perhaps you've chosen to continue to pay for your children into their 20s, I do not intend to and many others don't, on ideological grounds as well as financial reasons, so there is no need to sound so smug and be part of the "just you wait" crowd.

I have a teen, well just older now and a 9 year old. Childcare to 3 until free hours make a difference is costly. Much more costly than having a teenager.

People saying teens, yes teens can be expensive but it's up to a parent to manage their expectations and shopping habits from age 9 or 10 so that the teen years are not expensive. And lots of activities can be done cheaper so that the expensive ones do not become the norm.

I know alot of larger families and they manage their children's expectations so even though they have 4 teens or more at the same time, they are not expensive. There are lots of ways of raising a family. Teen girls don't need lots of clothes and most teens don't need to do lots of hobbies.

Mine are 4 and 2 and I have paid over £45k in childcare fees alone in the past 3 years. And I pulled the eldest out for my second mat leave so that is really only 2.5 years of childcare. So I would say most people don't spend £1600 a month feeding and clothing their teenager therefore toddler years most expensively

newjobnerves Are you always rude to people who answer a question in a different way to you?
I don’t think I’m putting expectations on anyone; merely explaining that is isn’t quite as cut and dried as all offspring related costs disappearing when you youngest reaches eighteen.

I agree teenagers if like mine they have expensive hobbies
Dance
Swimming
Music
Sailing
Yes they font have to do them but they started small and inexpensive then grew into a bigger thing and it's hard to say no.
Private school fees agree not a choice but they can be a killer on top
Transport to school
Braces if your child has bad teeth but not bad enough - they can cost 4k each
Food and clothes
Petrol if you live rurally
The list goes on!!!!