MOMania

By daycare mom

November 11, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this

I as a daycare provider have not had a problem yet, but I worry all the time. I have home daycare and I have parents who may run into problems down the line. I have not gone up on my prices as some of them around here have. I am trying to help by not fussing too much when they pick up late. We have several lg daycares in our town, small town that charge around 125.00 a week. I know that does not sound like much in the Atlanta area but her is it is allot. I hope that by keeping my prices down it will help me in the long run. It would not take but a few kids for us go under.

By jct

November 11, 2008 8:50 AM | Link to this

Interesting topic. I don’t have much to add since my son is 17 yo. I do have two friends who have recently opted out of the FT work. Both realized that after daycare, gas, and other work trappings that one was bringing in net $5,000 to her family and the other was bringing in net $8,000 to her family. Both made the decision to get rid of one of the cars and become SAHM (which we know is a FT job in itself) and make budgetary changes around their home.

One friend is consulting. She was a HS guidance counselor. She is working with high ability students to help those students get into their school of choice. She works from home two days per week. The other friend just made the choice so she doesn’t have everything worked out yet. Both seem very happy with their choice. As a friend, I want to be supportive because not everyone understands this choice.

By CP

November 11, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

Luckily we’ve not had to make that many changes in our day to day lifestyle - we’re very cheap to begin with. The main thing we’re scaling back on is savings. We still put back some, but not as much as it used to be.

As far as pulling kids out of daycare, I couldn’t find a job that would pay enough for just the daycare bill with 4 children. I agree that quality childcare is worth paying extra for, but I just can’t get over the prices.

I feel awful for the parents that have had to not only lose their job or have their hours cut, but because of that had to disrupt their kids’ lives with it. My son has a routine for just about everything and he hates any kind of major change. I could definitely see him being one of the ones to act out if he was in the same position.

@ daycare mom: I’m glad that you haven’t raised your prices. I know that that’s one way companies of every variety try to recoup some of their expenses when customers leave them, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. If so many people are having less money to pay for things, why are companies trying to make them more expensive? It would make more sense to me if they would just keep prices the same, or even lower them a bit, to keep current customers or even entice new ones. But I’m not an economist & I’ve gotten off subject. (The baby woke up just before midnight & I didn’t get much sleep.)

By Peachy

November 11, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this

Actually I am considering this right now; I am nearly 9mos pregnant with my second child (YAY! It’s the home stretch!) and my husband and I would net about as much if I became a SAHM as we would if I worked FT and paid $1000/mo in child care. I will definitely be lurking today, but I am looking forward to hearing from other career parents who made the choice to stay at home too.

My biggest worry is the interaction my girls will miss by being around other kids, and the wonderful learning environment my daycare provides. I don’t have any friends with kids (I’m 25, in Gainesville) and we don’t really do the extracurriculars b/c we can’t really afford it. Any advice?

By Patiently Waiting

November 11, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this

I too am approaching the home stretch of my pregnancy. ALthough I make enough money to have a surplus when I pay for daycare, I am actually considering working less and doing day care only twice weekly. That is not due to the economy but more about my desire to spend time with my child. I’m having some difficulty finding providers who provide drop in care but I’m still searching. With my pending pay cut, I’ve just decided to cut back on things. Gas prices are a lot better so that makes things easier.

By Luv2Talk

November 11, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this

I am about to take my kids out if their current before and after school program because of the cost. It is a nice environment, but I can no longer afford $200 dollars a week. I will start taking them to school and having them go to the Boys and Girls Club after school. The cost for this is only $35 dollars per year and it is safe and clean.

By new mom

November 11, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this

Hi all!

This is an interesting topic today. Back before we (finally) got pregnant, my husband said ‘are you sure you’d want to stay home? You really enjoy working!’ I explained to him that I worked because I had no little one at home, that being a mommy was my first career choice. So for me, there was no day care dilemna. In fact, my mom was a bit disappointed, she lives between us and my former job, and I think she hoped she would become my daycare! ;) (To try to pre-empt some debate and hurt feelings, I will say again that if you don’t have the temperament to be around children all day, you are likely a better mommy if you go to work and come home energized for your kids. I don’t believe the sahm job is for everyone! Me incluced, some days!)

Anyway, we have always planned to send our daughter to private school, primarily because I have taught in public schools. (again, not to start a private vs public debate either!) We hope that by the time that comes, 4 yrs from now, we should still be in a position to be able to send her to a private school. Thankfully my husband’s work is pretty secure, in fact this economy makes his field more secure…However he had planned to start his own business soon, but that will now be put off for at least 4, possibly 8 years.

Peachy, I really worried about interaction with other kids for our daughter. I didn’t want her to only know how to play with her mommy! We joined gymboree, and that’s great in allowing her safe time to interact with other kids her age, with the parents present, and build her little friendships. In fact, there’s a cute little boy she always smiles at so big…She will smile at him and forget to look where she’s going, just run into a big ball or ramp…Gymboree costs $70/month for unlimited classes, so if you can go often, 3 times a week, it’s worth it (at least to us) However, there are other ways I’ve found that you can meet kids: Check w/ your local library to see if they have a storytime for your child’s age group. They are free, and your child can play and interact with other kids there…plus you can meet other moms and possibly arrange playdates, etc.
Meet your neighbors! There are likely some other moms who are at home during the day, and even if the kids aren’t the same age as yours, they can still play together. (you just need to keep a close eye on them!) Plus that will give you some needed time to socialize with other moms. Go to the park! You will always find other kids at the playground :) And if you are involved in a church, the nursery is a great place for kids to play. Also, ask the nursery director if there are groups that meet during the week of moms & kids, possibly at local parks, where your kids can play.

I haven’t yet worried that our daughter will miss out on a learning environment because she’s at home. Maybe me being a teacher has something to do with it, but we are always reading books, exploring, going places, but I also try to let her play independently and with other kids, without me hovering. I think they can be well-rounded if you provide enough other activites for them. :)

By ladydiva

November 11, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this

I’m a consultant and when my contract ended over the summer, I scaled back on the daycare expenses by only allowing my daughter to go to daycare 2 to 3 days a week instead of 5 days a week. Scaling back helped with the both the gasoline & grocery budget (a little). I didn’t want to disrupt her life that much by removing her all together. She’s 3 and loves playing with her friends and missed both her teachers and friends on the days she was not there. And of course kids tend to learn better when they’re with their friends. Fortunatley, my daughter was able to remain in her comfort zone until I landed another contract. However, had I not landed another contract within 6 months, she may have had to come out of daycare completely and attended playdates outside of daycare with her fiends from time to time. We love our children and will make sacrifices but depending upon your circumstances, parents may not be able to afford 1100/mo in daycare expenses or even half of that for that matter.

By Robin

November 11, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this

I have a 2 year old and have been lucky enough to work at home so I don’t have to put her in daycare. We had been discussing putting her in next school year before the financial meltdown began. But now, with my company struggling a bit and being worried about getting laid off, we are going to delay putting her in for another year. The way I keep her around other kids is joining playgroups in my area. It is super easy to find them, I use meetup.com. I try to attend playgroups that are free and cheap like storytimes at bookstores and/or libraries, going to the malls indoor playareas, parks, playdates at people’s homes, etc…There are cheaper options to expose your kids to other kids, you just have to research and talk to other moms you see out…we all want interaction with one another so just introduce yourself!

By Sugar

November 11, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this

New Mom, those are excellent suggestions.

I have a couple others…..

How about a neighbor who stays home. Talk to them about after school care. They are in the neighborhood, and I don’t think it would be very expensive.

OR - High school kids are usually home by 2:30. Maybe you could find a high schooler to watch the little ones when they get off the bus. I did that with my oldest while I was single.

By Peachy

November 11, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this

Those are some good ideas! I know during the summers here there’s a lot going on for kids, but during the school year (for obvious reasons) there is less. I guess I’m just kind of shy and a homebody and that’s why I have so few friends! :o( LOL

The good thing is, I don’t have to make a decision anytime soon. I can keep working and we could afford to send both kids, or I could stay home and we could afford to live on one income. I think that’s a lot of pressure on my hubby, but he likes the idea too.

I’ll go back to lurking… :o)

By Joyce

November 11, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this

I just made the decision to pull my son out of afterschool, mostly due to the cost. My husband and I have our own business, so we decided to use the flexibility in scheduling that it gives me. The program is very good, but the economy is hitting hard right now!

As far as adjusting to the change in schedule, we’ve got a month to get used to the idea, plus he has a little “gang” of buddies in the neighborhood. Coming home earlier should give him more time to play with them, as well as to do more enrichment-type activities with me to supplement his schoolwork.

Just a thought, but maybe having a little farewell gathering, like for a birthday, would ease the transition both for the child leaving as well as for those left behind. Maybe we’ll do cookies or something on his last day at after school.

By CP

November 11, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this

Joyce- Years ago when we moved from NE Ga, I let the daycare know that I was going to be pulling the kids out of daycare (2 weeks notice) and they had a farewell party for my girls who were going there full-time. My oldest daughter (now 6) still remembers her class and teachers there. I think a final get-together helps ease the transition for both child & their friends, teachers.

By Stacey

November 11, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this

Luv2Talk…I also enrolled my son with the Boys & Girls Club recently. I honestly didn’t know I had one in my county until my son joined Cub Scouts (his troop meets at BGC). Although they have a LONG waiting list for ASP & summer day camp, I was able to enroll him for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break and school holidays. That is a huge relief for me because the daycare center that I used to use for those occasions has gone up 75% in two years and I can no longer afford to take him there.

At this rate I fear that I might have to take him out of Cub Scouts next year because it has turned out to be more expensive than we thought. Fortunately, his troop uses the profits from fundraisers to offset the fees of the individual scout so that has helped us tremendously this year.

By Theresa

November 11, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this

Hey Peachy — I only had one friend who was staying home wiht her baby when I started staying home with my first and she lived in Forsyth County so it wasn’t like we would be getting together a lot. I met my first playgroup through the hospital where I delivered. They had a support group for new moms and I met several moms there and we started hanging out. I met more moms and kids who lived closer by when my kids started preschool. When the baby is 18 months to 2 years you could do preschool for one or two mornings a week. It costs a lot less than daycare because it is just mornings and then you would meet a whole bunch of families local to you. But I think if you can’t meet folks through extra curricular things like Music Class or Gymboree, then your hospital is your next best bet when you first have the baby. Also it’s easy to meet moms on playgrounds too as your baby grows. I walked the other morning with a total stranger who also had her baby out. WE had a nice talk. You may have to make yourself be a little more outgoing if you’re shy like you mentioned.

By Lynn-43

November 11, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this

Moms: To be a SAHM is great, but please, for your sake and your children’s future, do not lose your skills to make a living for yourself AND your children. Teachers, do not let your certification lapse. No matter how secure your marriage is, if some sorry woman wants your husband, she will get him. I was married 23 years, and a friend of mine just lose her husband of 29 years to a double wide floosy young enough to be his daughter. He is a professional man who lived in a 3 hundred thousand dollar house. He, temporally, has given up everything, home and family, for this woman. He will come to his senses, but too late. Keep your working skills up to date.

By FCM

November 11, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

Being a single parent I am an aftercare person. I went through the YMCA which hires the teachers from the school, there is no transportation of students, and the fees are much cheaper.

I was able to be off 1 of days the kids were 100% out and work from home the other(oct 12 and Nov 4)…My boss could not believe that my summer care program charges $60/child!!!!

My Dad took them one day, but he cannot do that any more. Now, I work from home 2 days a week to take care of him!!

My Mom will take the kids one of the days that is coming up (Nov 20). That will help, and I have one week of their Winter Break off. I told their other granparents that they could have the kids the other week (I am not thrilled with it, as it is out of state….maybe we could blog on that?)….it has been 4 years since they had the kids down there, back then their Dad sent them down and I was not thrilled then either. (I am primary custodian if that makes a difference in the blogging response for those who have insight).

By Theresa

November 11, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this

One item I wanted to mention on the private schools — my friend who lives intown said well with families dropping out of private schools because they can’t afford to pay, it makes it easier for kids who didn’t get it or might not get it to get into the private schools. So she saw a silver lining at least.

By Kathy

November 11, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this

Peachy….I met most of my daughter’s playmates (and their mommies) at the park. We started playdates from there. Gymboree was too expensive for us, so we found tumbling and pre-dance classes through our county’s parks and rec dept. Much cheaper and you can still meet some other moms with kids.

Lynn-43….I totally agree with you about keeping up your skills. I was a teacher before I became a SAHM and I have been taking classes to keep my certification up. My certificate will need to be renewed before I am planning to go back to work, but I will be prepared to renew.

By SouthFultonMom

November 11, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

We definitely ended after care for my 10 year old. I didn’t know how it would work out for him, but he has been extremely responsible. He’s only home about an hour before I get home so it works out perfectly. We definitely needed the savings.

By DB

November 11, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this

When my kids were very young, we had a neighborhood babysitting co-op. It may be an idea that needs to be resurrected. In our neighborhood, you paid $10 to join (to cover the cost of printing tickets, child forms, a copy of the directory, etc. - a lot of stuff that would probably be on a website, these days!) Each ticket was worth 1/2 hour of babysitting. You “earned” tickets by watching other people’s kids, and you “spent” tickets when you used other people’s services. You have a form that you filled out for each child that you left with each babysitter, with doctor’s names, allergies, etc. If you only worked a day or two, or a couple of mornings week, then you had some time the rest of the week to help out other people. Ours was big enough that you could go through the directory and pick out someone that you probably knew because the kids were about the same age, and you saw them at church or at playgroup. It was great because the kids got to play together, you got “free” babysitting, and you really got a chance to know you neighborhors.

We had originally started off new members with 10 tickets, but some people took advantage of it and never reciprocated, so we made it a rule that you had to earn your tickets to get into the group :-)

Stacey, please don’t base your Cub Scout decision on cost. Talk to your den and pack leader — there are plenty of opportunities to comp kids completely or partially. No one is ever going to get tossed out of Scouts (Boy or Girl) because they can’t afford it. In Girl Scouts, if you are facing a financial issue, G.S. will comp a girl’s registration fee and provide a handbook and very basic uniform pieces, you don’t have to file financial disclosures, just “on your honor”. And later on, you can pay it forward. :-)

By Sugar

November 11, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this

Sorry, but I had MAJOR issues with the Boys & Girls Club. I tried them when my oldest was younger. I would go to pick her up, and I would NEVER know where she was. There was NO supervision, and the kids were running wild. There would be one teenager at the front desk with her nose stuck in a book. I had to walk around the entire place looking for my kid.

That only lasted a week. Then I discovered the neighborhood babysitter and she was terrific.

DB I love the babysitting co-op. Great idea.

By Joyce

November 11, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

CP-I’ll check into it this afternoon. I think we grown-ups often forget that kids need to say goodbye, too. (Closure? I hate that word!)

By Mike D

November 11, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this

It is a sad day when the entire bloggers commentary was someone elses news article a few days ago. I would call this plagerism. This is a pure lazy topic.

By Joyce

November 11, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

Actually, plagiarism would be to pass off the writing as one’s own.

HAGD

By new mom

November 11, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this

And furthermore, Theresa took and issue that was being addressed by the media and presented it, via blog format, to moms (primarily) to see if it’s something we are dealing with, how we are coping with rising costs, and allow us to share experiences that could possibly help others. I would call that being relevant. :)

By ayoungmom

November 11, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this

My daughter attends private school and aftercare at her school. I have not had to take her out nor have I considered going public (shudder at the thought), but I have certainly cut out alot of the extras that we used to do, like dinners out, vacations and big shopping trips in order to keep her in there. Right now I am the primary earner in my house, so staying at home is not an option. One thing I have noticed is that enrollment is way down at her school and they are having alot more fundraising type activities. I donate what I can, but really after paying tuition and aftercare expenses, there is not much left to give.

By Patiently Waiting

November 11, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this

I LOVE the Boys and Girls Club. As a former staff meember of 3 years, our club was adequately supervised at all times. I’m glad that some of you are utilizing their resources.

By Theresa

November 11, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this

Hey Mike D — The AJC is a paying member of the Associated Press so technically I can use as much or as little of their stories as I choose just as long as I credit, which I did. Tune in the rest of the week Mike, they’re all me for the next few days.

By Sugar

November 11, 2008 3:06 PM | Link to this

Hey MikeD Yesterday’s headlines are today’s blog topics!!!

By Becky

November 11, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this

Mike D just likes to get other riled up..

I don’t have any children, so this isn’t a big issue with me..I do however get my nephews twins every weekend & I will do with out things myself to give to them when needed..

By Sugar

November 11, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

Becky I thought you had custody of those kids. Am I thinking of another blogger? I know someone on here has custody of “grands”.

By lwa

November 11, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this

We just recently had to reduce the number of hours we paid for 1 child to have private tutoring. It was $40/hr and at 2 hrs/week, it was adding up. We reduced this to one hour and we are now spending more time at home providing her with extra work.

We were considering private school next year for 2 kids but we can’t justify the cost at this time. We are currently cutting corners where possible: driving less, eating out less, etc.

My volleyball player didn’t try out for club volleyball b/c of cost. At 1500 - 2000 dollars due by Christmas, we figured this wasn’t worth it b/c she isn’t a star player and we aren’t looking for college sports scholarships.. acedemic only.

By Thats fair, but wrong

November 11, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this

It’s completely fair and reasonable to find a story or topic on the net and raise it up for discussion before the group, proper credits given. Thats what we’d expect from a blog. But dont turn around and declare yourself a journalist! A journalist does not google, cut, paste, add bolded questions…. even with credits.

By Becky

November 12, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this

Sugar, I did have custody of my other 2 nieces, but their Mother got them back. I won’t bore you with all the details, just say that she’s clean & is doing good now.

They are 15 & 17 & they get a really good amount of money each month because their Father was killed while in the service, so not to sound ugly, but making them do without (within reason) isn’t a problem..

By Kendre

November 12, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this

I’m a widowed/single mother of 2 children, & I can’t afford to keep my children in the same daycare facility. The survivor benefits I get for my children (as a result of my husband’s death) doesn’t cover monthly childcare expenses for even 1 of my 2 babies. I was forced to move my 2 year old to an in-home daycare in Stone Mountain (I live in Clarkston). I’ve applied for childcare assistance & childcare lotteries but I either don’t qualify, there’s a two year waiting list, or my children’s names are never chosen.

By Kendre

November 12, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this

I’m a widowed/single mother of 2 children, & I can’t afford to keep my children in the same daycare facility. The survivor benefits I get for my children (as a result of my husband’s death) doesn’t cover monthly childcare expenses for even 1 of my 2 babies. I was forced to move my 2 year old to an in-home daycare in Stone Mountain (I live in Clarkston). I’ve applied for childcare assistance & childcare lotteries but I either don’t qualify, there’s a two year waiting list, or my children’s names are never chosen.

By B

November 12, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this

I am past the daycare and after school ages, but we have the private school problem. With one in college, even with HOPE and athletic money, it is still quite a stretch. We are looking at high schools now, after 3 years of private middle school. The cost is not as bad as I expected, but with the economy the way it is, we are really looking at how to afford it if one or both of us lost our jobs. Public school is really an option of last resort as the programs for students who have different learning styles and have learning challenges are woefully weak. We went that route through 5th grade and really do not want to repeat that experience. We have cut out dining out, have 10+ year old cars, and eliminated one of the extracurricular activites our child always participated in. For now, we are going to stay with private as we feel it is important to give our child the best possible help we can.

By JessiGT

January 8, 2009 10:58 AM | Link to this

My child attends an excellent private preschool in Woodstock. I love it very much but it cost almost as much as a mortgage payment a month and its getting really hard to handle. He’s learned so much and grown so much that it kills me to have to take him out. But that may be our only option. My husband is an Autism therapist both privately and at an ABA school and he’s lost many clients due to their parents’ losing jobs and pulling them out. Its a domino effect. I just don’t want my child to be stripped of this fantastic opportunity to learn in an environment that he’s clearly thriving in. But sometimes theres no other choice.