A question for Mothers who work and use daycare?

Question

Before you chose to work and place your children with sitters or in daycare, did you explore any other options that would allow you to stay home, such as tighter budgeting, downsizing your home, going without luxuries, etc?

When factoring in such measures, was working much more viable financially?

Answer 1

I work as a childcare centre and out of the 60+ children enrolled there, only 2 of them are full time. They are one child families. Both their parents work and honestly in my opinion, the cost of living at the moment, you need two parents working. If you want to save up for the next child and what not, its good for both to be working. Obviously if you're sticking with the one them it's good for the one parent to stay home and look after the child.

The others of some of the children have one working as a security guard so they get double the money. These parents have 3 or more children. They are probably living in flats crammed up.

In Australia, everything is at sky rocketing prices. At the moment, it's my husband and I and a dog. We both work full time. There's a mortgage to pay off and we shop at Aldi. I put away $500 a fortnight into our savings account for 'future' things like when children come along or when we have insurance bills come up. And we still budget and still its hard for ends to meet. So yes, both parents need to work. Another thing, it's about woment having that indenpendence to do things for themselves. I know that's how it is for me

Answer 2

When I did stay home, we did without sooooo much.  It was worth it but it was hard.  No huge vacations, no trips to the store just to buy anything. Every single penny had to be accounted for.  We got rid of our car payment.  My youngest is 4 now and have put her in preschool at daycare so that I could go back to work.  Now things are much more comfortable as far as being able to pay bills.  It was very hard living like that, but we did it. But honestly with 3 kids now, we definitely need two incomes.

Answer 3

Yes I did.  We had recently taken out a loan to cover my credit card debt and I felt as if I had to go back to work, and I did.  Also my husband works in construction and averages about one lay off per year.  I had my insurance through my job that I really wanted to keep and that was another reason as well as my husband having child support taken out of his checks.

We could have done it, but I know my husband would have had to work 60 hour weeks and be stressed out all the time.  

My daughter is now 1 1/2 and has been in daycare since she was 8 weeks old.  She loves going there every day and is happy to see her caregivers and the other babies.  It's a small church daycare and I know she is being taken care of well.  I've hardly had any complaints.

Sometimes I feel guilty about working, but we spend as much time with her as possible.  I don't do much after work during the week until she is asleep.  We take her with us wherever we go and never get sitters.

Answer 4

I have to work... and I have to use daycare.  There are no other options for me.  I'm a single mother with a budget tighter than my butt, I live in a two bedroom, and no luxuries - not even a car.

When I first put my daughter in daycare I hated it.  She was a year old at the time and I wanted so bad for her to be with me.  As time went on I realized that day care (provided, the daycare is a good daycare) is good for her.  At this age she is learning how to get along with other children and play and pretend.  Her social life consists of children her age in a safe environment with people who teach her age appropriate things.  She is in a preschool, she isn't even three years old yet, they are teaching her the alphabet, she is potty trained, she can count to 30, and she has friends to play with and grow with.

There are a lot of abusive day-cares, sadly, but if you have to take your child to daycare then you really should look at all options.  Any that discourage you from "visiting" while your child is there are ones you need to stay away from.

Answer 5

I was going to use daycare, but at the last minute I didn't feel comfortable.  I quit my job and we live on an extremely tight budget. Our home is very small, our cars are old and our vacations are few and far between.  I do odd jobs sometimes for extra income.  We figure it's worth the sacrifice while the babies are little.  I am eager to get back into the workforce, but I feel it's the right thing for now.  

That being said, I completely understand working moms and their decisions.  I think each family has to decide for themselves.

Answer 6

Staying home has never been an option for me.  I have tried to figure out any and every way I could raise my own children.  Unfortunately, it has never been viable.  My hours also do not allow me to use a daycare.  I would recommend them if at all possible.  I have had numerous babysitter problems.  Most recent is my best friends 20 year old daughter picked up my kids 45 minutes late, allowed my 10 year old to walk home by himself and allowed her 15 year old brother to put bruises on my 9 year old chest by poking him repeatedly.  This all happened on her second day watching my kids!  Then, my friend and her daughter said that my kids were wanting to wrestle and it was their fault.  Even went to work and said this!  I of course blew up and wish that I would have went straight to the police.  Week later and still has bruises and this was my best friends daughter who I have known her whole life.  Now my mom has agreed to fill in.  I am once again trying to figure out how I could stay home and raise my kids but my husband, not my kids father (he left when youngest was 2 for his secretary) pays too much child support for his 2 kids (well over a 1,000 a month) and took on all their debt.  So he could never support me and my children.  I think that society is all messed up and the economy stinks.  I would give anything if I could be the mom that gets to volunteer at school for fundraisers and parties and field trips.  I try and get to go sometimes but I have to take off work to do it.  If any young couple are thinking of buying a house or buying a new car or getting divorced, please, please think of your children.  If not buying the big house or keeping the used car or staying together will keep your kids mother at home then please do it.  Just my opinion from a mom that has always had to work and feels guilty about it all the time.

Answer 7

I can't not work. I'm a divorce mother of 1.

And for a long time  she stayed with gramma, while i worked night shift at a warehouse(it payed well). After she started school, I got another job within the same company and we are both much happier with the choice. I put her in daycare, because my mother is ill and I don't want her running around picking up my baby from school. So i use daycare.

She is happy there, and she still gets to see gramma every week.

I already have to tighten my budget as it is, BUT, if I was able to, I certainly would stay home part time and work part time.

Answer 8

We worked the numbers and it didn't work for us so Had to return to work. If you can make it work then go for it.  Try to factor everything in. I've had friends that have done it, so it's not an impossible dream. Sometimes daycare eats up a lot of your salary anyway. So you'd be living off the difference. Can you find a way to offset that difference? Maybe work part time or something?

Good luck

Answer 9

I'm a stay-at-home mom.. but some women HAVE to work!! What about single mothers? Tighter budgeting could mean less things for the children. Some women work because they want to give their children things that they otherwise couldn't - such as a college education in the future, or medical bills even!

I don't think you understand the full range of circumstances here. Please don't post such loaded questions. Respect mothers who work as much as those who don't. It's not always a choice.