Would you drive 1 hour (to & fro) to take your child to a free pre K program, or pay $150/wk and drive 10 mins

Question

Both programs are the same standard.

Answer 1

It all depends.  Traffic could be bad and that hour could turn into 2 hours.  What if something were to happen to you child?  You'd be an hour away.  I would probably choose the $150 a month 10 minute drive for multiple reasons.

A) Less time spend driving is more time I could spend with my child, family, home, cooking, working, etc.  

B) Even if the preschool was free I would EASILY spend more then $150 in gas a mont just to get my child there.

C) If it is the same standard, why would I drive my child over an hour to get them there when the same thing is 10 mins away?

D) With my child being closer I am able to spend more time in the classroom with them, be a few mins away, go on fieldtrips, bring cupcakes for birthdays and what not.  

My answer: DEF pay the money

Answer 2

It would be far more environmentally correct to drive the shorter distance-You would also have more time each day to spend with your child at a park on the way home!

I think 10 mins is a win win!

Answer 3

2 hours a day in the car doesn't seem a good trade off for saving 150 a week....assuming both child care facilities are equal.  Also consider the added risk of getting into a traffic accident when you spend more time in the car.  Remember also you can receive tax credits for day care expenses where as additional fuel costs would not be deduct able.

Answer 4

FREE AND DRIVE 1 HR

Answer 5

I would pay 150 dollars and drive 10 min, because i mean think about it, driving 2 hours a day to go to preschool for a long time, it will take a lot of gas, and the gas prices are very high so your still paying alot.

Answer 6

B

Answer 7

Deff. 150$ because with the cost of gas you're going to end up spending more money at the free school anyway.

Answer 8

Assuming the 30-min (one-way) trip is a 20-mile distance (including traffic lights) and you get a 20 mpg, you would use 1 gal per trip or 10 gal per week.  At $3 per gal, that equates to $30 per week or $120 per month in gasoline expenses.  

Is the free daycare a family member?  If it is, and you are comfortable with their quality of care, then it would be worthwhile to use the family member.  It would give your child a chance to bond with the family member (I'm guessing his grandparent or aunt).

The other questions is how lenient your employer is if you get delayed in traffic and how far is your job from your free daycare center.  

When given the choice, I drove the extra 30 minutes to leave my children with my mom instead of paying an unknown child care service.  

Once my kids started school, I paid about $75 weekly to use the school's aftercare service because I thought teachers and teaching assistants would be better sitters than a sitter I might be able to find.

You have to balance what benefits will come to the child as well as what your own obligations (to your job, to budget, etc.) will allow.

Answer 9

IF YOUR MAKING GOOD MONEY AND YOUR ABLE TO PAY WITHOUT STRUGGLING THAN YEA DO THE10 MIN DRIVE

Answer 10

An hour in the car is a long time with a young child. Think of all the other things you could be doing. Plus think about how much money you would spend on gas. I'd pay the 150 dollars.

Answer 11

That would really depend on traffic to the free daycare. Is it always going to be an hour, or does it constantly vary?

As far as my experience goes, working in childcare and having to take a child to and from childcare, i'd be more inclined to go for the free pre-k program. I say this because it's probably based out of an elementary school and their teachers are usually 4-year degree holders and the program itself is probably more educational, rather than 'daycare' and teachers who are usually disgruntled and working paycheck to paycheck.

Best of luck!

Answer 12

I agree with Matt about the quality time aspect.  People are in such a hurry these days to get to their destination the quickest way possible that they don't take the time to enjoy the "stuff" in between.  But at the same time, you really need to consider whether or not you REALLY want to drive one hour to and from. That's quite a bit of time in the car. Will your child be okay with sitting in the car for that period of time?  What about when it's raining or snowing and you have to deal with traffic?   Would it be too stressful when you're running late for drop-off and pick-up?  If you can't make it, can someone else drive there to pick up your child?

Personally,  if I could afford to pay $150/wk I would choose the closer pre-K program just for the convenience and to have less stress on myself since I am a nervous driver. I don't have to deal with traffic or leave the house 30 mins early if there's bad weather, my friends and family are close by in case I can't pick up my child, and I could spend more time at HOME with my child before s/he goes to school.  Not a lot of interaction can be had when you have to focus on the road and your child is strapped into the backseat.

Just go with what is right for you.  =)

Answer 13

It would depend on the quality of the pre k program. Also if it was the type of learning I would want for my child. If all was equal I would want to be able to get to the school quickly while my child was there if there was an emergency. So if it took an hour to get there i would find an activity to be involved in during the class time and have my cell phone on too.

Answer 14

pay 150 and be there, there's all kind of things that surface everyday, oversleeping, kid feeling sick /hurt at school, you hae to be somewhere else that day, that will make it very hard for your child to go to school in a relaxed happy environment

Answer 15

Just another way to look at it...

Would you spend 1 hr extra with your child so you could talk in the car or would you take them to the closest place and pay for it?

These years will go by quickly.  Even if you choose the faster option, you might want to take the long way there from time to time.

Matt