The Off Topic Topic

[Valmy]

Any day care with a philosophy behind it costs more and is more crappy in my limited experience.

Huh?

"The Rousseauian Day Care: we keep your children safe from being corrupted by institutions"

[derspiess]

I have observed, that how much you pay does not seem to correlate exactly with the quality of the service. I have been very impressed with the excellence I have experienced with some of the cheaper places and some of the pricey ones seem crap. It really makes a big difference who the owners are and the culture they create.

Definitely.  The child care/preschool/Kindergarten place we've used for our kids does an outstanding job-- way better than some similarly- or higher-priced places.  They have plenty of staff and provide a stimulating environment.

The cost is still a kick in the pants, though-- can't wait til we get the younger one in first grade.

[Malthus]

It's strange that we're coming full-circle to where it's actually cheaper to hire a Mary Poppins than use a day care.

Even better when you have a Ukrainian aunt you can hire. 

Seriously though - child-care costs are absurdly high, and that is a significant social problem.

The main problem with nannies is not cost (particularly for multiples), it is that having a live-in is a pretty significant intrusion into your personal life - here is this stranger living in your house, and she's there more than you are. Again, having her be a relation helps, trust-wise.

[Malthus]

Any day care with a philosophy behind it costs more and is more crappy in my limited experience.

Huh?

"The Rousseauian Day Care: we keep your children safe from being corrupted by institutions"

I like the Ayn Rand daycare they had in the Simpsons. 

[Grey Fox]

See Viper. Subsidize day care is better than all of this!

[crazy canuck]

I am glad all of that is well behind us.  Mrs CC took a few years off during that time, not because we couldn't afford day care or a nanny but because the amount of pay left over after paying the cost didn't, in our (and more importantly her) mind justify missing out on spending that time with the kids.

[Grey Fox]

Without subsidize day care, I would not have children.

[crazy canuck]

Without subsidize day care, I would not have children.

Now that it is being scaled back in your province, should we be calling child services?

[Valmy]

Without subsidize day care, I would not have children.

It is certainly a factor in family size over here.

[derspiess]

Without subsidize day care, I would not have children.

It is certainly a factor in family size over here.

Yeah, here too in some cases 

[Josquius]

Certainly I don't plan on having kids until I'm earning 100k a year.

[derspiess]

Certainly I don't plan on having kids until I'm earning 100k a year.

The only expense that troubles me is child care.  It's not like it's that expensive to feed them and shopping for deals on clothes and toys is almost a hobby for the wife & me respectively.  If only my mom didn't suffer from "fibromyalgia" and could step up to the plate we wouldn't even have to use day care.

[crazy canuck]

Certainly I don't plan on having kids until I'm earning 100k a year.

The only expense that troubles me is child care. 

Are you ever in for a shock 

[Admiral Yi]

Speesh (or any Yanqui with kids): what kind of break does tio Samuel give on your kids, in addition to the exemption?  Partial credit for day care?  Deductible?

[Valmy]

Certainly I don't plan on having kids until I'm earning 100k a year.

While I applaud the thought, the problem is that your ideal child making years do not correlate well with the ideal earning years. We just did it when it made sense lifewise, in our early 30s, even though if we could have had them in our early 50s it would have made more sense money wise.