i have the benefits of the household but i work only to pay for daycare!! and i have another on the way so i really will only make 200 a month!!!its ridiculous does anyone have any suggestions or options for me?
2006-09-12 05:14:39 · 22 answers · asked by toolate 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
DONT FORGET I BRING HOME THE MEDICAL BENEFITS
2006-09-12 05:35:18 · update #1
Have you given thought to online sales? Medical transcription? These are just some ideas. That way.. you can cut down on your daycare.. spend time with your children and use the daycare for say 2 or 3 days a week so you can go and do errands, shopping and time for yourself.
That is the way I have been doing it and it works out well.. a stay at home mom.. who also has 3 jobs, helps other moms and can enjoy my children as well..
2006-09-12 05:27:44 · answer #1 · answered by Kat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been lucky that I have a flexible job. I ran into the same problem when I found out I was having my 3rd child. When looking over the bills/income, I would have to increase my hours in order to barely pay for daycare and the usual bills. I decided it wasn't worth losing the time with my kids (I wanted to get my oldest on and off the bus, and not have the younger 2 in daycare from 7:30 to 5:30). I was able to take a year off (for the most part). I saw 1-2 clients in the evening when my husband came home from work, returning in time to put the kids to bed (worked from 5:30-7:30). During the day, I babysat my friends daughter and had a couple neighbor children before and/or after school. Now that my youngest is 16 months, I have decided to go back to work from 9-2. She goes to a private daycare that my neighbors used- I got lucky, she does not charge for days my daughter does not come (if she is sick, holidays, if my husband is off). This is about 400.00 a month rather than the 620.00 a month that the center I was looking at charges. I also discovered a pre-k program for my 3-year-old. Daycare for her was going to be 560.00 a month. The pre-k program is only 250.00 a month. The hours are only from 9-2, but I was only planning on working 8:30-2:30 so that I could put my oldest on/off the bus. I found some aspects of being a stay-at-home mom (+doing daycare and a couple hours of work a night) very difficult. However, I am grateful for the time I had with my kids and I hated the idea of losing that to pay for daycare and not have any left over for them. Good luck!
2006-09-15 23:22:52 · answer #2 · answered by teacher/mother 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would look into the cost of getting medical benefits on your own for your children. If you're eligible for Medicaid, then I would quit and stay home with the kids. If you're paying more for daycare than you're bringing home, then it makes more sense to stay home. Definitely look into Medicaid, though. Also, some states (I live in NJ) have a daycare - subsidy program. I use it (it amd Medicaid are the only 2 government programs I use right now, since I don't make enough for healthcare or full-priced daycare), and it's a nice program. They basically have a certain amount that they will pay the daycare (based on your income) and then you just have to pay the difference. You do have to do things every 6 months like send them any verification of income, like paystubs from your SO or stuff like that. I think our verification is only once a year. It's really a great program, and if you can't get Medicaid, but you can get the daycare subsidy, then I would really recommend it so that you can bring home the medical benefits.
Good Luck, and congratulations on your baby on the way.
2006-09-12 12:45:25 · answer #3 · answered by Angela 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Write a pro and con list of that actual $200 dollars you would earn. Is it worth the time away from the kids? is it worth the stress of being a mom and an employee? I have been both a working mom and currently a stay at home mom. Sometimes I think I may want to get a small job a couples nights a week just to have some time of my own that way I could have some extra cash and my hubby would watch them so daycare wouldnt be an issue but I dont think I would want to work day times and be away from them. I feel like I would miss so much. And your right...after a while you only work to pay for daycare...it makes no sense.
2006-09-12 12:32:10 · answer #4 · answered by tairraphillips 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So many of us have been in your shoes.
I was off the first year with my son, then started feeling guilty that I wasn't feeling financially. About that same time my old job offered me a part-time job at $18.50/hr. I started working 4hours a week the increased to Tues & Thurs 16 there and 4 at home. I tried to get medical benefits since we were paying privately. This cost for 3 people $600 a month no dental or vision. After a year of working part-time and still no benefits I felt it wasn't worth it to me or my family.
There is a transition from working to becoming a stay at home mom. I found help at www.momsalmanac.com
Whatever your decision is yours to make and it is always good if your husband is on board. If not it will be a rocky road ahead.
2006-09-12 19:29:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you have a family member that can help you out 1 or 2 days a week? My father in law watches my daughter 3 days a week and she goes to daycare 2 days a week. We'll be doing the same thing after this baby. But I might go part time and only work those 3 days my father in law watches my kids so i don't have to pay for daycare.
2006-09-12 12:21:14 · answer #6 · answered by jevic 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The benefits to staying home are as follows:
1) more time with your children
2) you are the one installing your values in your child not a day care giver or another person therefore you know exactly what they are being trained up in.
3) you child will never be this age again you will one day wonder and miss this age
4) you may actually save more money that you think(snacks for daycare you work lunch etc)
5)more time to do things as a family
6) your kids will get sick much less because they will be exposed to less viruses etc/
the benefits to working still
1)time to yourself(but then you have work stress)
2) your children will be exposed to viruses and have more immunities
3)they will developr some social skills(this can be countered with a stay at home mom by play groups and other structured playtime's)
4) they may develope some better learning skills depending on where they go(a stay at home mom can teach their own kids as well)
these are just some of the pros and cons we looked at when making the decision for us I choose to stay home because I wanted my own values installed in my kids and I would cost more to send them to daycare. Plus we thought it was more important for me to be there when they got off the bus
2006-09-12 12:38:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tough decision. I stay at home mostly because I can but also because I would be paying for daycare and that is about what my pay would cover. When I give this answer I never think of those that have to work for the insurance, not the pay.
Insurance is important but you may have other options. Find out what your state offers for free or low cost insurance. My sister had that for her kids for a while, it wasn't great but it was there when she needed it.
2006-09-12 12:51:02 · answer #8 · answered by AlongthePemi 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
After reading you question I would like to be specific. I am a stay at home mom. I understand that you have the benefits...is there a way that you can get benefits another way...self employment insurance policy? based on your income your children should qualify for Medicaids. I personally would stay home for both your children when they are both here...work now and try to save. I would then when the other baby is born stay home and maybe have a stay at home job...childcare...I hope my opinion helps. Good luck
2006-09-12 13:08:55 · answer #9 · answered by abram1love 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I dont know how much your family income is but I know that some counties have child care payment programs. My husbands in the Army I used to work full time before I had my second baby, and we quilified for the county to help with child care. This was in CA we moved to NY last year while I was pregnant, I was making 16 dollars an hour in CA If I we to work here I would get minimun wage pretty much to pay for day care of my newborn and my 8 year old, But I went and asked anyway and our income is 3700 a month and I still qualify for the county to pay for my child care. Its a program that was developed to help the ecomony because of the need to have two working parents in the home. Im sure some people here will say that its taking from the government but it is specially made to help working parents pay for day care, Also with this program you can pick who and where your children are cared for at. It helped me out alot and I look at it like this I work full time so does my husband and we pay state and federal taxes for a reason so you might as well get something helpful out of it. Check with your local social services department to see if they can help
2006-09-12 12:48:51 · answer #10 · answered by ArmyWife 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋