Unofficial Child Minding

I disagree. Many people choose to work. Finance has nothing to do with it.

I think there is a huge amount of pressure on people to work, especially when all of their peers are working. I think also there is a fear that if you get off the career ladder, you will never get back on.

Perhaps if the work of parents in the home was given the recognition it deserves, parents would not feel embarassed to be stay at home parents.

We pay 3.25 per hours per child in our creche with a 10% discount for the 2nd child so pay 188 for one child full-time (with meals) and the other child for after schools 5 days a week. This creche is part-funded by the southern healthboard and so is not a for-profit making business.

I work in a childcare centre that is in aschool for school going children. We run pre- school in the morning 18 children 3 adults. We collect school going children from their classes when school is finished give them some food and do the home work. We have approx 18 kids in the evening again 3 adults and when home work is finished we have a fine sports hall to adjurn to for games dance and music etc. We are funded by the eocp equal opurtunites for children programe. We charge 25 euro per week per child and all the kids love it. It is a great boost for parents to have this affordable childcare. It is only available because the wages of the 3 workers are total funded by the goverment and also because the school principle allows it to happen in the school. It is a rural school and they had spare room available 1 for pre school 1 for after school which has been decorated like a sitting room in a house, large couch telly and lots of toys. We have 18 kids betwwen 3 of us in a very large space with a fine inddoor space and I could not imangine anyone being able to look after 25 in a house setting. It must be like a zoo

Henny Penny said:

I disagree. Many people choose to work. Finance has nothing to do with it.

I think there is a huge amount of pressure on people to work, especially when all of their peers are working. I think also there is a fear that if you get off the career ladder, you will never get back on.

Perhaps if the work of parents in the home was given the recognition it deserves, parents would not feel embarassed to be stay at home parents.

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Please tell me that parents aren't making decisions about childcare based on peer pressure and/or embarrassment? Where do the interests of the child come into play?

quarterfloun said:

You could always look after your own children............

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It seems to me that many people are too quick to rule out looking after their own. Understandably, some people must work just to make ends meet but many more choose to work to maintain their lifestyle. It sickens me to think of the army of little kids dropped off to crèches etc. every morning with many parents convincing themselves that the kids are better off. Double income families who choose to stay double income when their children are small are really missing out. The kids grow up really quick, I suspect that many parents will regret their choice down the line.

Henny Penny said:

I disagree. Many people chose to work. Finance has nothing to do with it

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Many, many people HAVE to work. I gave up work this year as we now have 2 kids. Everyone's assumption is that it was cheaper (given childcare costs in the creche) for me not to work. So wrong. After childcare costs we still had a very good income. Now, on one income, we are barely scraping through. I (and husband) are really happy that I am not working (less pressure, kids more relaxed etc etc) but the financial implications are very scary. We are doing everything we can to minimise costs and are quite scarred about the gas and electricity increases coming along (oh and the mortgage increases too!).

Many people, through no fault of their own, have to work to be able to pay for basics.

Hi Babydays,
I'm not trying to irk anyone with my comment that many people choose to work .... but I do feel it is true.
I don't think anyone can have it all ... if you are at home you have time with your kids, but not money ... if you are at work you have money but not time ... it's trying to get the balance right.
I know many women who would not dream of giving up their jobs outside the home, because it affords them a certain lifestyle and independence that they want ... and I'm not judging that, I'm just questioning whether every mother or father should feel they need a job outside the home ... when they could survive on one income ... and I use the word survive ... because with one income there is little room for luxuries.
I wonder whether parents and in particular mothers feel that staying at home to mind their children is a valid choice in today's world.

HP - of course staying at home to mind your own kids is a valid option. There are legions of women who do this but you don't hear too much about them because all the political issues relating to children are to do with the cost of external childcare, not the cost of a family of having only 1 income. I know it's a personal choice whether to stay home or not but if there is any talk of giving more to working parents than to stay at home parents I will be storming the gates of the Dail.
And you are so right - you can't have it all....except if your partner is really rich!

well I agree you can't have it all and although I don't condone the woman with 25 children at home i think folks who decide to stay at home and take in 2 or 3 children among with their own darling. They make a few bob (although their house, car and garden will naturally take a battering) and give other parents an alternative to the creche. Hats off to them.

HP - I suppose there are so many rationales for working or not working and I'm wanting to say that nothing is straightforward - as you seem to accept..but I need to rant a little!!

I do agree that there's a lot of pressure on both spouses (particularly women) to work (as well as financial pressure). My mother in particular felt it was a waste of my education and profession to chuck it in (for a few years?). My husband also had a hard time getting his head around it. Luckily my colleagues and his colleagues supported it. Now my husband is in 7th heaven! At least once a week he tells me how happy he is that we made this choice!

It's funny alright that we've gone so far that it's difficult to be able to take up the most important job of looking after our kids without being seen as old-fashioned.

I do think that our generation has a difficulty in living with less. I certainly do! At the same time the luxury of time and non-stressed kids is worth a hell of a lot. At the same time I also recognise that we are exceedingly fortunate that we can afford to be able to have me at home with us on one salary. Yes it is a choice (time over money/clothes/eating out/cinema/theatre boo hoo!!!) but it is also a luxury that we can do that. Many, many people don't have that choice today.


Re unofficial child minding (back on topic!) I think a couple of kids extra 2/3 in a house with kids is beneficial all round. Is the responsibility of the parents leaving them with the child-minder to acquaint themselves with the child-minders' methods and activities with the kids.