Save for College! BAH!

You always hear that you should start saving for college as early as possible when you have a kid. This makes sense. With how expensive even in-state tuition can be, who knows how much it's going to cost in the future.

What they don't tell you, though, is to save for daycare. I know that prices range from location to location, or even between types of daycare, but the price for a single child where Ellie goes is practically a mortgage payment. In fact, it's just about in-state college tuition, if not a little more.

Does this not strike others as insane?

The topic recently came up because we were doing our budget for 2009 and were trying to come up with a way to afford two children at Ellie's current daycare. I don't think that's possible. Seriously, how do people do it? It's not like Daddy and I don't make good money. We do. So what gives?

Now talking about specific numbers... even with the sibling discount, we would end up paying close to $30k per year on childcare. You heard right. Now you're with me.

We need to find another solution. It looks like we're going to have to look into switching over to in-home daycare. I'm sure that family care providers are fine and that you can find one that treats your child as if she were their own, but it still sucks to have to move Ellie. I am beginning to really love her daycare. I think that they do a great job of teaching the kids and preparing them for kindergarten. I don't want someone to just "watch" my children. I want someone who engages them and shows them new things and teaches them how smart they can be.

I guess since it will be a while before child #2 comes along, we don't have to make the decision now. I will say this, though: No wonder people often only have a single child or Mommy stays home. Ugh.