Kids Ain't Cheap by Ana Kresina

Author:Ana Kresina
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Major Street Publishing
Published: 2023-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Should you put your kid in ECEC?

I never went to ECEC when I was a kid. My parents’ generation was full of stay-at-home mamas. At the time, it was both financially feasible and even socially expected to have one parent be the sole breadwinner supporting a family and paying all expenses, including a mortgage. But those times are far gone now.

Among my generation, as costs rise and incomes aren’t managing to keep up, it’s rare to hear of parents who are raising their kids without the support of either family or ECEC.

After my partner and I purchased our house, it would have been nearly impossible for us to keep up if I took five years off to raise children while my partner worked or vice versa. With the cost of living, the rise in inflation, the lack of grandparents and family as support and the impossibility of surviving on a single income, ECEC was our only option.

The other part is that when I did the maths, it didn’t make sense for me to not work, not advance my career and not accrue super. Plus, by having both parents work, $36,400 of our household income would be part of the tax free threshold (since neither of us would have to pay tax on the first $18,200 earned as per the marginal tax rates), making it more advantageous for both parents to work. The flip side is that kids are only small once, need constant care, and that time is indeed precious. I know I’ve loved (almost) every moment I’ve spent looking after my children.

So, should you put your kid in ECEC? The reality is that there’s no right or wrong answer – it’s really up to everyone’s individual circumstances whether to take on a full-time caregiver role or return to work or something in between. You know what’s best for you and your family, just as my partner and I decided what was best for us. I took leave for the first year of each of my kiddos’ lives, and I worked reduced and flexible hours when I did return to work. But everyone’s circumstances are different.

Knowing what the costs of ECEC are and what you can afford is an important step forward in deciding what works for your family. Numbers are just one aspect to consider – the emotional side can often be a whole other topic.

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