cost of child care and why do some women work?

[Lammy]

I do wonder why so few firms have a creche, seems like a simple answer to a lot of issues for large employers.

Or more to the point why the Goverment don't help out more. It's got to be better for the economy to have mums working and child carers employed than not?

To put the emphasis on the company is an unfair one as the small and medium sized businesses (like the one I work for) would not be able to compete.

 

[Rangdo]

True but a far greater degree of productivity would be acheived as well as a lower staff turnover. It's rather like training, a whole lot of companies seem to think it costs too much but have many 'person' hours are lost anaually becuase people don't know what they're doing. Anybody who works in IT will agree with this.

I totally agree. Unfortunately sometimes the long-term benefits or those that are difficult to quantify are typically overidden by the short-term cost saving.

 

[looney]

True but a far greater degree of productivity would be acheived as well as a lower staff turnover.

Economics from Mars.

 

[bhaexpress]

Economics from Mars.

Who's that ? The people who 'help you work, rest and play' ?

 

[Lammy]

Thats highly debatable, data can show it is negative.


My veiw is if you have kids you should bloody well look after them yourselves. Dont expect others to cover for you at work or fork out for your breeding costs, this goes for male and female.

Doesn't matter if its the state or firm that provides child care, its still a financial burden wrt countries that dont.

And whilst we're all at home looking after our kids we can import people to do our jobs from abroad.

Alternatively we can simply choose not to have children and simply import people from abroad...

 

[bhaexpress]

Thats highly debatable, data can show it is negative.


My veiw is if you have kids you should bloody well look after them yourselves. Dont expect others to cover for you at work or fork out for your breeding costs, this goes for male and female.

Doesn't matter if its the state or firm that provides child care, its still a financial burden wrt countries that dont.

You know to a degree I agree with Looney here but there again I am admiitedly biased as I have no kids and am very, very unlikely to have now. I sometime get annoyed that I end up paying for other peoples' kids thanks to higner taxation, why should I pay for schools etc. But there agian, the theory goes that if I live that long somebody will be expected to look after me (and pay tax to pay my pension) so it's not quite so cut and dried but a fair comment all the same.

 

[Goring Gull]

you wait Dougal, it may well get easier later, but if the first 6 months is anything to go by you'll be lucky to get past boiling the kettle, letalone watching TV

First 6 months was pretty easy i thought bue we were very lucky slept through the night from early and was very contect in general very little crying. wait till they get to 18 months, in everything don't sleep much in the day....

 

[hornet]

I have Fridays off to look after our 19 month old and I can tell you that being at work is far more relaxing than being at home! The first year is so much easier than after that as now she is all over the place but won't go anywhere unless she's dragging me around. I usually feel ready to fall asleep by 8pm on a Friday night! At least in the first year a lot of the time they can't actually move anywhere so you do get more of a chance to put your feet up.

Having said that, this time of year doesn't help and am looking forward to better weather to get out more.

 

[Gwylan]

A friend of mine lives in Prague and pays the equivalent of £100 a month for a nursery place. That's in a shiny new, fully-equipped nursery with qualified staff (including medical training). He was thinking of coming back to the UK but has decided that the quality of childcare and education there means that he's staying put.

 

[Lammy]

You know to a degree I agree with Looney here but there again I am admiitedly biased as I have no kids and am very, very unlikely to have now. I sometime get annoyed that I end up paying for other peoples' kids thanks to higner taxation, why should I pay for schools etc. But there agian, the theory goes that if I live that long somebody will be expected to look after me (and pay tax to pay my pension) so it's not quite so cut and dried but a fair comment all the same.

Paying for a good education for our children (whoever they belong to) is essential for a good economy and civilised society.

They will be the ones running the companies that your pension is invested in, paying the taxes to run the emergancy services and hospitals. A good education improves social skills and teaches right from wrong. A good education will stop them from spray painting your car etc.

A subsidised child care program from 6 months to 4 years would help a lot of young, fit able bodied people back to work to help grow the economy of this country.

 

[Gwylan]

You know to a degree I agree with Looney here ..

That's never a good start to a post.


You could, of course, take the selfish attitude as long as you realise that you'd have to pay for the doctors and the nurses to look after you (seeing that you couldn't be bothered to help educate them).

I'm sure you wouldn't want that.

 

[beardy gull]

A couple of reasons I guess.

1) It is actually good for the child to go to nursary. Children need to learn how to interact with other children. It helps with their confidence and social skills. Not to mention the facilities there will be far better than what you could provide at home.

Actually, a big article in The Sunday Times this weekend disagrees. Steve Biddulph (some childcare expert or other) claims nothing is better for a young childs development than one to one care, ideally by a parent.

 

[bhaexpress]

That's never a good start to a post.


You could, of course, take the selfish attitude as long as you realise that you'd have to pay for the doctors and the nurses to look after you (seeing that you couldn't be bothered to help educate them).

I'm sure you wouldn't want that.

No, you're right and I did try to put a more balanced view I thought.

 

[tedebear]

There is a whole lot of tripe on this thread and before I get wound up I'll simply invite any of you to come and mind my son for 1 full day and 1 full night and then see how your comments change....

Its not easy....its bloddy fucknig hard!!

Just because I have a child doesn't entitle me to cheap nursery, childcare or child credits...what a waste of money provoking the uneducated to take the piss....

Nobody else but me will raise my son ie I am not returning to full time work so someone else can spend more time than me with him...he aint ready for nursery - so he wont be going for a while anyhow...

pah - can't be bthered posting anymore - even my other half has now pissed me off with his above comments!!

 

[Lammy]

Actually, a big article in The Sunday Times this weekend disagrees. Steve Biddulph (some childcare expert or other) claims nothing is better for a young childs development than one to one care, ideally by a parent.

What aspect of a childs development are they measuring? Their ability to complete an IQ test or their ability not to get a beating in the playground?

 

[Lammy]

What aspect of a childs development are they measuring? Their ability to complete an IQ test or their ability not to get a beating in the playground?

Some friends of the family that were financialy stable enough to have the mother stay at home full time to raise their child brought her to my nephew's 1st birthday party. All the other kids were having a whale of time. This girl never left her Mother's side. After leaving the party she was promptly enrolled in nursary.

 

[beardy gull]

The main criticism is for those who put their babies in full time nursery care from 6 months to the time they go to school.
....."the best nurseries struggled to meet the needs of very young children in agroup setting. The worst were negligent,frightening and bleak - a nightmare of bewildered loneliness that was heartbreaking to watch."

 

[Spiros]

When Mrs Spiros was about to drop sprog number one she went on 'maternity leave' and hasn't been back since - that was more than 11 years ago. We now have an 11 year old and a 6 year old. Originally it made no sense to pay someone to look after the kids so she could work as she earnt less than we'd pay for childcare. However as time has gone on she has become more adamant that she is far happier at home than she would have been with the kids full time at nursery. Even now they're both at school full time she hasn't yet gone back to work - says she hasn't got time!

Despite her being around all the time the kids still went to nursery for 2 or 3 half days a week to give her some 'self' time and the kids some interaction with other kids. However with most of her friends/family the story has been different. Some complain that they can't afford not to work yet it is obvious that they aren't financially much better off - if at all. The main reason seems to really be to maintain a social life away from the kids. The bit that annoys me most is the ones that use grandparents/other relatives as free childcare. I wouldn't dream of dumping my kids on my mum and dad, day after day after day, but to some of these people it seems to be the thing to do!

 

[tedebear]

Some friends of the family that were financialy stable enough to have the mother stay at home full time to raise their child brought her to my nephew's 1st birthday party. All the other kids were having a whale of time. This girl never left her Mother's side. After leaving the party she was promptly enrolled in nursary.

excellent scare her into being social - wonder if it crossed their minds that she just wasnt ready yet? its ok for a kid to be sensitive!!

 

[Lammy]

excellent scare her into being social - wonder if it crossed their minds that she just wasnt ready yet? its ok for a kid to be sensitive!!

Why is going to a nursary SCARY? Perhaps she should be taught from home so as to avoid he TERROR of going to school when she isn't ready?