Child Care, Priorities, and Millenials

Ok. The question was raised as to why people freak out over the cost of daycare. For the record, my best friend/sister ran her own for about 5 years. We both have worked in daycare for a majority of our working lives. So the topic of paying daycare providers a decent price has always been a sensitive topic. Now that I have my words together here we go.

I think it’s part of the entitled mentality that has taken over our culture. It’s ridiculously prevalent among the Millenials and Gen Z. These are your typical, “I showed up give me a ribbon/trophy for being here.” These are the people who believe they should be able to just walk into a job with no education and no experience, but still make $20 an hour with paid sick, vacation, and personal days. They expect to be given credit cards with no limit and never pay them back. Rent and utilities should all be free and they should always have the biggest and the newest car out there, but someone else needs to pay for it, the gas, and insurance.
The same is with a daycare. Why?
Should they spend their hard earned dollars just to have someone look at their kids? I mean, God, schools do it for free. Why can’t daycares? Daycare is just an overpaid, glorified babysitter. So what if my kid learns how to tie her shoes, say the alphabet, or use the potty while she’s with you. So what you feed him better meals than he gets at home. So what you do art and crafts and field trips. I need my $100 nails and hair and I need my date night/girls night and your price is just ridiculous. I would have to sacrifice my things and my wants for my kids’ needs. What is wrong with you?
Yeah, what is wrong with you? You’re a parent. It’s what you. You sacrifice, you give up things for them. You made those choices when the child was created. Whether it was planned or not is irrelevant. You have now created a living, breathing human being and now you need to put on your adult pants and grow the hell up.
If you have no problem dropping $100 on your dinner, drinks, jeans, shoes, nails or hair, but you throw a tantrum when a child care provider asks a fair price to help you raise your child, then congratulations, you are part of what’s wrong with our society. Do us a favor and stop breeding.
Think of it in these terms. You put in 50 hours or more at work, 5 10 hour days. In those 10 hours you are teaching, feed, clean, change, and love that kid. You keep track of health, belongings, and development. You ensure the safety, health, and well being of that child. How much would you expect to be paid? You would expect to be paid on time, but sometimes your employer can’t and you have to wait up to a week to get paid. For an employee making minimum wage you would pull about $300 before taxes. Most home daycares run $85-$100 a week per child. That’s $1.70-$2.00 an hour. On top of that, the provider still has bills: food, supplies, rent, utilities, toys, etc.
You want quality daycare with caring, educated, experienced providers, but you’re not willing to pay for it. I hope your nails were worth the money for your child obviously isn’t.