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That's like 20k a year. So you'd need something like a 30k salary (before tax) just to break even. How much income would you be foregoing if one parent just sta

by Tycho 8y ago

That's like 20k a year. So you'd need something like a 30k salary (before tax) just to break even. How much income would you be foregoing if one parent just stayed at home?

christinamltn 8y ago
I've known people who chose to work even though most of their income was going to daycare, commuting costs, etc. The argument was that in 3-5 years when the kids are in school they'd be another rank or 2 up the ladder and their net earnings over that decade would be higher overall. If they took the time off then they'd probably be returning to work a rank or two below where they left. It's also insurance that you'll be able to support yourself if something happens to your partner or you split up.
pcmoney 8y ago
Ya I think thats a calculation many families have to make. I strongly agree with the other comment in terms of opportunity cost years down the road. I really see this with a lot of our friends. The wife often quits her job and stays home because our society really makes it hard to work as the mom of an infant and biologically that is typically easier (don’t even get me started on the cost of formula vs breastmilk). But they do miss out on those critical career years. Luckily we are both software engineers at well paying jobs and so the daycare isn’t as much as an issue for us. But it is hard to see others have to make these really hard decisions, so I guess I am outraged on their behalf. It is especially brutal because of most of the women leaving their careers haven’t finished paying off student loans. In this era of gender equality we have constructed a financial system where it doesn’t make fiscal sense for many women to get a college degree if they want kids. Anecdotally, teachers can’t afford to work and have a kid and nurses just barely can. These are by no means bad careers and its really just a very tough situation, not all of of us can be software engineers making Facebook/Twitter apps.

by Tycho 8y ago

That's like 20k a year. So you'd need something like a 30k salary (before tax) just to break even. How much income would you be foregoing if one parent just stayed at home?

christinamltn 8y ago

I've known people who chose to work even though most of their income was going to daycare, commuting costs, etc. The argument was that in 3-5 years when the kids are in school they'd be another rank or 2 up the ladder and their net earnings over that decade would be higher overall. If they took the time off then they'd probably be returning to work a rank or two below where they left. It's also insurance that you'll be able to support yourself if something happens to your partner or you split up.

pcmoney 8y ago

Ya I think thats a calculation many families have to make. I strongly agree with the other comment in terms of opportunity cost years down the road. I really see this with a lot of our friends. The wife often quits her job and stays home because our society really makes it hard to work as the mom of an infant and biologically that is typically easier (don’t even get me started on the cost of formula vs breastmilk). But they do miss out on those critical career years. Luckily we are both software engineers at well paying jobs and so the daycare isn’t as much as an issue for us. But it is hard to see others have to make these really hard decisions, so I guess I am outraged on their behalf. It is especially brutal because of most of the women leaving their careers haven’t finished paying off student loans. In this era of gender equality we have constructed a financial system where it doesn’t make fiscal sense for many women to get a college degree if they want kids. Anecdotally, teachers can’t afford to work and have a kid and nurses just barely can. These are by no means bad careers and its really just a very tough situation, not all of of us can be software engineers making Facebook/Twitter apps.