Photo: TikTok
Being a parent is expensive.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Feb 13, 2023
For parents, it can be quite difficult to make sure their children have the necessary amount of childcare, while also balancing their own working life.
In a TikTok video, a mom of four children, Paige Turner, revealed the amount of money she spends on her kids when it comes to providing adequate childcare while also making sure that she can have enough time to be a working parent.
Turner explained why paying $5,400 a month for full-time daycare and an au pair for her kids is necessary.
In Turner's video, the mom-of-four pointed out that paying for childcare while living in Massachusetts with her family is quite costly since the state's overall childcare costs are rather high.
"When people learn about my childcare setup, which is two children in full-time daycare and two children who are mostly cared for by an au pair, they wonder why I am doing both," Turner said.
Turner explained that she would be "breaking down costs" to better put them in perspective.
At the current moment, Turner said she is paying for a full-time daycare for her two oldest children, and then paying "about 25 hours of week of work" for an au pair to watch her two youngest children.
"[The] total combined cost, [which] includes the au pair fee because you have to pay an annual fee, her hourly rate which is $15/hr in Massachusetts, and two children in full-time daycare is about $5,000 a month."
Turner also pointed out that paying an au pair an "hourly rate" is only specific to Massachusetts, and anywhere else in the country, you don't need to pay an au pair an hourly rate.
She explained that if she uses more hours for an au pair, the cost can go up for some months.
"If we do daycare for the two kids and then afterschool care, so next year when my daughter goes to kindergarten, we could send my two youngest to daycare and have my two oldest in afterschool care, that is still $5,000 a month."
Turner continued, saying that after-school care for only one child is "about $1,000 a month," so for her two oldest children, it would be $2,000 added to the $3,400 she spends on daycare for her two youngest.
She added that putting her two youngest in daycare wouldn't be as flexible and there wouldn't be coverage if her children are sick or on holiday.
Turner also shut down the idea of hiring a full-time nanny for her children.
She pointed out that some people will ask why she doesn't just hire a full-time nanny, and explained that it wouldn't work for her family.
"A nanny typically charges a minimum hourly rate of $25 for one child, and then they charge per child," she said.
When Turner inquired about hiring a nanny in the past, she quickly realized that the universal cost would be around $5,000 if a nanny were to watch all four of her children.
"40 hours a week is what we would need minimum for care if we were doing that as our full-time childcare option, and that would be close to $5,600 a month."
"When people ask why a daycare and an au pair, it's because it's what works for our family, she continued.
Turner added that she only hires the au pair for "minimal hours," since they are not "professional childcare providers" as they are only in the United States for a "cultural exchange."
"If we used her for the full 45 [hours] she's allowed to work, we couldn't afford that at the rate in Massachusetts."
While some people were shocked by the price, others acknowledged that childcare is expensive.
"$3,400 a month for one in daycare in MA; and I have to provide the lunch. This is the going rate all around our towns," one parent wrote.
Another added, "if you add in providing housing, food, etc for the au pair the costs are a lot higher! It’ll be life-changing when all kiddos get to school age!"
"Childcare is expensive. Great childcare is very expensive. And it should be — it’s the most important job in the world!" a third user remarked.
"Note to self: don’t move to Massachusetts since I have kids," a fifth user joked, while another user wrote, "I'm just in shock."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.