Champagne Supernova

Serendipitously the day before the minions second birthday an article came out in the Globe and Mail about parents with successful careers and good incomes who can't afford daycare.  It was a reminder about the sacrifices parents need to make in order to keep their careers going and fuel for the debate on whether or not it is worth it to go back to work when a good chunk of our salaries go into daycare.  Double the kids, double the costs*. 

Next month will mark the one year anniversary of daycare for Molly and Jack and over 30K in daycare expenses.  This is a significant amount of our net income, and when you consider the costs of our mortgage, food, property taxes and transportation things can get pretty tight.  The article highlights how daycare expenses come at a time when you are likely to have the least amount of money available in their adult life, i.e just bought first home, paying off student loans, still building their career etc. etc. 

I wouldn't change where our kids go to daycare for a second, although sometimes when I'm dealing with a double dose of daycare related illness I shake my fist in anger at everything related to Germapolooza.  I want to cry about the work into the nights to make up for the early pick up of said sick child or the double fees when you need to hire a sitter while your child can't attend the daycare that got them ill in the first place.  I know that we're blessed that we have family who can pick up the extra slack for us a lot of the time and lucky that we live in Canada where I was able to take 13 months with my twins full time before returning to the work force. 

There should be more help for families to support them in getting good, accessible daycare, so they can do things like save for when their twins go to college at the exact same time.  I know that I'm not saying anything new, so I won't complain or scare any other new or expectant parents any further.

Enjoying the finer things in life pre-minions at a family dinner.

All the same....As at the yeariversary of daycare here's what I could have bought with daycare fees:


One year of an MBA at the University of Victoria...with $1500 left to spare on coffee and red bull energy drinks.

Two square cut diamond engagement rings from Tiffany's

One 2013 Cadillac brand new.

10 replacement Sunfires (with similar mileage) to replace ours when they wear out.

105 bottles of Cristal


But I know my children are safe, sound and that there is an expiration period to beer budgets and champagne tastes.  I wouldn't trade my two years with the kids for any of that above.  So let's crack open a Colt 45 and celebrate another year closer to full day kindergarten and hope that some of this financial burden changes to help families who aren't as lucky as we are.

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*Unless you're lucky enough to stumble upon a daycare who gives a sibling discount when you have more than one child attending a daycare, I am not that kind of lucky.