@mercifulwoman I’m not. Working moms get dumped on with that comment a lot, it’s offensive. Most people who say it DO mean it.
But also, I feel strongly about equality for women, especially in the workplace. With combined finances, I’d think “daycare is a temporary expense that takes 10% of our combined HHI” rather than “daycare is a temporary expense that takes up 100% of my own income.” There’s way more to working than a paycheck - including compounding interest, 401k matches, upward mobility, progression opportunities, years in industry, insurance, etc. it’s frustrating that it’s mostly women who take the hit and quit, which continues the cycle. The more it happens, the more it will happen, if that makes sense.
This interactive calculator provides a glimpse into the potential loss than women (because this is mostly women who say “why bother working, it’s my whole paycheck!” And step back from their careers) face when stepping out of the workforce.
https://interactives.americanprogress.org/childcarecosts/
My husband and I made about the same annually when we started dating/talking about WTT and TTC. Since having my oldest, I’ve doubled my salary. I wish that childcare expenses were more often viewed as a shared expense, rather than an expense the woman is supposed to shoulder or a choice the woman needs to make.
