Posted by MikeT23 on 7/1/2014 9:08:00 AM (view original):
I am 100% certain you deleted another post in response to burnsy "How to we stress the importance of education to children from the lower class?" Your response was something along the lines of "Good question. Could stem from a lack of discipline at home." Which annoyed me because you've already said you sacrfice time with your family for money. Couple that with the data you deleted and you're not working to "get by", you're doing it to accumulate money and, as a by product, farming out the raising of children in order to do so.
A single parent has no choice(of course, they could have not been a single parent but that cow has left the barn). Or possibly, a two parent household HAS to work in order to get by. They have to eat and pay rent. As such, they too are spending less time with their children and farming out parenting.
I'm not fond of poor people even having kids. To me, that seems like a poor choice. But, once that happens, they have created a situation where they can't make parenting their top priority. You can. And that annoys me because A) parenting should be top priority B) you're very dismissive of the choices of the poor as if they're just wandering thru life smoking, drinking and producing babies that they will not raise.
Now see what you've done? You made me defend poor people.
I didn't delete that post... Or the one saying I send them to 'school' only 3 days a week. I think you have the wrong impression of daycares.... I'm sure there are some that are like babysitting factories or sweatshops or whatever.... But ours costs $2500 a month, has strict curriculum, is accredited, and most of the teachers have maters degrees. We send them there 3 days a week to give them a jump start on education so they can excel in life. Education is key. We also stay in contact with their teachers daily to see what our kids are doing and what WE as parents need to work on with them at home. There are other benefits from them going to school like when they go to preschool they can already read, are very good at socializing with other children, can share, etc. Already when our 3 year old gets together with other 'home taught' 3 year olds she is much more well spoken and better behaved. Its a combo of parents working together with teachers to educate children - that's why. Its not a teachers JOB to raise kids, only to help teach them. Too many people ship their kids off to school to raise their kids... Then let them play on the iPad at home... Instead of actively participating in their homework with them. I only have 1 TV in the house and my daughter very rarely sees the iPad because our family values spending time together.
As for the other point... You're correct. I'm not working to 'get by'... I am working to accumulate money. One can never save enough - inevitably something will go wrong. My wife had 2 crowns replaced which because of an insurance error on our part cost us $3k. My son just had successful surgery a couple weeks ago.... Before insurance it costs $6k. The A/C is going to need replacing. Maybe $3k? If my wife wasn't working all of that would go on a credit card most likely. Also - finally when the kids go to kindergarten and my wife looks for a new job no one will hire her if she is out of work for 6 years - it will kill her career. Other factors like what would happen if I lost my job and she doesn't work? Who's paying the mortgage then? Or what's retirement going to look like with only one income? How are we going to afford 2 college tuitions and a wedding in 15-20 years? And really, my wife enjoys her job helping sick kids get better at the hospital... She also worked hard to get a masters degree to get to where she is.
Bottom line there are a lot of factors that go into our decision to send the kids to school 3 days a week.... Maybe we chose poorly, maybe not.... But we haven't asked for any government assistance to pay for this choice.