It's tax time! That's right, it's time for my annual thread about the insane cost of #childcare:

The total for my two children in 2020: $34,434.28

It's actually less than last year, because they were home for two months b/c of COVID & my older one moved to after-school care.

The fact that we can pay this at all in the first place makes us massively privileged. It forces many women out of the workforce entirely.

And because people ask every year if we go to an expensive daycare: there are slightly cheaper options out there, but we'd have to drive. Adding a vehicle to our home would add at least $500 to our monthly budget, negating the childcare cost savings.

It's privileged madness that I get to build my career, while many other women are forced out of the workforce or have to choose unsafe or unreliable childcare options.

For the "just stay home" crowd: it's absurd that we ask women to tie to their economic stability to something as tenuous as a romantic relationship. Partners leave. People die. We shouldn't penalize (mostly) women for wanting to maintain their economic security through work.

I've witnessed many marriages unravel during this pandemic. I see women who want to leave, but can't because they've been home taking care of children for many years and don't have a job.

You should stay home with your kids if that's your choice. But doing it only because the cost of childcare is astronomical is not a true choice.