The price of the Well-Rounded Child

$100 - 4 weeks of art class
$40 - 4 week yoga class
$80 - 4 week piano lessons
$42 - 4 weeks of soccer class
$2250 - private school tuition.

The cost of the educated, well rounded child isn't cheap.  And while it shouldn't be the current price tag seems exorbitant.  And if you are me, take that and times it by 2 for my 2 children plus add in 8 weeks of half day summer camp at $400/week!   Eeeek!

So as we look at this price tag and strategize how to pay for it.  If we both work full time, we never see the kids plus we have to hire someone to watch them when we are not home or to drive them to activities.  Or one of us works part time but after taxes won't quite cover the expenses so we just end up slowly burning money.  Downsizing isn't really an option.  Unlike the Atlanta family who could sell their mansion we live in an area where one salary covers living expenses for a modest 3bd 2ba in a safe neighborhood with sub par schools.  Another approach would be to rent in a better school district, but frankly, the public school options are dismal all around and hardly seem worth the more expensive rent.  So then option 3, home school.   Definitely not an option that I had ever considered previously and even now the thought seems shaky.   But it's a choice many highly educated individuals are making given the education options out there.  And that is the saddest commentary yet on our schools.  That home schooling and private school enrollment are near double where they were a year ago points to the lack of education being found in the existing system.   And the price of education is only going up.

Comments

[April]

Have you checked out your local Boys and Girls Club? My girls get Arts, Technology, Homework Help, awesome field trips and special guest speakers, Girl Scouts, and all kinds of things and all I need to do is pick them up from the Club after work!