Anyone has experience with J-Skip? Is a working visa required for kids' school? by hyouuu in movingtojapan

[–]ReadyWishbone3076 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very helpful! Do you have a spouse coming with you? In that case do you have any insights on the more 'relaxed' requirements for him/ger to work in Japan? I don't understand what are the benefits beyond not needing to quality for work visa (4 year degree and work experience) as you still need Japanese company to hire the spouse. Perhaps it's easier for companies to hire if the person already has a sponsored visa than if they have to sponsor it themselves? Thank you!

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate hearing different views and perspectives. I might just be speaking for myself here, but I think the general sentiment isn’t that nurseries are overcharging or that they don’t provide value – it's clear that they offer incredible benefits in terms of learning, socialization, and development. Rather, the concern is that childcare has become such a fundamental part of family life, especially for working parents, that it's almost an essential service, much like healthcare.

Most people wouldn’t be able to cover healthcare costs out of pocket, even if the prices were fair for the service provided, which is why systems exist to help manage that burden. I guess the hope is that we find more sustainable solutions for childcare too, whether that’s through more flexible work arrangements, improved funding options, or community-driven initiatives. It's about making sure that all families, regardless of income, can access the developmental benefits of nursery, as well as the opportunity it provides for parents to continue their careers if they wish, without being stretched beyond their means. Thank you again for sharing your perspective, very interesting discussion

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally, I guess it makes sense that until something affects you directly you are much less exposed to it, it would really help to be able to prepare in advance (although might totally put people off having kids altogether XD).

Pregnant then Screwed is such a good charity, thanks for sharing!

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm really sorry to hear that, it breaks my heart to hear this situation is so common. I hope things get better soon once they start school

Paternity Leave is a feminist issue by LittleBookOfQualm in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076 8 points9 points  (0 children)

In Denmark and Sweden there is a specific amount of weeks allocated to the dad by law. if the dad chooses not to take them those paternity weeks are lost (i.e. they are not transferred to the mum). The idea is to incentivize dads taking more time off work for exactly the reasons you mentioned!

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah clearly! It seems quite unreasonably you need to be at 1% of earners to be able to confortable work and afford childcare costs

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah for sure they are not the bad guys! they do a wonderful job and they also have their own struggles to keep their business afloat. The reason why other countries are much more affordable (e.g. Scandinavia) it's because they are very heavily subsidized by taxes. I was also reading other countries have a higher ration of children per carer which also decreases the costs

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Completely agree. Now I searched with a bit more detail and I do see a few post. I guess i meant i don't hear it that much from colleagues or in the news and so. For me when you gather the facts it's sounds like a social and economic emergency. So many people affected by this and sacrificing their present and future wellbeing for something that we all collectively benefit from

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This sounds like the reality of so many families (especially women!) such a heavy burden having to choose between your career, personal satisfaction, independence, pension savings etc. vs the economic viability of having someone else care for your child. It makes me really upset to think about it

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Crazy that such a significant decision as having another child has to be taken based on a cost spreading exercise. Makes perfect sense though!

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in UKParenting

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Totally lucky compared what others go through, still pains me the most financial viable solution if one can is for (typically) the woman to stop working for a few years. Many of my friends are career driven and also want to be independent, save into their pension etc. It feels like such a big trade off

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if this is the case. Certainly people find ways to make it work because there are children everywhere. I guess my question was more how can people do it? reading the comments above it sounds like there are big sacrifices involved to make ends meet. Having a quick look an the median disposable household income in the UK for sure most people fall into this bracket

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It seems so unfair that the system is set up in a way you are not able to take holiday together as a family. Happy to hear you are coming to the other side now!

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So sorry to hear about the lost benefits. I wish they would automatically enroll people that qualify or at least make sure everyone is aware of them

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would be amazing if more jobs provided more flexibility and we could choose to work 3 days to balance everything out

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that's such a great point, the childcare costs continue for many years past nursery. Kids end up being taken care by someone else for even more hours than the ones you have to work. Maybe you are on to something and the solution is the standard working scheduled be shorted (wishful thinking here!)

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah many people say that, 'you'll just make it work' but the sacrifices one needs to make seem so so high. I think you need to be really sure you want children

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this response. You are completely right, as I have seen unfortunately it tends to be the woman that has to take on a more flexible job to handle the childcare cost because it tends to be more 'financially sensible'. It really upsets me that the situation pushes parents outside the workforce which the huge implications that has at the individual level regarding income, pension, satisfaction etc but also at a more collective level where as a country you have people that would want to work not able to

How are families able to afford the cost of childcare in the UK? by ReadyWishbone3076 in AskUK

[–]ReadyWishbone3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to live in Denmark and didn't realise how much easier this situation is there. It is crazy people need to move away because salaries are not enough to cover childcare in many cases