I read this touching email over the air last week. This is a better answer to the cost of daycare than I've ever given. The explanation I give about daycare when I consolidate it is "it's a place you put your kid where they won't be loved all day." This covers it better. Now that I've already sobbed through this, you can too.
Hello Dr. Laura,
My name is Theodore and I am 7 1/2 months old. I’ve been listening to your show since I was still an egg! Last week, my mommy had you on in the car and I heard you talk about daycare. I don’t know what daycare is so I said “ghee-ah”. I have a very ugly mommy and luckily she understood that I was asking what daycare is. I couldn’t believe when she explained it to me! I asked her if we could do some research to figure out how much daycare really costs. So, last week, mommy and I determined what full-time daycare would have cost us:
1 Parent and Me swim class with both mommy and daddy
1 Elephant musical light show
1 Morning snuggle in bed with mommy and daddy
3 FaceTime calls with Grandma
4 Walks
4 Trips to the swings
4 Times being comforted by mommy when I had a crying fit that could only be solved with a snuggle in the rocking chair
6 Book readings
6 Times zooming around the kitchen in my baby walker
7 Trips out to the store
10 Nursing sessions
10 Snuggles
12 Playtimes with my own toys
13 Diaper changes (not by a stranger)
14 Naps in my own crib
20 Hugs
29 Giggles
58 Kisses from mommy
167 Smiles (including 23 strangers that I smiled at when out with mommy)
3000 Missed minutes
As you can see, daycare is too expensive for me and my parents. Thank you for all the work you do to keep babies like me out of daycare. It’s priceless.
Love,
Theodore
