EJD08

I am wondering how anyone affords to have a baby here in NZ with just three months maternity pay?? It's SO much less than you get in UK I earn more money than my boyfriend and he reckons I would either have to go back to work after the three months (if we have a baby) or we would have to get an au pair (cheaper than day care). My problem is ... I don't want either of these! I can't even imagine going back to work after just 3 months and leaving our baby with someone else....and neither do I want someone else living with us and looking after my child! But my boyfriend seems to think I'm dreaming if I think there are any other options...as he says theres no way we would survive just on his salary (which is true...we wouldn't). I have tried saying he could always try and earn more money but at 40 (he's quite a bit older than me) I appreciate it's not easy to start a whole new career. I really want to hear what others think / how others do it.

lardyl

Wait until the wee un is sick or you have two that are sick.
Those days you have to take off to look after them are sick off school or kindy will come off your sick leave.
Don't forget all those other benefits that are less generous here.
Welcome to NZ.
People do all sorts of things. Maybe Playcentre where you do a bit and take a bit but they won't cover it all.

luvwelly

Be a childminder with your own child in tow?

lardyl

could be a re-train for the OP's fella?
pay's not good but the tax level is pretty low.

alanmacc

we dont, we keep them for 3 months then eat them ....... how do you think we keep the population so low

Woodlea

When my kids were born 20 years ago in Scotland we asked the same question as there was limited maternity leave at the time and money was tight. The answer is that you make do, cut your cloth and get by and struggle like the majority of young families. If you wait until you can afford to have kids it will be too late, go for it now and adapt good luck

lardyl

thought you could buy their heads in New World, I hear it's a delicacy on the North Shore.......???

luvwelly

I paid lip service to the idea of childcare/au pairs/Nannies etc but always knew I wanted to stay at home with my kids really (just the feminist in me was resistant) which meant I pursued a crap unfulfilling career into my early thirties. When I did eventually throw away pill packet I had a miscarriage so I plunged myself back into crap career another 4 years.
When I did finally produce a sprog at 36 - I definitely knew I was staying at home but by then OH earning was earning more than enough. It's not a good thing to leave reproducing that late though - far more likely to have learning difficulties etc it seems.

Woodlea is right, if you put it off for too long, you forget to have them. We always kept our mortgage much lower than others - only on House No 2, where we knew others who were getting mortgages up to 1 million in London - wouldn't be able to sleep at night personally in that much debt.

Another way if you have a well-paid job is to borrow or save up the equivalent of a year's essential outgoings and then at least you can be there for 18 months or so.
Again as Woodlea says people do it, go back to work with young kids. I think maybe a support network helps.

lardyl

Hard work though doing the childcare thing without the grandparents to provide some relief. We were helped when my folks came over for three 90 days holdays over three years.
Lots of the kids being collected from the schools our boys attend are leaving with their grandparents.

luvwelly

She's already preggers though so not much she can do except make it work somehow.

Catchafire

We have got two now. We get by, just like everyone else. Working for families tax credit helps (alot). If you think the three months maternity leave sucks, just remember your partner is also entitled to a week's parental leave, unpaid of course.

Gill and Rob

How about going back part time after your maternity leave? This still gives you some income and time with baby? Any chance you could work from home? Down size house wise? Save up for a year... not just money but shopping items. Do as others have said... you just need to plan ahead and cut your cloth accordingly. Lots of us do survive here with children.
Gill

Gill and Rob

There is always the alternative.... go back to UK.
Gill

P18PPS

can you not work from home -or at least for a period of time? with the shoe on the other foot there are a lot of employers who are constantly loosing good staff because they 'go and get pregnant' - if your a good staff member if they can retain you somehow they will.

Ozzidoc

It's actually not about what "you" earn, it's about what "you" spend.

Best wishes with whatever decisions you make.