Working mom explains why she’d rather pay $5K per month in childcare and not stay at home

The astronomical cost of childcare in the U.S. isn’t up for debate—it’s not affordable for many families, and for those who can afford it, it puts a serious dent in the family’s finances. This is why more moms are choosing to stay home instead of work than ever before. And while that works for a lot of families, one mom is going viral for her explanation of why she chooses to pay $5,000 per month in childcare instead.

“My husband and I pay $5k for childcare for our 4 kids, and the question after that when somebody finds that out is, ‘Why do you work?’” says @sheisapaigeturner in the video.

She explains that the question is, without fail, always directed at her instead of her husband.

Other questions include, “Do you make enough to warrant that? Do you have any money left over? Doesn’t it make more sense for you to stay at home?” Turner continues. “In our scenario where my husband and I are similar earners are on the year earnings are very similar. It doesn’t make sense for one of us to stay at home right now.”

Related: Motherly’s 2023 State of Motherhood Survey Report

According to Motherly’s 2023 State of Motherhood Survey, more moms are clocking in as stay-at-home parents than past years at 25%, compared to 15% in 2022. Eighteen percent (18%) of mothers in our sample changed jobs or left the workforce in the past year, and the top reasons cited are staying at home with children (28%) and lack of childcare (15%).

Turner says that because there’s an end date—meaning when her youngest child is in school full-time—it makes it easier to justify spending the money on childcare and budgeting in the meantime. Especially because taking time away from the workforce means her career would take a big hit.

“And me, stepping away from work for 5 to 10 years would throw me back from where I want to go,” she explains. “And the life I want to live after my children are out of daycare. So right now, we’re really not taking a lot of family vacations, we are not traveling far and wide with our children. We are doing what we can, we’re doing location vacations right.”

Related: I’m a mom and the primary breadwinner—and I’m trying so hard to stop being the default parent

She says she’s not just planning for the immediate future by choosing to work, she’s planning long-term. And she wishes curious people would re-phrase their questions when they find out how much money she and her partner spend on childcare.

“The question should be does it make sense with your combined income that one of you stay home? Which one of you would stay home? Not ‘Why do you work Paige?'”