Post

@rbreich

I had a thought.
Say, in a world where single mothers pay for themselves:
- Two child carers care for about 10 children 8h per day. Commuting to work an back, 10 single mothers work 7h or less but have to produce enough income to pay 8×2=16h pretty educated child care.
- In a sustained scenario, each mother has 2.1 children. Because now there are less mothers paying, the earnings available shrink down to 3.5h per mother.
- Mothers usually step down on their career ladder. A 3.5h pre-child job turns into a total of 3.2h.
- Half of their income pays the rent.

So, caring for 10 children, there is less than 1.6h times 10 remaining to pay/earn for 16h of child care.

Doesn't that mean that women who earn less than a child carer are better off caring for their children themselves? Are female child carers better off quitting their job and become mothers themselves instead? Shouldn't mothers that earn more, pay them more?

@rbreich

I had a thought.
Say, in a world where single mothers pay for themselves:
- Two child carers care for about 10 children 8h per day. Commuting to work an back, 10 single mothers work 7h or less but have to produce enough income to pay 8×2=16h pretty educated child care.
- In a sustained scenario, each mother has 2.1 children. Because now there are less mothers paying, the earnings available shrink down to 3.5h per mother.
- Mothers usually step down on their career ladder. A 3.5h pre-child job turns into a total of 3.2h.
- Half of their income pays the rent.

So, caring for 10 children, there is less than 1.6h times 10 remaining to pay/earn for 16h of child care.

Doesn't that mean that women who earn less than a child carer are better off caring for their children themselves? Are female child carers better off quitting their job and become mothers themselves instead? Shouldn't mothers that earn more, pay them more?