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What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

dchung.substack.com

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Re: What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

#4
post #3
post #2

It could look a lot like a nuclear family. With a healthy economy that doesn't require both parents to work.

So basically one person, usually the woman, gets to not have a personal life.

My wife is a homemaker (and soon to be mother) -- and trust me, she's got a much bigger personal life than I do. I'm not nearly as good at socializing as she is, and it shows. A job is definitely not required for a personal life.

Re: What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

#5
post #2

It could look a lot like a nuclear family. With a healthy economy that doesn't require both parents to work.

For many people, it's a choice to work. We're part of a very close knit church in which there is a wide range of incomes and everyone makes it work. That's because the moms (it's usually the moms who are not working although there are a few dads) make it a point to actually organize the community. That means lots of shared activities; lots of shared child care; shared meals; etc. Unfortunately, when you stop doing the work of community, everything becomes more expensive. That's the ultimate reason why day care et al is so expensive. It's not just that you have to pay others to watch your children; it's that you have to pay one set of people to watch your children, then another set to cook your food, then another set to be part of a community, etc.

As a case in point, my daughters attend a free mom's preschool (a few times a week) instead of us paying thousands of dollars. We haven't bought much clothes or furniture for them because there are endless amounts of hand-me-downs.

Unfortunately, as a whole, American civil institutions (and really worldwide) have declined. It's not just churches or marriage that has seen record reductions in membership. It's actually not even a crisis in religion that we're witnessing although many want to castigate it as that.

Rather, all social groups are in decline, whether that be the small social group of marriage, or the large social group of the extended family, or the even wider social group of a community club. Bowling clubs, fraternal organizations, athletic clubs, etc are all in decline.

Re: What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

#7
At one point, I was bombarded by this topic. Reddit, NPR, Twitter, every single voice left leaning voice was beating this drum.

Why? We didn’t accomplish universal healthcare, women’s rights are under attack, climate change is unaddressed, nazis are growing in boldness and volume.

We, in the left, have failed in most of our latest crusades (certainly the ones in my life) because the regressive powers are entrenched and organized. Is this really the time to change focus again??

Re: What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

#8
post #3
post #2

It could look a lot like a nuclear family. With a healthy economy that doesn't require both parents to work.

So basically one person, usually the woman, gets to not have a personal life.

Oh man... my wife and her friends see each other practically every day with the kids. They practically live together half the time. Whereas I see my friends (her friend's husbands usually) like once a week / maybe twice if i'm lucky.

I have no idea where this idea has come from that stay at home moms are stuck at home. Most of the time they are out chatting, eating lunch at each other's houses, or doing something fun together

Re: What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

#9
If it looks anything like government and union-run public schools, not good.

For example, Chicago public school teachers get paid more than any other school system in the US (from $60k for a new teacher to $114k for the most experienced) and the schools have some of, if not the worst educational outcomes: in 2019, 1 in 4 7th graders could not read at grade level

Re: What could Universal Early Childcare look like?

#10
post #9

If it looks anything like government and union-run public schools, not good. For example, Chicago public school teachers get paid more than any other school system in the US (from $60k for a new teacher to $114k for the most experienced) and the schools have some of, if not the worst educational outcomes: in 2019, 1 in 4 7th graders could not read at grade level

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