Kavya
One of my husband Navdeep's casually
fabulous photos of Kavi. So my husband is grumpy with me this morning. (And he may be even more grumpy once he reads this.)

Today, the orders for the day care school pictures were due. And these being Kavya's first, naturally I wanted some. (And so did my mom, his mom, Meena Masi, et al.) After all, these are must-haves for Kavi's keepsake box.

My husband, being a photographer, a) didn't particularly like the photos, because he's taken much better pictures of Kavi, and b) thought they were ridiculously overpriced.

I could see his points, but really, they were Kavi's very, very first school photos. (I'll say nothing about how sad it is that they were taken when she was only 7 months, instead of 4 or 5 or 6 years old.) How could we not get them?

Which isn't to say I'm thrilled about how much we spent. (Or I spent, I guess, in the end.)

Because this day care stuff adds up fast. Sure, they provide the play space, toys, walkers, bouncers, swings, individual pack-n-plays for the babies, and lots of TLC from well-trained caregivers. But the rest of it does take a hit on the pocket. Besides the actual month-to-month fee, there's registration, supplies (diapers, wipes, food, extra clothing, etc., plus tissues and napkins for each kid, which the school doesn't supply), and then the dreaded but apparently frequently necessary fundraisers.

Now, Kavi's day care is run by a church group, so I can understand the need here. Because the tuition is lower, parents sort of have to subsidize the school in other ways. But I'm sure regular schools end up costing just as much, if not more. And this is all for a 7-month-old. Which means we better keep the bank balance on Kavi's school savings account nice and flush. 

Speaking of which, the next fundraiser is right around the corner. Anyone interested in buying some Avon?

What unexpected expenses did you run into when your little one started day care or school?

 

Image via Navdeep Singh Dhillon