They\u2019re spending lots on their tots as the weather gets hot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New York City moms and dads aren\u2019t sweating the small stuff this summer. They are, however, sweating bullets over the big tuition fees \u2014 some totaling over $30,000 \u2014 imposed by Big Apple day camps, as well as aftercare babysitters, for their kiddos.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cost of summer camp in New York City will blow your mind,\u201d Chelsea Stelly, a Manhattan-based mother of three sons, captioned a toe-curling clip<\/a> in which she reveals the exorbitant expense of summertime childcare across the boroughs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chelsea Stelly, a mom of three boys from Manhattan, outlined the ridiculously high cost of summer camps in NYC. @chelseastelly\/TikTok<\/p>\n The money-minded mama, a self-proclaimed \u201crecovering Wall Streeter,\u201d offered four examples of the camps she\u2019s considering for her brood of boys, including full-day and half-day sports programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unfortunately for the brunette and other parents working 9-to-5 or beyond, most local camps conclude at approximately 4:00 p.m., forcing folks to hire childcare professionals to mind their little ones until the end-of-day whistle blows.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have three kids so [I\u2019m] looking at $33,000 just for summer camp,\u201d said Stelly of the highest amount she may pay this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the fortunate few,\u00a0cutting a hefty check<\/a>\u00a0to a luxury summer camp is no big deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n Parents in New York City and beyond spend thousands sending their kids to quality day- and sleepaway camps during the seven-week summer break each year. master1305 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n In fact, a faction of the affluent even sends their kids to chi-chi sleepaways in style,\u00a0chartering private planes\u00a0<\/a>to transport them from concrete jungle to the scenic landscapes of New England for seven-week stays at $20,000 a pup.\u00a0<\/p>\n The slightly less lavish are\u00a0shipping their children\u00a0<\/a>off for international getaways in Morocco, Amsterdam, Poland and Switzerland, where camps cost roughly $800 for the entire summer session.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stelly, whose cheapest NYC childcare option is sports day camp, with hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., is seeking $9,350 per kid.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sounds reasonable until you realize that camp ends around 4:00 p.m.,\u201d she groaned. \u201cSo if you work, you\u2019re adding a babysitter at $35 an hour to bridge you to 6:00 p.m. every single day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Moms and dads who can\u2019t afford to foot the hefty summer camp bills in the US are sending their kids to enrichment programs abroad. Sirichai \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n In total, the two-month commitment would cost the Gothamite $28,150, according to her math. But rather than forking over a chunk of her income to camp, she\u2019s taking her family overseas.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you ever wonder why New York City parents book vacation the last two weeks of August,\u201d said Stelly, \u201cit\u2019s because a trip to Europe is literally cheaper than two more weeks of summer camp.\u201d<\/p>\n And the cash-conscious content creator is not alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI send mine to Europe every summer\u2026Less than $2,000 for 2.5 months,\u201d a commenter chimed in.\u00a0<\/p>\n @chelseastelly<\/a> <\/p>\n The cost of summer camp in New York City will blow your mind. \ud83d\ude2d Since you all loved my NYC working out video, here\u2019s part 3: the real cost of summer childcare in Manhattan as a mom of 3. Yes there are cheaper options (around $500 a week). Yes there are options outside Manhattan. But no matter what you choose, you are ALWAYS paying extra to bridge the gaps (last day of school to first day of camp, 4pm dismissal to end of the work day, and last day of camp to first day of school). On average summer camp alone runs us $8,000-$10,000 per kid for 7 weeks. And my kids aren\u2019t even at sleepaway camp age yet!!! Which in NYC is basically a rite of passage. You do not want to be the kid who didn\u2019t go to sleepaway camp. That starts at $10,000-$17,000 for the summer. Think, very Parent Trap. So yeah. Two weeks in Europe really is cheaper We did the math. The math did not math\u2026 but NYC math is different. NYC parents, how are you surviving summer? Hamptons summer homes? Lol Drop it below \ud83d\udc47 #NYCmom<\/a> #SummerCamp<\/a> #NYCsummer<\/a> #SummerChildcare<\/a> #NewYorkCity<\/a> NYCparenting ManhattanMom CostOfLiving SummerWithKids NYClife MomLife PowerPause CityMom MomOfBoys SleepAwayCamp NYCkids SummerPlanning MomTok NYCtok CityParenting<\/p>\n