Can we afford this? Income / Investment / Equity

I see it differently than as well

Can you briefly explain to me how this works! Parental allowance in full amount is only given with at least 1 year of employment. As far as I understand, you stretched it over 2 years so that she is no longer entitled in the 2nd year? And why is she allowed to have a mini job? The income is counted and reduced, right?

Thanks

Yes, sure, having been employed long enough beforehand, but then you can spread the payment of the parental allowance over two years, but receive half (or other combinations). However, it is calculated as if you received it in the first year (legally), so that you are allowed to earn additional income without deductions in the second year.

To everyone else @ kindergarten discussion I can only say: you really don't know what you are missing, both for yourselves and what you do not show and teach the children, but others do. How many first-time moments you miss. I know what I would not have seen and experienced. But a good argument for one's own conscience. Those who cannot do otherwise due to constraints, okay, but those who do it because children are too much work (it is exhausting), sad..

From on the go

: Really? I always assumed that basically every additional income is deducted. We were actually considering taking only half the amount in the first year and then doing part-time work in the second year with the other half of the amount. However, we were advised against it because I would earn too much in part-time (25 hours per week) and that would be counted against the parental allowance.

Well Saruss, everyone is just different. Some are born mothers/fathers and find nothing better than looking after children all day. Others love their children but are content spending just 2 intense hours a day with them and knowing they are well cared for otherwise.
Apart from the fact that financially it wasn’t possible for us otherwise, after 8 months I slowly started feeling cooped up. I was absolutely ready to work again. On top of that, daycare places are not freely available. When a spot is available, you have to take it. There’s not always a choice between part-time or full-time.
There are far too many individual factors with parents to be able to make a precise "judgment".

When I look at some full-time mothers, they often do less with their children than I, a full-time working mother. They are always amazed at what I craft with the little one and what we do together. When we go to the playground, he doesn’t have to play alone—I swing with him, we rock or dig. In other words, we both use the little time I have with him intensively. If he has to spend more than 4 days straight only with me, he rather gets bored and starts to get into mischief.

Evolith, you guys also don’t have 'normal/common' expenses. Just for daycare/maintenance/old loans, 1,800 euros. We don’t have about two of these three items and a childminder costs just under 200 euros.

Saruss, it is absolutely not natural for children to learn everything only from their parents. In naturally living primal tribes, toddlers spend a lot of time with other women of the tribe, with older siblings, and together with peers. Children learn best from slightly older children who are a bit further along in their development. Not from parents or other adults. And if you come home reasonably normally from work in the afternoon and have the weekend off, you won’t miss anything either.

Yes, there are some things you don't experience directly. But there is significantly more that you do experience. You can also miss something when the children are at grandma's or when you are doing home office in front of the PC. Besides, a child doesn’t grow up unhappier or I don’t miss my peace of mind if I haven’t experienced one of the hundred events live. Everything has its pros and cons, and there are plenty of positive and negative examples for both scenarios. My father didn’t really experience much of my childhood (6-day workweek with mostly at least 12-14 hours of work). Still, I had a happy childhood, have a great relationship with him, and neither of us feels like we missed out on anything in our lives. If you want, you can find other ways to compensate. Of course, it’s great if you can take care of your children full-time, that is indeed a great form of luxury, but it is not essential for the development of children.

I believe that nowadays people philosophize way too much about parenting. In the times of my parents and grandparents, no parenting books were read, no esoteric courses on Feng Shui in the nursery were attended, and no baby yoga was practiced. Nevertheless, a very large proportion of children grew up to be well-socialized individuals. In my opinion, today looks completely different if you look at kindergartens and schools. And that is not primarily because both parents are working.

Yes, of course, you have been employed long enough before, but then you can spread the payment of parental allowance over two years, but receive half (or other combinations). However, it is calculated as if you had received it in the first year (legally), so that you are allowed to earn additional income without deductions in the second year.

from on the go

That was clear to me, but how did she get the full amount with the 2nd child? That interests me. She did not work between the children financially, right?
Then you are only entitled to the basic benefit of 300 euros.