Need budget replacement for broken kit lens - am I missing something?

oneluv wrote:

Hey everyone!

So, my toddler yanked my D60 off of the counter and the plastic connections on my 18-55 kit lens snapped off.

I have been using my point and shoot canon and my phone camera for nearly a year trying to decide on a replacement. I am so sick of the poor photos. My subjects are constantly on the move. I need to get a new lens NOW! My budget is tight. I want to spend around 200$. I will be taking some travel photos, but mostly want a fast lens for catching indoor and outdoor shots of my three girls under 6 years old. Portraits, family group shots, playing outside, etc.

My research has lead me to the Nikkor 35mm 1.8 AF-S. I'm just worried that I will miss the zoom option. Should I be looking at a budget non-nikkor zoom lens instead, and then get the prime later? Is there a lens that I should be saving up a little more for? I can bump the budget up to 400-500 in a few months. I think that I will enjoy the lowlight capabilities of a prime lens more than anything else, but I've never shot with a fixed focal length before and I'm nervous!

Advice?? I just want to start taking real pictures again! Thanks so much in advance! ~ Jen