The cost of raising a child.
01-10-2002, 07:32 PM
#1
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The cost of raising a child.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.
Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite. What do your get for your $160,140?
Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal.
You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice,communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.
ENJOY YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.
Bill
Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite. What do your get for your $160,140?
Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal.
You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice,communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.
ENJOY YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.
Bill
01-10-2002, 07:50 PM
#2
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Made me teary-eyed.
I remember after having my first baby thinking to my self...."wow, I'm a MOM for the rest of my life"! Kind of a scary thought, but wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING!!
My husband keeps a journal on both of our kids and just writes little snippits of things that they do or say. It's kind of like taking a picture....you capture the moment. And reading them is priceless.
They are worth every single penny.
I remember after having my first baby thinking to my self...."wow, I'm a MOM for the rest of my life"! Kind of a scary thought, but wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING!!
My husband keeps a journal on both of our kids and just writes little snippits of things that they do or say. It's kind of like taking a picture....you capture the moment. And reading them is priceless.
They are worth every single penny.
01-10-2002, 09:03 PM
#4
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RATHER HAVE THE MONEY!
Kids are cute early on, but then they start to grow.
First, you need to worry about them as they can't do for themselves.
Then, you have to worry about them getting into things.
Then, you have to worry about them getting into trouble with friends.
Then you have to worry about them getting into trouble with drugs, sex, aids, alcohol, etc.
Then you have to worry about them getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant.
Actually, you have to worry about them either victimizing someone, or becoming the victim...SCREW IT, DON'T DO IT and enjoy the money and YOUR time to do whatever you want (like BOATING)...hey, if you never have the kids to begin with, you never miss a thing! It may not be fair to bring a kid into this world as it has become too crazy anyways!
[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: ScreaminDemon ]
Kids are cute early on, but then they start to grow.
First, you need to worry about them as they can't do for themselves.
Then, you have to worry about them getting into things.
Then, you have to worry about them getting into trouble with friends.
Then you have to worry about them getting into trouble with drugs, sex, aids, alcohol, etc.
Then you have to worry about them getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant.
Actually, you have to worry about them either victimizing someone, or becoming the victim...SCREW IT, DON'T DO IT and enjoy the money and YOUR time to do whatever you want (like BOATING)...hey, if you never have the kids to begin with, you never miss a thing! It may not be fair to bring a kid into this world as it has become too crazy anyways!
[ 01-10-2002: Message edited by: ScreaminDemon ]
01-11-2002, 05:42 AM
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Location: Twin Lake, Michigan
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Troutly,
I agree. No one thought I would get married let alone have kids and I didn't want anything to do with them. Now a few years later I am married with kids and I love it. Its a little hard on the budget and I dont get to see my wife too often but the kids don't go to daycare. Its important to me to not let someone else raise my kids. Things will start to get easier once they both get into school but until then we are on duty 24/7. The only way to go
I agree. No one thought I would get married let alone have kids and I didn't want anything to do with them. Now a few years later I am married with kids and I love it. Its a little hard on the budget and I dont get to see my wife too often but the kids don't go to daycare. Its important to me to not let someone else raise my kids. Things will start to get easier once they both get into school but until then we are on duty 24/7. The only way to go
01-11-2002, 06:37 AM
#9
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No day care here...My wife gets to enjoy our two little girls every minute of everyday. Can be a bit much sometimes, but wouldn't have it any other way. I just love when you walk through the door any they come running at you with open arms.... 
01-11-2002, 06:56 AM
#10
Gold Member
Gold Member
You're right. the cost has nothing to do with it.
When my daughter was born it was the best day of my life. Watching her being born, grow up, going to school, being the proudest parent at every graduation, all the refridgerator art, ceramic ashtrays (we don't smoke), putting up with her practicing the clarinet, concerts, taking her to marching band practice, the ball games, then band competitions and again being the proudest paretnt as she accepted her high school diploma.
Now that we have a grandson, who turns 3 next month, the cycle begins again and I'm a proud Grandfather (PopPop).
Raisng our daughter wasn't all roses. There were many clashes of authority. Many heartbreaks. Many differences of opinion and discussions about right and wrong.
All the discussions, the arguments and differences of opinion serve to show us how their thoughts and ideas are being shaped and what in direction their lives are heading.
Yes, there were times she was a royal pain in the A**! But I wouldn't trade her for anything.
A parents love is unconditional.
[ 01-11-2002: Message edited by: Iggy ]
When my daughter was born it was the best day of my life. Watching her being born, grow up, going to school, being the proudest parent at every graduation, all the refridgerator art, ceramic ashtrays (we don't smoke), putting up with her practicing the clarinet, concerts, taking her to marching band practice, the ball games, then band competitions and again being the proudest paretnt as she accepted her high school diploma.
Now that we have a grandson, who turns 3 next month, the cycle begins again and I'm a proud Grandfather (PopPop).
Raisng our daughter wasn't all roses. There were many clashes of authority. Many heartbreaks. Many differences of opinion and discussions about right and wrong.
All the discussions, the arguments and differences of opinion serve to show us how their thoughts and ideas are being shaped and what in direction their lives are heading.
Yes, there were times she was a royal pain in the A**! But I wouldn't trade her for anything.
A parents love is unconditional.
[ 01-11-2002: Message edited by: Iggy ]
