The cost of a child - Yada, Yada, Yada

Pickles · 11-20-06, 03:14 PM

It is the time of year to be thankful... here is another slant on the cost of raising a child and what we can be thankful for.... Have a great day!

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 you 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 sand castles, 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 Pooh and 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 deal.

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 booboo, 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!

They are worth every single penny!

Lynn Adler
Garfield Counselor

"Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what
makes it permanent." (Marilyn vos Savant )

Whitney · 11-20-06, 03:20 PM

I love how it's all broken down but when I first saw the title to your thread the words that popped in my head "The Cost of A Child = Too Damn Much" LOL though there's not enough money in the world that I wouldn't give for my daughter

11-20-06, 03:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
Pickles Yada, Yada, Yada Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,699 Thanks: 31 Thanked 173 Times in 123 Posts My Mood:	The cost of a child It is the time of year to be thankful... here is another slant on the cost of raising a child and what we can be thankful for.... Have a great day! 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 you 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 sand castles, 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 Pooh and 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 deal. 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 booboo, 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! They are worth every single penny! Lynn Adler Garfield Counselor "Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." (Marilyn vos Savant ) __________________

11-20-06, 03:20 PM	#2
Whitney Shit If I Know Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 10,404 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 256 Thanked 258 Times in 245 Posts My Mood:	Re: The cost of a child I love how it's all broken down but when I first saw the title to your thread the words that popped in my head "The Cost of A Child = Too Damn Much" LOL though there's not enough money in the world that I wouldn't give for my daughter __________________ *It took me becoming a mother to learn what true love really is.* http://www.myspace.com/its_me_whitters