The Price of Children

[cooltoy2000]

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.

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 is don't have children if you want to be "rich."
Actually, 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 jelly or chocolate.

* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites

* 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 a 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 or pizza 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 and great 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 under 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. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

[East_TX_Spa]

I can sell the little varmints for about $20,000 down on the border towns....$25K if they're Chinese.  It's a very lucrative industry in the offseason.

Term

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

You quite obviously have never had a TEENAGER  :-/

[In Canada eh]

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God.
 

Since we are getting all mushy and stuff.  Years ago, I heard a quote very similar to this one, sorry I can't remember who said it.  So I'll just take credit

   "Mother is the name for  God in the eyes of a small child"

In Canada Eh ( the profound one )

[Vinny]

I think the government goofed again, I think the figure is closer to $1,601,000.

It costs about $5000 just to have the child.

I have 2 boys, love them to death and wouldn't trade being a dad vs not being one but children are probably the #1 drain on a household income. Money isn't everything and the joy that my sons have given me (it hasn't been all joy though) is worth whatever it costs me.

[In Canada eh]

It costs about $5000 just to have the child.

You guys really need to move to Canada.  Everyone give a great big "O'Canada" to publicly funded health care  I always find it shocking when I hears stories of people having a heart attack and the medical bills from it leaving a entire family in bankruptcy

[Cyn]

You guys really need to move to Canada.  Everyone give a great big "O'Canada" to publicly funded health care  I always find it shocking when I hears stories of people having a heart attack and the medical bills from it leaving a entire family in bankruptcy

I have heard that it takes a very long time to see a Dr. about things with your system.  A friend needed surgery and he was unable to have it done on a timely basis.  Another friend needed to have knee replacement surgery and once again he had to wait over 6 months for surgery.  

[In Canada eh]

Cyn

  Yes, wait times can be long for elective or non-emergency surguries but they also don't cost a cent

[Rayman]

and they will send us to the States if the wait is too long

[Cyn]

and they will send us to the States if the wait is too long

I have never heard that...for emergencies?  

[Vinny]

You guys really need to move to Canada.  Everyone give a great big "O'Canada" to publicly funded health care  I always find it shocking when I hears stories of people having a heart attack and the medical bills from it leaving a entire family in bankruptcy

I truely believe that the US really needs to go into a government run healthcare system. Of course the horror stories of government run heathcare then surfaces. As you mentioned - we sometimes can go bankrupt. My health insurance used to have a copay of $20 - great. Well, the same company and healthcare provider (and yes more costly per month to me) now has me paying the first $500 (family)out of pocket and then 10% until I hit some huge out of pocket expense (not sure if it's as low as $1000 but think it is higher).

Of course the fact we have all these insurance companies and the CEOs all have high priced salaries AND some treatments may not be paid for really irks me. Healthcare should not be an option IMO.

I'm ready to move ... I'll come live with you until I find a job!

[cooltoy2000]

Lot's of jobs in Alberta, not enough people to do them.

[Vinny]

I don't have an US passport so I would have to be smuggled into the country.

Once there I would have to establish contact with people such as myself. I would have to live with them so we could get day work and hope to survive. I would have to work long, hard hours. Whenever I hear sirens I would have to look over my shoulders...

Oh wait you guys speak English, you got Molson ... I could fit in!  I was thinking of our illegal alien problem! 8-)

My wife always said she'd run to Canada if my boys were drafted!

[Tman122]

160 G's to get the grass mowed for 6 or so years and the garbage taken out for 10 or so, seems a bit steep to me.

[Vanguard]

Cyn

  Yes, wait times can be long for elective or non-emergency surguries but they also don't cost a cent

That is so naive.  You don't pay any taxes in Canada?

The reason why healthcare in the US has gotten so expensive is because the employers pay for it.  The users have forgotten that someone still pays for it.  The other reason is all the absurd lawsuits we have in this country.  Used to live in Mississippi, the tort system is so out of whack there that doctors are leaving because they can't afford the insurance.  I just recently read that the med school in Jackson didn't even fill up this year.

Get regular, every day healthcare back to a market system and watch the cost come down.  Then, use insurance for major medical when you can't shop around.  That's the way it used to work here.  We've always led the world in healthcare advances and technology - even when it was more of a user pay system.

AND... since this started about children....They are priceless.  I'd pay anything for what mine have brought in my life.