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athos
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cost of raising a child
« on: Feb 6th, 2004, 2:58am » |
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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. For those with kids, that figure leads to wild fantasies about all the money we could have banked if not for (insert your child's name here). For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless. 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 $24.44 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 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, handprints 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 you 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 the 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 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.
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BillyJ.
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #1 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 4:16am » |
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And it's worth every cent! AMEN!!!
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Tiannia
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #2 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 12:20pm » |
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on Feb 6th, 2004, 2:58am, athos wrote:| It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.44 a day |
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Obviously they do not count in Day care cost, but I have to admit that after a long day at work having my 17 m old run and and wrap those arms around me with that huge 8 tooth smile and "Mamamama" over the sounds of children playing is worth more then anything I spend.
Having my 6 yr old tell me that "Mom, you are the worlds best cooker. You should have a cooking show like the cooking Bam guy". That I will always remember and there is not price tag on those memories...
Thanks , AThos, that was great.
Tiannia
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thomas
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #3 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 12:21pm » |
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I'm jealous........ 
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Leesa
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #4 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 2:50pm » |
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Athos, this was one of the best posts I have ever read! BRAVO! Very well done!
My kids are my life, with out them I can honestley say I dont know where I would be. Ill take the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, teething, boo boo's, heart breaks, and watching my kids spread their wings and fly to become what ever they choose and I wont give a tinkers damn what the cost is. There is no amount of money in this world that will come close to the joy of having my kids tell me everynight "Mom I love you" John, David Matthew, Daniel, Rachael, Ashlee, Samantha, & Mychael. They are the lights of my life!
A VERY proud Momma and "step" Mom of 7, Leesa 
John, David Matthew, Daniel, Rachael, Ashlee, Samantha, & Mychael. They are the lights of my life!
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hopefull
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #5 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 3:04pm » |
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Thanks....We all need reminders of how good we have it....me 3 kids 2 grandaon....with whom I play out side and collect things(bugs) ,make armor, capes,swords, have water gun fights with INSIDE the house(best part sneeking up on grandaddy ), turn off all the lights and get the flash lights out.... we laugh and have so much fun.....does keep you young!!....Thanks!
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broomhilda
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #6 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 6:15pm » |
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Nice one Athos, as I look over to see my six year old sleeping angel what I have to say is.....
priceless..... 
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River_Rat
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #7 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 6:48pm » |
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Great Post Athos, If you don't have kids you'll never know that kind of love, My kids are my world.
But, I think you might have the figures wrong a bit (at least for me) I pay $1,872.00 in child support per month for my two oldest kids. That equals $22,464 per year for those lil bastards not counting driving 320 miles a month to pick the little fuckers up, and then the health care and unpaid deductables, food on the weekends when I have them, also the 2-week vacation in the summer, and of course we have to take them somewhere in addition to Christmas, birthday, and all other holiday presents. But, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Now my lil 2 year old seems to be a little cheeper for now anyway.
NORM
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Jayne
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #8 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 6:52pm » |
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does anyone want to adopt me??
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Woobie
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #9 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 7:03pm » |
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on Feb 6th, 2004, 12:21pm, thomas wrote:| I'm jealous........ |
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dont be a hater thomas!!
i have TWO - one to spare. any time you feel the need - let me know and you can borrow them. no problem
here to help!
Tina
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Woobie
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #10 on: Feb 6th, 2004, 7:05pm » |
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on Feb 6th, 2004, 6:48pm, River_Rat wrote:Great Post Athos, If you don't have kids you'll never know that kind of love, My kids are my world.
But, I think you might have the figures wrong a bit (at least for me) I pay $1,872.00 in child support per month for my two oldest kids. That equals $22,464 per year for those lil bastards not counting driving 320 miles a month to pick the little fuckers up, and then the health care and unpaid deductables, food on the weekends when I have them, also the 2-week vacation in the summer, and of course we have to take them somewhere in addition to Christmas, birthday, and all other holiday presents. But, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Now my lil 2 year old seems to be a little cheeper for now anyway.
NORM
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LMAO! Norm...
good for you for paying your child support!!! Bravo!
I love my kids
Tina
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thomas
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #11 on: Feb 7th, 2004, 11:44am » |
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on Feb 6th, 2004, 7:03pm, Woobie wrote:
WTF does that mean, girlfriend......?????? 
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brad267
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #12 on: Feb 7th, 2004, 11:55am » |
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Ummmm did they figure in the cost of ALL the things that kids break throughout their lives? i.e. crayons on walls, taking the car for a joyride, breaking the neighbors window...
Of course the cost is worth it, but I'm one for saying that the number should be MUCH higher...
-Brad
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Cerberus
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #13 on: Feb 7th, 2004, 11:04pm » |
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Yeah Woobie n me have two....
I love em to death and wouldn't trade em for the world but do ya think that for that price I could get the dishes done?
Ramon
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TxBasslady
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #14 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 12:48am » |
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You know, every day......you are making memories with your children.
Make sure those memories are special ones. You want to make certain they are not forgotten.
My Mom & Dad are both gone now....I really miss Mom...
but my Daddy and I were best buds! And the memories of him and the times he and I spent together fishing and hunting are all I have left. I am forever thankful that God gave me the best Mom and Dad in the world.
So, make lots of memories.....give your children good times to look back on. One day you'll be gone....and all they'll have are the memories.
Sending lots of love to the children 
Jean
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peteyg
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #15 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 1:48am » |
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I love my kids. Any price is worth it. As I look at my 2 year old asleep on the couch, and my 12 year old at the computer chatting with friends, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have them.
My 18 year old doesn't come around much anymore, but I know she loves me. Raising my kids has been one of the single most rewarding things in my life. I can't believe I started over, but now that she's here, I can't imagine why I ever thought I was happy with just my older 2.
I have a child at home, and I pay child support. I also maintain communication with the antichrist because of my two older kids.  That is a price beyond measure. You'd have to know her to understand how much of a sacrifice this is.  Anyway, I digress...
I love my kids, and for them any hardship is worth taking, any cost worth paying, and all my love worth giving.
Did I mention that I love my kids?
http://www.petesplace.net/hailey_jenna_griffith.htm
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BobG
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #16 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 4:00am » |
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on Feb 6th, 2004, 6:52pm, Jayne wrote:| does anyone want to adopt me?? |
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Adopt me, my ass!
Just give me the 160,140 bucks and I'll figure it out myself.
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Leesa
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #17 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 8:56pm » |
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Jayne I'll adopt ya love anytime!! For those that don't have kids well I can hook ya up! I got 7 so take your pick! YES........ I said 7!! LMAO
Leesa
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kim
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #18 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 9:25pm » |
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Great post.
I choose the old cost and effect theory (although i'm not really sure one exists - LOL). It's not sumpin we can put numbers on at the end of the day if all adds up - we simply look at a small face without creases. We see the perfection and we FEEL it. That adds up to more than i could ever earn in dollars.
If the world were to end - I would look into the eyes of another mother or father in any part of the world and we would be the same. The cost is not negotiable. The cost is not ever equable. There is no such thing as cost to be placed on children. They are infinity.
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Rick_K
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #19 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 9:39pm » |
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on Feb 6th, 2004, 4:16am, BillyJ. wrote:| And it's worth every cent! AMEN!!! |
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I agree...except they left a few things out like what happens to your auto insurance...
Then after 18 the real fun starts. For some unknown reason they want to go to college and where do the bills go...we know the answer to that...home to mom and dad.
It's still worth every penny...and hard as hell when they leave the house.
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| « Last Edit: Feb 8th, 2004, 9:40pm by Rick_K » |
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Cerberus
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Re: cost of raising a child
« Reply #20 on: Feb 8th, 2004, 10:47pm » |
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Quote:| If the world were to end - I would look into the eyes of another mother or father in any part of the world and we would be the same. |
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"And as the windshield melts and my tears evaporate...
Leaving only charcoal to be found...
Finally I understand the feelings of the few...
Ashes and Diamonds, Foe and Friend...
We were all equal in the end..."
- Roger Waters- (Pink Floyd)
Amen sister...
Ramon
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