What do you get for $160,140.00??

[kjguy43]

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 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 $160,140.00?
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 and flying kites.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.



For $160,140.00, 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,
watch Saturday morning cartoons,
go to Disney movies, and
wish 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 a mere $24.24 a day, 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 regardless.


You get a front row seat in 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!!!!!!!
It's the best investment you'll make.

[Penny]

mine were expensive :D

[Sandy]

so are mine :D

[kjguy43]

mine were expensive :D

But I bet every penny was well spent

[kjguy43]

so are mine :D

We only have 1, thought about a boy, but just not sure yet.

[Sandy]

we have 3, 2 boys one girl. only 1 left home now, my 15 year old and hes eating us out house and home. lol













We only have 1, thought about a boy, but just not sure yet.

[kjguy43]

we have 3, 2 boys one girl. only 1 left home now, my 15 year old and hes eating us out house and home. lol

I was one of three in my family also. I was the baby, I was mommas boy. Our daughter is only 5, so if we decide to have a boy, we better get moving.

[Sandy]

boys are great :55 so are girls lol

[kjguy43]

boys are great :55 so are girls lol

So lets sum it up this way, kids are great.

Our daughter is the highlite of my life..it awesome when she runs up and hugs my legs when I get home from work.

[dartgirl]

Just because you want a boy doesn't mean you'll get one. I thought for sure my youngest was going to be the girl I wanted. Everything was different than my oldest which was a boy. Boy was I surprised, good thing the name I had picked out worked either way.

[CJSinIL]

Can I get a loan since it cost so much.

[kjguy43]

Just because you want a boy doesn't mean you'll get one. I thought for sure my youngest was going to be the girl I wanted. Everything was different than my oldest which was a boy. Boy was I surprised, good thing the name I had picked out worked either way.

Yeah we are well aware of that, I would like a boy, but if she should get pregnant again, I just want the baby, boy or girl to be healthy. Everything else is just material.

[SensualAngel]

Children....they are your life, your breath, your dreams, your sadness, your hopes, your fears, and everything rolled into a little package.


They are the amazement of innocence you see daily when you look into their eyes because no matter how old and wise they become, they will still come to you for advice when it matters most.

When their heartbreaks, so does yours.

When they are ill and you can't make them better, it hurts you too.

When they draw you a picture, it's the best art ever.

When they hug you and kiss you, you feel like everything will somehow be okay.

When they learn something new, you jump up and down inside.

Everything your child does, touches, or is a part of will affect you as a parent. They say that a child learns from their parents first and foremost. I think that we learn from our children. I know I have learned a great deal from them since becoming a mother.

So the next time you ask your child to pick up their toys...or brush their hair or whatever, remember that they are people just like you and I...when they say it's because you asked them if the would pick up their toys, they made a choice. If someone asked me if I wanted to do the dishes, I would say no too...but seeing as how I am an adult and really no one else will, I just do them. Now if I want my child to do something, I offer a choice...something along the lines of either you can pick up your toys or I can do it, but if I do it, they'll be put away for awhile. Invariably they'll pick up the toys. It's a negative decision true, but it's still their decision.

Anyways, got sidetracked yet again. I agree, value every moment you have with them...it's not the big things they do...but if we learn to listen and see the small things, then we'll be amazed at how wonderful they truly are...each an individual, each unique...each full of love.

(Just my thoughts, i know I drifted, but it's what I think)

[tiger50]

boys are great :55 so are girls lol

umm 6 girls.. 2 boys... i'll take the boys..lol...
imagine livin in a house with 7 women with pmt... :(

[Jy]

MY son is my whole world. He is my reason for everything I do, my motivation, inspiration, and the reason I get up every morning. I cherish every hug, every laugh, every moment I spend with him.

Thanks for posting that, KJ. It was beautiful, cute, and very true.

[MCat]

Yeah we are well aware of that, I would like a boy, but if she should get pregnant again, I just want the baby, boy or girl to be healthy. Everything else is just material.

I was told by an old aunt - the sperm that make girls are plentiful and stronger. So you should have sex a lot in a few days time to get rid of the girl sperm, then try for a boy.

We didn't concentrate on it and ended up with one of each.

[MCat]

umm 6 girls.. 2 boys... i'll take the boys..lol...
imagine livin in a house with 7 women with pmt... :(

I think I would go with the boys too Tiger....our son was much more pleasant than our daughter. He still is...

[Michael77]

That was beautiful..a parent had to have written that..

[Dsparate Hswife]

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 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 $160,140.00?
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 and flying kites.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.



For $160,140.00, 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,
watch Saturday morning cartoons,
go to Disney movies, and
wish 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 a mere $24.24 a day, 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 regardless.


You get a front row seat in 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!!!!!!!
It's the best investment you'll make.

You damn near made me cry!! My children remind me everyday of what's important in life!

[baby face]

Love it, That made me love my children that much more......I love being a stay at home mom its the best job ever!

[Jy]

Sure is, Baby, and not as easy as others think! I've always found that it's easier working full time than parenting full time. At work, your responsibilities, hours, rules and regulations are clearly established. Usually there are instruction manuals or on the job training, but not for babies!
I work very part time hours, and I don't regret it for a second. They grow up so fast - I want to spend as much time with my little boy as I can!Love it, That made me love my children that much more......I love being a stay at home mom its the best job ever!

[Wil]

I look at it this way...im taking good care of them now, so in 20 or so years they can return the gradtitude...

[spare_change]

My dad always used to say about his kids ---

"I wouldn't take a million dollars for the ones I got, and I wouldn't give you 50 cents for another one just like them."

[peaches]

kjguy..that was so true and more...I have 3 girls and 1 boy and through it all I would nerver change a thing..they were such a joy as children, loved every minute with them. But they are grown they still weight heavy on the heart but that is okay they are still just as wsonderful. But I have grand children....3 boys and 1 girl...and how miss them so, with have moved away...it breakes my heart every day.....and I love them all so dearly....

[Annie]

My dad always used to say about his kids ---

"I wouldn't take a million dollars for the ones I got, and I wouldn't give you 50 cents for another one just like them."We call our only child Nicky III. When people ask us why we call him the third when his father's name is Andrew, we just tell them that the first 2 Nicky's wouldn't listen either. If this one doesn't start listening... well, we made him, we can make one just like him!

[PunkyBob]

Long as we're on the subject of kids...check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJL5dxgVaM

[Gray451]

As long as my daughter doesn't develope her mothers looks and my morals...we may be ok..but if she keeps up this way..I'm DOOOOMMMMMMMEDD

[msbnee]

My son is wayyyyy more expensive!! He's trying to impress the girls.

[medic]

be more like an x wife to me.