Category: Parent Talk
I almost posted this in the joke board, but thought it would go best here. It's so true.
Bob
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Had this sent to me today and wanted to share!
The Price of Children
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 $160,140.00 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.
Aww! That's so sweet! I too think that is so true! I want kids now! Someone want to invest some money in my child?
Michelle
That is so true. Thanks for posting. *smiles* I loved it!
sweet.
Brilliant unless you know Alasdair the human tornado
That's great. Children are fabulous.
I don't have any of my own, but have little brothers and a sisters. They are the greatest.
*smile* I'm obviously not a parent yet, but hope to be one day. Let's hope it's not me who has to go up to get that frisbee off the roof. lol
That's absolutely beautiful. I'm going to send that to my boyfriend, mother, father and all of my friends with children and or younger siblings. Thank you for posting something that is not at all tipical of the usual zone fluff, rumers and bashing. Again, that was lovely.