The "Cost"of Raising a Child
I recently came across an article that had been written probably 15 or so years ago... I don't recall who wrote it and I am pretty sure the numbers have increased over the years when you include inflation, but I think the real financial information won't matter to you after reading this heartwarming detail....
Psalm 127: 3-5 - Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
What cost??? - (as received in an email and even if this is not totally accurate, its principles still applies!) 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.
A government finding 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 as 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
* A partner for flying kites
For $160,140 you never have to grow up and get to: finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek and catch lightning bugs!
* 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 roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs,* 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 (awesome)
* first word (so cute)
* first bra (yikes)
* first date (lock and load) and
* first time behind the wheel (help meeee.....)
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 wiout counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price !
Love & enjoy your children and your grandchildren, and all the little ones in your life !!! (And when I last read this, I wasn't a grand parent so time flies my friends!