THE COST OF A CHILD

I stumbled across this on another person's blog and thought I would share this with everyone:

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 really isn't that bad if you break it down. It translates into:

• $8,896.66 per year
  
• $741.38 per month
• $171.08 per week
• $24.24 per 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 oppostire if oyu ask me! I get to look forward to the following with my little boy!

Here is what I will get for my $160,140.00.

• Naming rights-First , middle and last name
• Glimpses of God everyday-my little boy is a gift from God!!!
• Giggles under the covers every night
• Butterfly kisses
• Endless wonder over rocks, ants, dirt and Nana/Gran's home-ade cookies
• A hand to hold usually covered with dirt, chocolate, or jelly.
• A partner to blow bubbles, play catch, and roll around in the dirt.
• Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said.

For $160,140.00 you never have to grow up.

You get to:

• finger paint
• carve pumpkins
• play hide and seek
• catch lightening bigs
• never stop believing in Santa Claus

You have an excuse to:

• keep reading the Curious George
• watch Saturday morning cartoons-this has never stopped Brad
• go to see Disney movies-these are better anyways!
• wish on stars
• You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under the refrigerator magnets and collect spray 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 roof
• taking the training wheels off a bike
• removing a splinter
• filling a wading pool
• coaching a baseball team that never wins but always get treated to ice cream regardless

You get a front row seat in history to witness the

• the first step
• first word
• first date
• first time behind the wheel

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree-and if you are lucky-a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, and communications 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!!!