Parents An Grand Parents

[martymas]

i love this summing up of children

with out them what would life be worth

marty

PRICE OF CHILDREN

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 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. 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, flying kites

* 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 mo rning 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 on 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 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 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 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!!!!!!

I know that some of us feel that we have a lot more invested then this in them...lol

[papa]

Thanks, Marty

[bobbynichols]

Thanks Marty... I needed that.

[blim]

Aww, too cute! And they're worth every penny

Liz

[baker7]

Aww, too cute! And they're worth every penny

Liz

Liz:

YOU SAID IT!!! I love kids, and seeing this makes me glad that I am an uncle many times over - I sometimes wish I could see my nieces and nephews more, but times somtimes are hard to nail down sometimes - people say I would be a good dad, but being an uncle will increase my patience *grin*

Kids: our future, our students :>

Brian

[blim]

Brian, being an Uncle gives you the Special Priviledge of spoiling the kids rotten (parents can't!) and giving the kids noisy, complicated and battery operated presents (parents won't!)

Aunties and Uncles get to have the most fun (and yes, even though my sisters cuss at me at Christmastime, my nieces and nephews are the most fun to buy for Yeah, I'm a wee bit evil....)

Liz

[baker7]

Brian, being an Uncle gives you the Special Priviledge of spoiling the kids rotten (parents can't!) and giving the kids noisy, complicated and battery operated presents (parents won't!)

Aunties and Uncles get to have the most fun (and yes, even though my sisters cuss at me at Christmastime, my nieces and nephews are the most fun to buy for Yeah, I'm a wee bit evil....)

Liz

I love being an uncle - it gives me the chance to do just that (although I won't let them get away with doing something they are not supposed to do if thier parents said NO already) - My uncles used to spoil me, and I had a blast - I havenot seen my nephews for the longest time, but I would do something for them if I was asked If I ever marry, I think it would be cool to have my nieces and nephews have my wife be an auntie - but Uncle Brian is single and will remain that way till he finds the right one

Brian

[martymas]

good luck brian

when it comes to children i get carried away

weather it be neices nephews grandsons grand daighters

you name it

with out them their would be nothing

for us to love

marty

[Pete_C]

Nice work marty.

[hitest]

Very cool, Marty!!! That made me smile

[garmanma]

Aww, too cute! And they're worth every penny

Liz

Liz:

YOU SAID IT!!! I love kids, and seeing this makes me glad that I am an uncle many times over - I sometimes wish I could see my nieces and nephews more, but times somtimes are hard to nail down sometimes - people say I would be a good dad, but being an uncle will increase my patience *grin*

Kids: our future, our students :>

Brian

Being an uncle means you can buy your niece/nephew that drum set for Christmas

Mark