<SPAN class=HTMLTypewriter3><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT size=3>The Price of Children<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com </PRE> This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely Positive for a change. </PRE> I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time </PRE> I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.</PRE> </PRE> The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from Birth to 18 and came up </PRE> with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch </PRE> college tuition.</PRE> </PRE> But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:</PRE> </PRE> * $8,896.66 a year,</PRE> * $741.38 a month, or</PRE> * $171.08 a week.</PRE> * That's a mere $24.24 a day!</PRE> * Just over a dollar an hour.</PRE> </PRE> Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children If you want to be "rich." </PRE> Actually, it is just the opposite.</PRE> </PRE> What do you get for your $160,140.00?</PRE> </PRE> * Naming rights. First, middle, and last!</PRE> * Glimpses of God every day.</PRE> * Giggles under the covers every night.</PRE> * More love than your heart can hold.</PRE> * Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.</PRE> * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.</PRE> * A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.</PRE> * A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.</PRE> * Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said </PRE> or how your stocks performed that day.</PRE> </PRE> For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:</PRE> </PRE> * finger-paint,</PRE> * carve pumpkins,</PRE> * play hide-and-seek,</PRE> * catch lightning bugs, and</PRE> * never stop believing in Santa Claus.</PRE> </PRE> You have an excuse to:</PRE> </PRE> * keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,</PRE> * watch Saturday morning cartoons,</PRE> * go to Disney movies, and</PRE> * wish on stars.</PRE> * You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator</PRE> magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand</PRE> prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters</PRE> for Father's Day.</PRE> </PRE> For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:</PRE> </PRE> * retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,</PRE> * taking the training wheels off a bike,</PRE> * removing a splinter,</PRE> * filling a wading pool,</PRE> * coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team </PRE> that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.</PRE> </PRE> You get a front row seat in history to witness the:</PRE> * first step,</PRE> * first word,</PRE> * first bra,</PRE> * first date, and</PRE> * first time behind the wheel.</PRE> </PRE> You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, </PRE> a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an </PRE> education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that </PRE> no college can match.</PRE> </PRE> In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, </PRE> scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them </PRE> forever, a and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. </PRE> That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!</PRE> </PRE> Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren </PRE> !!!!!!! </PRE> It's the best investment you'll make !!!!!!!!!</PRE>
Forgot to mention.... I got this from a good friend.... cool huh... Oh and yeah TMH... if you have children... all your toys will eventually be theirs.... teaching them how to appreciate and use them is great fun.... sort of your legacy to pass on through the generations..... Parents are hero's, know all the secrets of the universe and legends in their kids minds while they are young.... I have a little girl.... teaching her how to make a fire with steel and fint and to shoot a bow and arrow was awesome..... not being afraid of the dark and monsters in the closet or under the bed.... catching spiders, centipedes, frogs, bees, fish, crabs, rats etc.... that's cool too..... don't want her to just be all prissy and girly... ... she's that too... Kids are one of the very best things in life !!!!!! IMHO
Thanks for the Positive note , Bear! (borrowed it for another board , by the way! ) It's good to hear the nice things .....reminds us of why we're here... Again...Thank you!
I think that price is way too cheap. Ever checked the price of band instruments? Camps? Gymnastics? Cheerleading? Diapers? Forumla? Child care? I could go on and on. Of course my girls are spoiled. What I get in return is............................priceless.
No Worries CRC.... I got it and shared it.... think it was meant to be shared.... Yup EL.... I'm not big on credit card commercials... but I think MasterCard got it right.... "Cost... x amount of dollars... return... Priceless".... We're all someone's "spoiled" little boy or girl.... good to remember the "really important" things once and a while....
