The Price of Children

[Eamonn 61]

A pal sent me this E-mail.

I thought I'd share it.

 

The Price of Children

 

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

very sweet!

 

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, & warm cookies.

* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate

* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles,

and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

* 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 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 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!!!!!!!

 

What a bargain ! ! !

Eamonn

 

[GopherJudy 10]

Eamonn,

 

This is sooooooooo true! Also, when your children are playing & they stop, run over to you & give you a big hug & kiss & tell you they love you & then go back to playing! I'll take this bargain any day!

 

Judy

[Eagle447 10]

That was absolutely beautiful...........thank you for sharing this with the forum.........

[johndaigler 10]

Thank you VERY much!

 

John

[jr56 92]

Thanks