ST. LOUIS — It's no secret that raising children can be expensive, but how about nearly a quarter of a million dollars expensive?
A government report released Tuesday says a middle-income family with a child born last year will spend about $221,000 raising that child through age 17.
$221K? Sounds like someone's skimping...
I mean, there's all kinds of expensives you never thought of before when you have kids. Never mind day care, doctor's bills, etc.; everyone knows that's a part of the cost of raising a child. No, I mean the incidentals, the things you never think of that add up:
- Meals at restaurants that go uneaten.
- Legos, K'Nex, and Lincoln Logs (all of which end up directly on your path to the bathroom at 2AM).
- "Souvenir" crap from any of the circus/Fill-in-the-blank On Ice/sporting event.
- Orthodontia
- Fishing gear to replace the gear lost when the fish "pulled the reel out of my hand".
- Video game accessories
- Character-themed birthday parties
- Character-themed bedding
- Character-themed bicycles/clothing/suppositories/etc.
- Character-themed theme parks (now do you understand the motivation behind the bayonetting of toys?)
- Crayons/markers/colored pencils/etc. all purchased with the noble thought of encouraging your child's artistic side but most likely to turn your kitchen walls into cave drawings.
- Amusement center admissions
- Ride tickets for said amusement centers (what, you thought it was included?)
- Tokens for video games they can't play and that are less intricate than the games they can play at home on the gaming system they "had to have" at said amusement centers.
- Gaming systems.
- Games for said gaming systems.
- Accessories for said gaming systems (they have a lightsaber remote? COOL!)
- New gaming system that comes out the moment you purchase the very last accessory for the old gaming system.
- Doctor bills
- Prescription medicines
- New prescription medicine because the old one "tasted yucky" (honey, it's medicine. It's supposed to "taste yucky", because otherwise you'd be tempted to drink it even when you weren't sick...)
- New computer because they spilled their apple juice on the laptop even though you specifically told them that no, they were not allowed to have drinks near the computer and now mommy and daddy will need a new computer and, oh honey, no don't cry, it's okay, daddy wanted a new computer anyways...
Yep. It adds up quick. Seems like it would have been cheaper to have purchased an Italian sports car and crash it into a wall sometimes. But you know what? Every single day I'm given a dozen different reasons why it's a bargain at thrice the price. Wouldn't change a thing.
Well, maybe we'd go for an Xbox instead of a PlayStation...
That is all.
5 comments:
Don't forget clothing for the parents. Some stains kids put on clothing just simply can not be removed.
Then you start getting into the "can I borrow stage" with teenagers. Your suit or Tux jacket, your shoes, etc; somehow they never come home quite in the same shape they went out.
And don't forget coffee or sodas, I can't count the number of caffeinated drinks I've had while waiting up for kids to get home from a date or just being out or waiting for the friday night football game to end and the band bus to get back.
The list goes on and on.
Now I understand the bayonetting you are so fond of. I may have to start that habit.
Here are some of my favorites:
Electronics that your kids thought ate waffles
Construction paper (one time my kids colored every sheet of a 500 pack of construction paper in one afternoon!)
Napkins - because if one is good, 328 would be better to use with spaghetti
Diapers, wipes, and more diapers (the amount of diapers in our landfills is surprising to some people - those people have never had kids)
Paint - since if crayon, pencil, and pen looks good on paper it looks great on walls!
But I share the sentiment. All of those with out children can keep their ferrari's, I won't trade mine (in spite of any threats I may have made after any of the incidences mentioned above).
One hug,and when he or she say's "I love you daddy" Priceless.
Enjoy they grow up to fast.
Wow, only $221,000 BEFORE college tuition!
$1200 to learn that the LCD screen to an iMac will smash if your kid throws a 2 dollar frisbee into it. (Right after he was told not to throw a frisbee in the house)
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