And those people with no kids think THEY are the lucky ones? Check out what parents get!?

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,
* keep watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* keep going to Disney movies, and
* keep wishing on stars.


* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, make hand prints set in clay or cards with backward letters for Father's Day and Mother'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!!!!!!!

May you always love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

i am a mom of 6 children; two in heaven, three at home, and one in my womb. your expression couldnt be more right or more touching. ( im bawling my eyes out!) thank you for this valuable and true-to-heart reminder of the joys and miracles of being a parent. bless you!

that was heart taking
i gotta 5 month year old babe and im 21 i no its really young and it looks really bad i no that everyone has bad comments about me and jugdes me but really i dont give a s#$t wat they think and say i luv my boy wit everything i have Report It

Aww... makes me want kids. :)

I should show my husband this he thinks we are ready for children (I know I am) but we can't afford it, (we just bought our first house). I guess we could afford it I'm going to go home and start trying tonight. Thanks for the info鈾?/div>

• 1 year ago