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Now, where was I? Oh yeah, the cost of raising kids. Like I was saying...if we're talking about the child of a married couple, one parent's employer offering health bennies, kids are dirt cheap. What do kids need? Clothes and food. Do kids care if they are designer clothes? No. If they are old enough to care, they are old enough to start babysitting, mowing lawns, shovelling, pet-sitting...what else do kids need? Books are good. There's a special kind of building called a library in which one can borrow books. There are also used book stores, garage sales, library book sales (aka book bonanzas)...supplying your kids with reading material does not mean dropping $50 at Barnes and Noble...what else do kids need? Toys are good. I'm a big fan of toys, quite honestly. Not the kind of toys that plug into a tv, require cartridges, and have to be upgraded every 18 months. I'm a huge fan of Fisher Price. Those Little People playsets cost between $7.99 and $24.99 and they are as close to being indestructable as you are likely to find. They're powered by imagination. AA batteries for special occasions, but usually I let the kids go without. My kids love those things. Three boys, 7, 5, and 2.5. When they are playing Little People together they have a ball. No fighting, no commercials, just fun...so what else do kids need?

Let's go back to the freebies. Kids need love. They need it qualitatively and they need it quantitatively. They need it before they head off to school in the morning and they need it when they step off the bus in the afternoon. Its a 24/7 thing. Free.

Kids need guidance. What is the standard admission price to church these days? That's right--nothing. How much does a private Bible tutor cost? Nothing. If you're on shaky ground biblically, like me, learn along with your kids.

Teaching kids good manners doesn't cost a dime but the kids who grow up in a gracious household will reap the rewards later in life. Grace is a gift that keeps on giving.

Kids need exercise so take a ten minute (at least) walk with them every single day, regardless of weather. Can you spare ten minutes for your child, establishing an excellent habit with nothing but rewards?

Like I said, kids are cheap. Parents, on the other hand, cost a bundle. I actually don't think I'll go into that now, maybe save it for Friday's thread. I'm just not in the mood for "But, but but!" Nothing but excuses.

Like I was saying...if we're talking about the child of a married couple, one parent's employer offering health bennies, kids are dirt cheap. What do kids need? Clothes and food.

I too agree that too many parents use money as an excuse not to have children. However, there are indeed other costs involved in raising kids that parents do need to take into account.

Not everyone has reliable medical insurance through their job. Even when people have medical insurance, they often don't have dental insurance (or good dental insurance.) We have had three children with orthodontia (about $4000 each - they had some pretty severe problems that were *not* "just cosmetic." Bad genes...), and insurance only paid about a fifth of it. Some insurers pay nothing. Routine dental appointments every six months run about $75 to $100 each.

We don't go overboard in any way with lavish lessons, but we do have some children in some assorted lessons, and they aren't cheap either.

Then there is college spending. Ours are exploring low-cost alternatives, but if you own your own home and aren't divorced, and have anything saved for retirement at all that's outside of IRAs, don't expect any "need-based" financial aid.

Thanks for saying that raising kids is cheap! I tell people this all the time, I raised good kids, my youngest is 18 now, and I may have spent LESS than the amount I would've spent on the narcissistic track I was on.

You are right, adults create their own expensive lifestyles, and then insist that kids are too expensive because they cannot do without. Gearing down is not impossible, but it takes ego-supression.

Some people just can't do ego-supression. They have shiny cars and spoiled angry kids.