THE PRICE OF CHILDREN

lilBoPeep
By lilBoPeep

Here is something absolutely positive for a change. 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 nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with R1,681,470.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But R1,681,470.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

R93414.93 a year,
R7784.49 a month,
R1796.34 a week.
A mere R254.52 a day!
Just over R10.50 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 R1,681,470.00?

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 and flying kites.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For R1,681,470.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

finger-paint,
carve pumpkins,
play hide-and-seek,
catch lightning bugs,
never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
watch Saturday morning cartoons,
go to Disney movies, and
wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodlewreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere R254.52 a day, 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 paddling pool,
coaxing a wad of gum out of hairs, and
coaching a rugby team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:

First step,
First word,
First bra,
First date,
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 an ouch! , 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 & great-grandchildren!!!!!!!

It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!
_______________________________

By ashwindoke• 19 May 2009 04:41
ashwindoke

LBP -

lol... Hurt????

Ok focus on only the 2nd half of the post...

And ya.. take it tht way.. Revengeeeee it is... :)

But I thought you knew "Such a Waste" is ur patent Dialog... no one else uses it.....

you are really a waste....uhhh....

By the way you really didn like me in 1st meet?????

___________________________________________

Reality is a Illusion Caused Due to Deficiency of Alcohol

By smoke• 19 May 2009 00:20
smoke

This thread reminds me of a old song i heard a long time back just found a youtube link check it out for all the moms out there :)

Good Fortune always comes knocking at your door...when you are sh*tting in the toilet!! :)

_[]~SMoKE~[]_

 

By GodFather.• 18 May 2009 23:15
GodFather.

Nice thread LBP.

It's not only the money you invest in your children but the time also.

(R is for South African Rand?)

-----------------

HE WHO DARES WINS

By anonymous• 18 May 2009 23:06
anonymous

if that is the case I adore your humour xxxxxxxx

I will hoist that up the flag pole and see who salutes it!!

By edifis• 18 May 2009 23:03
edifis

No I am not an accountant. And I hate that subject. And I don't like accountants either. The driest subject ever...... No creativity at all......what more is there to say.

By anonymous• 18 May 2009 22:57
anonymous

Are you an accountant ;-0 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I will hoist that up the flag pole and see who salutes it!!

By edifis• 18 May 2009 22:56
edifis

Are the estimates correct? Is that valid accounting? Has it been checked by an auditor?

By anonymous• 18 May 2009 22:37
anonymous

Are they worth it...will let you know when they chose our Nursing home ;-)))))))))))))))))))))))

Course kids are worth it.Not to hijack the thread as it has it's own relevance. Kids today are spolit little buggers.

Do we indulge them because we think we had so little?

I will hoist that up the flag pole and see who salutes it!!

By panda• 18 May 2009 22:06
panda

LilBoPeep, thank you for your thread it's really touching.

yesterday I was chatting with my wife and sunddely my 7 years old daughter send me a message telling me : 'daddy I love you to madness'...that was really touching and at the same time I felt very sad coz I'm far from them :(((

By lilBoPeep• 18 May 2009 21:58
lilBoPeep

Ash...........I'm really hurt!!

REALLY? Is it because I didnt like you first? ;-)

Whatever you vividly imagine, Ardently desire, Sincerely believe and Enthusiastically act upon, Must inevitably come to pass.

By ashwindoke• 18 May 2009 21:44
Rating: 5/5
ashwindoke

I have a confession -

I used to think tht you are such a waste of time ....

Really.. absolutely good for nothing..

But this forum has changed it upside down....

Your Son is really Lucky to have a Mother Like you......

And so is every Child to have her/his parents......

Thank you parents... On behalf of all the Sons and Daughters....

___________________________________________

Reality is a Illusion Caused Due to Deficiency of Alcohol

By Tagazoo• 18 May 2009 17:18
Rating: 2/5
Tagazoo

no it's not onion - some leeks :P

By mjamille28• 18 May 2009 16:44
mjamille28

absolutely priceless...:)

By britexpat• 18 May 2009 16:43
Rating: 4/5
britexpat

There's no price on the joy children bring you..

By mallrat• 18 May 2009 16:28
mallrat

R1,681,470.00.

.

R stands for riyal??????

By happygolucky• 18 May 2009 16:25
happygolucky

Lil...no need to be sorry... why should you be....

I did not feel sad... i just felt... hope u can understand what/how...

U just touched that cord which I always try to avoid touching upon ... but ur article did touch there...

Just in a moment u made me relive all those wonderful moments....which are so dear to me...

God bless u...

Tagazoo... I can understand your feelings...

One Life to Live...Live It To The Fullest

By lilBoPeep• 18 May 2009 16:04
lilBoPeep

HGL......so sorry it made you sad! It was meant to give joy!

Whatever you vividly imagine, Ardently desire, Sincerely believe and Enthusiastically act upon, Must inevitably come to pass.

By avishai• 18 May 2009 16:01
Rating: 2/5
avishai

nice

^_^

By happygolucky• 18 May 2009 15:54
Rating: 3/5
happygolucky

Lil...this sure shouldnt be in funnies...I dont know where it should be but definitely not in funnies...

Only one who is away from his children can feel it from his heart... it just pained... and pained quite a bit...

U just made me touch the soft hands of my daughter and relive her smile...and made me see my son grow and take that first step...

Thank you...

One Life to Live...Live It To The Fullest

By DaRuDe• 18 May 2009 15:49
Rating: 3/5
DaRuDe

stop cutting the onions then

By Tagazoo• 18 May 2009 15:47
Tagazoo

I have tears in my eyes reading this article..

By mjamille28• 18 May 2009 15:30
Rating: 3/5
mjamille28

amen to that... :)

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