{"id":5343,"date":"2021-09-24T00:01:56","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T07:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themasonicjourney.com\/?p=5343"},"modified":"2021-09-24T00:01:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T07:01:56","slug":"the-cost-of-kids-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/the-cost-of-kids-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cost of Kids 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author Unknown<\/em><\/p>\n

For those of you with kids, grandkids, or step-kids,
\nor if you are debating the idea of having kids, here is a great read!
\nI have seen repeatedly the breakdown of the cost of raising a child,
\nbut this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way.<\/p>\n

It’s nice, really nice!<\/p>\n

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child
\nFrom birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income
\nfamily. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition.<\/p>\n

But $160,140 isn’t so bad if you ! break it down.<\/p>\n

It translates into: $8,896 a year, $741.38 a month, or
\n$171.08 a week.
\nThat’s a mere $24.24 a day!
\nJust over a dollar an hour.<\/p>\n

Still, you might think the best financial advice says don’t have children if you want to be “rich.”
\nIt is just the opposite.<\/p>\n

What do your get for your $160,140?
\nNaming rights — First, middle, and last!
\nGlimpses of God everyday.
\nGiggles under the covers every night.
\nMore love than your heart can hold.
\nButterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
\nEndless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
\nA hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
\nA partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles,
\nand skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
\nSomeone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or
\nhow your stocks performed that day.<\/p>\n

For $160,140, you never have to grow up.<\/p>\n

You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek,
\nCatch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
\nYou have an excuse to keep reading the adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
\nwatching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney World, and
\nwishing on stars.
\nYou get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator
\nmagnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand
\nset in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s
\nDay.<\/p>\n

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.<\/p>\n

You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage
\nroof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter,
\nfilling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs,
\nand coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated
\nto ice cream regardless.<\/p>\n

You get a front row seat to witness history happening.. the first step, first
\nword, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel. You get to be
\nimmortal.<\/p>\n

You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re
\nlucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.<\/p>\n

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice,
\ncommunications, and human sexuality that no college can match.<\/p>\n

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.<\/p>\n

You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters
\nunder the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them
\nforever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love
\nwithout counting the cost.<\/p>\n

ENJOY YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS<\/p>\n

Peace is seeing a sunset.. and knowing whom to thank!<\/p>\n

Comment<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis is a bit unusual for a Masonic paper, however, a great percentage of usare fathers & grand fathers & hopefully it will bring forward a lot of memories<\/em>
\nand good times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless<\/em>
\nNorm (Grandpa)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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