Egad. And my wife wants to have another kid...

[smoogatz]

http://www.moneycentral.msn.com/articles/family/kids/tlkidscost.asp

[Triana]

1. Uggghhhh...

...Rotsa Ruck. :think:

[Fresh_Start]

2. second child is cheaper

since your not as likely to need a bigger house.

[smoogatz]

7. We WOULD need a bigger house.

We can barely fit all of our crap in this one, as is. A second kid would totally push us into over the brink. Ack.

[maxsolomon]

10. get less crap

the chinese can stuff 3 generations into 1 room.

we're apes - we are designed to live in close proximity.

[smoogatz]

11. I love my crap.

And I'm not Chinese. So thanks, but no.

[maxsolomon]

16. i love mine, too.

but 2 kids of the same sex only need 1 bedroom. i slept in a room with 2 brothers until college.

[Fresh_Start]

14. You only think you can live in your current house

Wait til your little one is no longer little (my 11 year old is not taller than I am) and has 6 kids over at a time.

[Horse with no Name]

46. You cannot have a larger house unless you are carbon neutral

Sorry. That's the directive sent from the concern trolls this week...

[smoogatz]

47. Lordy.

I know. I just bought $30-worth of those crazy fluorescent bulbs--does that count?

[Horse with no Name]

48. YOU THINK BUYING 5 MEASLY BULBS IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE CONCERN TROLLS?

Hrummph! I think NOT!;)

[redqueen]

3. Did you see Idiocracy?

Heh... sorry... your post reminded me of the intellectual couple in the flick.

[Bigmack]

50. I thought about Idiocracy, too...

You don't suppose the dumbass and his various baby-mammas spend that kind of money on their kids, do you?

[redqueen]

51. Hell no.

But intellectuals shouldn't worry about affording the perfect everything, and use that as a reason not to have kids at all.

[waiting for hope]

4. Think long and hard about it....

We had our second two years ago - was 41 when she was born and about a month afterward, my husband did the "snip, snip". Don't get me wrong, we love both our children dearly and wouldn't trade a thing but I feel badly, don't think we will be able to help them into college and that reverse mortgage is looking pretty good for our golden years. It's becoming harder and harder to provide, just the difference between the two pregnancies was mind blowing - $300 with insurance in 2001 and $2500 with insurance in 2005....go figure.

[Hamlette]

5. ahhhh, the gift that keeps on giving. . .

my one and only "quarter million dollar baby" turned 24 today.

Wish I'd had a dozen.

He's perfect (and I'm shameless). I love being a mom. I got way more back from him that I gave.

Everyone should have at least one.

[niyad]

17. glad that you enjoy it so, but honestly, not everybody is cut out to be a parent--and your last

statement (unless you forgot the sarcasm icon) was incredibly thoughtless.

I know hundreds of people who should NOT be parents, and the rate of child abuse in this country, indicates that there are millions who should NEVER be parents.

[Hamlette]

37. true, there are millions who should never have kids, let me amend. . .

Republicans should never breed!

I'm not one of those people who "loves kids", although I do think they are interesting. I never thought I would have kids and was 33 when I changed my mind and had one.

It was a great learning experience for me, as close as I'll ever come to "god", and considering I don't believe in god, that's a mouthful.

I realized how preachy what I said sounds. I get goofy on days like today.

Sorry.

(But it has been a great ride!)

Do it if you wanna.

[dysfunctional press]

19. thank-you, no.

my wife and i chose to be childless, and enjoy our lives together. and we have.

i think that a lot of it comes from both of us having less than pleasant childhoods...it seems to me that the happier someone is as a child, the better they are at being a parent.

[m_welby]

30. I don't think that's necessarily true

Both myself and my wife were quite unhappy children, with a host of emotional scars. Fortunately, the two of us matured into healthy adults. We have 2 happy, well adjusted children (pretty much adults now). We love being parents and raising our children. No matter what the sacrifices we made along the way (and there were many).

Of course I certainly don't believe that 'everyone' should have children. Two of my siblings decided against reproducing and I certainly never second guessed their decisions.

... and I won't even start on those who shouldn't have ever had kids.

[all.of.me]

45. i had a love-less childhood.

i had to reinvent myself as an adult.

i have 2 girls, and they are teaching me the things i did not learn as a child. like unconditional love. so many people take it for granted, but i never had it. i get it from my kids. they have taught me how to grow up. and i also get to parent them the way i was not parented.

i didn't decide to have kids until i was 35. i am so glad i did! it is challenging, esp as a single parent, but i know i will not regret any of that down the road. they are a huge part of my healing from my childhood.

[REP]

21. "Everyone should have at least one"? Thanks, But No

You know, I love cats but I'd never say "everyone should have at least one." Why? Because I love cats. I wouldn't want someone who didn't want to care for a cat to have one; it wouldn't be pleasant for the person or the cat. If you love children, you might rethink your statement.

[Clark2008]

22. Yeah - I'd rather have a child as a cat.

Lucky for me, I'm pregnant and have three dogs.

:hi:

[RC Quake]

6. With as hard as it is to accept,

I sometimes am incredibly thankful that my spouse and I never could have children. After spending a couple Harvard educations on fertility treatments, I don't think we would have had enough $ leftover to actually raise any. We put ourselves in extreme debt just trying to have one.

Oh, what I would have given to be young and dumb and start a family right out of high school. Why did we wait until our 40's?

[The Cleaner]

13. Take heart, you're not the only one...

we can't have kids either. Haven't tried fertility treatments due to bad life circumstances, couldn't afford it. Even adoption, which we would consider, is expensive these days.

But do I wish I would have had a family out of high school? Man, I don't know how I would have done it. I didn't even have my life together until 26 or so...and even then there were some rough patches. Life...

Oh well, que sera sera...

[DUgosh]

8. We had two but lost one at age 20

I wondered what it would have been like to have had more than two, another one in high school at my age. Our daughter just gave us our first grandchild it's a nice fit for my grief and my longings. In my opionion you should get your wife a puppy.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. I'm sorry for your loss

Nothing compares to the loss of one of your children.

[smoogatz]

27. Very sorry.

I can imagine no greater heartbreak than losing a child, at any age. My deepest sympathies.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. Is that how much you can sell your kid for?

:hide:

[SoCalDem]

15. So much depends on your age of the "other child"

IF your other child is in school and your wife has an "outside the home" career, a second baby could mean a significant loss of income.. If she's a stay-at-home Mom with a toddler already, a baby might just mean staying home a bit longer.. (Daycare is a PITA, and expensive as hell for TWO kiddies..and a logistical nightmare for some parents)

If you have two bedrooms, you can get along like that for a pretty long time, and you probably learned with the first one, that you don't "really" need all the baby gadgets you probably had for the first one..

"Baby fever" is usually only cured by a BABY :)

Good luck:)

[nashville_brook]

18. that's actually cheaper than i thought -- bwtn 6k and 13k per child..

hmmm...

[smoogatz]

25. That's from 0-2 years of age.

The real number is at the bottom of the chart. For us, it's at the bottom of the bottom chart.

[saracat]

20. I guess I am fortunate. I never wanted kids.I don't have them.

Oddly, I am good with children but have always been disgusted by babies.I never even liked baby dolls. I don't know why.I am thankful we don't have the expense.Our catkids cost enough!

[seabeyond]

23. i have two, and wish i had another. started earlier. money isnt

the issue in having a child. not in my view. not what it is about

[niyad]

24. money is an issue when there isn't enough of it to care for one's children properly

[smoogatz]

26. For us it's really the time more than the money, honestly.

We work very hard during the school year--70-80 hour weeks for both my wife and I. Then summers and breaks we're busy writing books. So we spend a lot on childcare. Once our little guy is old enough to start school, that'll get easier. I hope.

[SoCalDem]

29. It nedver really "gets easier".. One day you will realize that your "baby" is a teenager

and that he/she spent more time with a sitter than with you, and when you have time to spend with him, he prefers his pals.. It will get better when he's an adult, though and "comes back to you".. but it's not the same as sitting in a sandbox all afternoon with him when he's 4 yrs old, or letting him sleep until he's ready to get up , instead of when he has to get to daycare..

Two kids & daycare is a major hassle, and expense. If you both have to work, once chold may be better..but if your wife wants anotherm you'll probably have another:)

[dae]

31. My wife and I have four now ages 34, 32, 30,& 28 with 5

grandchildren. Our oldest child with the Doctor, Hospital, and misc. bills cost $600 to bring home. Costs sure have gone up a little.

[seabeyond]

33. i think this is the bigger issue. the time spent connected and with the child

that woud be the bigger consideration for me. there are always ways i can cut back on what i spend if need be. but the time with the child is what the child really needs. not stuff

[judaspriestess]

28. I'm on the flipside

my fiance who is ten years younger than me, wants to eventually have a kid or two. I'm not so keen on it. I am 36 now. If we have a kid it won't be till I'm at least 38. This is the ONE sticking point for me. If I marry him which all indicates I will since I adore him and he is a damn good person then I feel I have agreed to have a child. I would never ever marry someone who wanted children and I didn't then the marriage ends. Brad Pitt and jennifer aniston are a prime example of that. Its one step at a time. I personally am not big on the strollers, diaper bags, feedings, I'm just not into it. We'll see...........

Good luck either way on your decision :)

[mnhtnbb]

32. My youngest is now 11th grade and I cannot WAIT for him to graduate HS

His brother will be 21 this year. Hubby will be 65 in December and I'm
56 in March.

If we'd quit with one, we'd be free to retire this year. I am SO ready. Actually, I'm beyond ready.

Think about having more not just in terms of financial cost, but the emotional
cost, too, and your ages/stage in life relative to raising kids over the next 18 years.

[smoogatz]

34. Ha. I'm 47 (my wife's ten years younger). By the time our 2-1/2-year-old

STARTS college, I'll be 63. No early retirement for me, even if we stick with one.

[RC Quake]

35. My Spouse is 10 years older than me,

and happens to be turning 52 next week. We tried until 50 years old and decided that 68 when graduating high school would be the limit. So, my spouse will be beginning retirement at about 55 instead of 70 if we had been successful at having a child. Sometimes you just don't realize how fortunate life's failures can make you.

[smoogatz]

39. Glad it worked out for you.

I'm very happy in my current situation, and would be equally happy with the additional kid. My only wish would be the magical ability to freeze time for the rest of the family for a few hours a day so I could get some writing done.

[mnhtnbb]

42. It's the energy level that goes. Hubby and I were just talking about it at dinner tonight.

We both take naps during the day! Of course, that's also the Mediterranean
way.

If you're both working 70-80 hour work weeks--you can't keep that up.
You will burn out.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

36. Who The Fuck Are They Getting To Provide Child Care For $840 A Year? Costs Me 11 Grand Per Kid LOL

[smoogatz]

41. Let's see--

We pay our babysitters $8/hr for a combined 12 hours a week (sometimes more if we need weekend help)--let's say $5000 per year--plus daycare two days a week for about $30/day--which works out to another $3120 a year (it's a great daycare facility, partially subsidized by the state university where my wife and I teach). So, right around $8000 or so. Which is dirt cheap, compared to what our friends in NYC are paying. Our friends in SoCal, on the other hand, can get a live-in nanny named Esmeralda for that.

[newportdadde]

38. My wife and I have 3 soon to be 4.

My oldest son is just turned 3, our twins boys just turned one and the fourth is expected to be here first of August.

Having kids is very expensive especially twins, especially if one of them is milk intolerant and they only thing they hold down is 13.76 cans of formula, one a week.

However I will never forget one of the best moments of my life holding my then 2 year old in my arms as he saw his first train. Can't put a price on those moments.

As far as the article some of its crap. My mortgage would be same if it was just my wife and I or all six of us.

[xultar]

40. Meet her half way and adopt a 17 year old.

[smoogatz]

43. Why not. Or just hire one.

We could use some help with laundry and dishes and such.

[xultar]

49. Yup. Earn their keep. It's what kids ought to do anyways...

[BlueIris]

44. Blech. Well. As if my fears about the future weren't enough reason for me to have decided

I don't want to make room in my life to have a kid, this has sealed the deal, but good.