From day care to the monthly grocery bill, the cost of raising a child is climbing at a rate that many families can't keep up with.
It will cost an estimated $241,080 for a middle-income couple to raise a child born last year for 18 years, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday. That's up almost 3% from 2011 and doesn't even include the cost of college.
At the same time, wages aren't keeping up. The country's median annual household income has fallen by more than $4,000 since 2000, after adjusting for inflation, and many of the jobs lost during the recent recession have been replaced with lower-wage positions....
one can do sprouting and make yogurt in the kitchen, window herb garden. nah, let's just stay helpless and eat the gmos -- this kind of lifestyle is the ultimate in cost!
IddyBit wrote: ... Maybe they live in a small apartment and can't plant a garden, or where they live forbids it....
Move or plant it anyway...
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. - Judges 6
Iddybit. I have two children, and I certainly don't spend anywhere near $13,000 + per child per year. Not even for the both of them. They have everything they need and then some. I live in a relatively poor area of my city, where many receive foodstamps and government housing assistance. The apartments I live in are income restricted and yet I see kids with nikes, and iPhones, young kids even, with their own phones. I didn't assume or make my judgment from a comfy suburban neighborhood.
IddyBit, this is the second post I've ready by you and it would be immeasurably helpful for your soul and spirit to study up on the sovereignty of God. There are many, many great sermons right here on SA! Blessings to you!
Want an international comparison? The average "poor American" has more living space than the average Swede or German. You can read even more of those facts in their report, “Understanding Poverty in the United States.” - See more at: http://askheritage.org/what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-poor-in-america/#sthash.2PWd02vx.dpuf
The following are facts about persons defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau: 80 percent of poor households have air conditioning Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite television Two-thirds have at least one DVD player and 70 percent have a VCR Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation 43 percent have Internet access One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD television One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo
As for hunger and homelessness, Rector and Sheffield point to 2009 statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showing that 96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food, 83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat, and over the course of a year, only 4 percent of poor persons become temporarily homeless, with 42 percent of poor households actually owning their own homes. Want an international comparison? The average "poor American" has more living space tha
Are you judging prematurely? Never assume what other people do. Isn't that what The Lord teaches? Thou shalt not judge. I always consider what else can be going on. What if the other parent has passed away and staying home is not an option. What if they don't have those material goods you suggested, but instead pay a lot for good schools for their kids. Maybe they live in a small apartment and can't plant a garden, or where they live forbids it. Yes some people are doing things others disagree with but some are truly struggling in this economy. And with policies doing all they can to encourage more children and jobs and raises more scarce than ever, what are we to do.
From the article: "Since 2000, the cost of child care has increased twice as fast as the median income of families with children, according to the most recent report from Child Care Aware of America. In 2011, the average cost of full-time center-based care for an infant ranged from about $4,600 a year in Mississippi to more than $15,000 in Massachusetts. "Many families are priced out of licensed child care services," said Lynette Fraga, executive director of the nonprofit group. "If they are priced out, then the health and safety of those children are at risk.""
So give up one income, so Mama can stay home and raise the kids. Heaven forbid we should have to sacrifice and eek-by for a while, maybe, or give up TV, extra cell phones, dinners out, new vehicles and give up any expectations of keeping up with the Jones's. Lady Virtue is correct; this is a complete appeal to covetousness. It is a sad day indeed when we value most everything over the few God-given years we have to influence our babies for Christ.
Articles like this really irk me. They appeal to the love of money and coveteousness that resides within the sinful human heart. Sons are an heritage from the Lord, and children a reward from Him. The precious soul of a child is far more valuable than the material goods of the world.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 3/9/2009
COMMENTS 
locked 
System Notice
