Parents Council: High cost of parenting

From the Parents Council blog this week:

“According to a recent story from Reuters, the cost of raising a child born in 2007 until her or his 18th birthday will exceed what some families might spend on a home.

“Middle-class families should expect to spend $269,040, factoring in inflation. That total doesn’t include money for college, by the way.

“Since 1960, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been conducting an annual study on child-rearing costs, according to the article. Food accounted for 17 percent of the total cost, while child care and education expenses made up about 12 percent.

“According to the story, USDA found that children get more expensive as they get older. Teenagers were the most costly. Also, child-rearing costs are the greatest in the urban West.

“What do you spend the most on for your child?”

– Posted by Virginia de Leon

“Food and diapers … seriously, my kids eat us out of house and home, and the cost of food is just going up! The diapers, because we have three currently potty training so we are using less and hopefully soon none at all.”

– Posted by Mikayla

“After-school care and day care take the biggest chunk (besides housing of course). Then toys/movies/gadgets/ activities and then food and clothing. Really I think food is not as big of a budget buster for us, it’s more the non-necessities that really add up.”

– Posted by Debbie G.

” ‘According to the story, USDA found that children get more expensive as they get older. Teenagers were the most costly.’

“Got to say: well, duh! to that.

“Really, everyone stresses about diapers and day care but that’s just a blip on the radar compared to sports costs and the gas it takes to get kids to practices and games.

“And if you think it’s expensive to feed four boys now … just wait – mine are 18, 15, 13 and 8. I don’t even look at the grocery budget anymore.”

– Posted by Cindy H.

You can join the conversation at spokesmanreview.com/ blogs/parents.