How Much Do Kids Cost, Really?

[Noob]

@blessed59; WIC is such a lifesaver. I don't care much for most government programs. But WIC helps with things like formula which can run several hundred a month. Milk, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, beans, bread. All up until the child is 5. We were living poor before we found out about WIC. My wife and I were taking turns eating so that we had enough for the kids to eat always. Then one day she told me we needed help. So I went to my supervisor who took us shopping and then had his wife contact mine and tell her about WIC. So we got things taken care of. Never have I been so grateful for a grilled cheese sandwhich.
So I may not approve of government funding projects, but some of them are useful.
Also SW, homeschooling children aren't always disenfranchised. In my school we had this girl that was homeschooled, but she was kind of attached to our school. meaning that she could come join sports teams, go on field trips. All of it. Not sure how that works, but I know that's what she did.
And schooling anymore for school age children is getting stupid. My sister had to ask me for a small loan so she could buy school supplies. She had to buy all the pencils, crayons, erasers, scissors, tablets. Then some work you have to go to the school website and print off so that the school saves money on ink and paper. Then the parents take turns making snacks for the kids.(Kindergarden). So now the schools don't even provide the snacks. Parents are making them. Not sure where my school tax that I pay every year is going.. but doesn't seem to be to my school. Someone must have gotten a raise because my taxes have gone up for the school district and yet they are requiring parents to buy more. (In PA you pay Federal, State, County, and school taxes for those wondering.)

[Spartan_Warrior]

I'm not too familiar with "WIC"--not even sure what it stands for--but I sure as hell would feel no moral remorse for taking as much as I can get from the government. That's why I pay taxes after all. Does the program take into account net worth or merely income? If the latter, then yeah, it sounds like a boon for ERE parents.
I don't see the need for overpriced formula anyway when momma can make free, tailor-made food... but I suppose I wouldn't have the final say over such things.

[1000Ways]

There is no doubt that having kids will change the game and, for the most part, you'll have control over many of these factors. However, there is one point that I feel compelled to make. Even if you are ERE and have all the time in the world to spend with your kids, you may not want to. I have a 2.5 year old son who means more to me than literally everything else, yet I don't think I could handle spending 24-7 with him. I'm sure everyone is different in this respect but it's very easy to imagine spending every waking moment with them when you haven't actually been there. And I don't think it's healthy for you or them...but that's another debate.
Like I said, you'll have control over the expenses, but I doubt your daycare/babysitting bill is going to be zero.

[Spartan_Warrior]

Good point 1000Ways (and welcome to the forum). I think an ERE solution would be for mom and dad to give each other "me days" where they take a break from all things child raising. Also, having extended family nearby could help. In my case, my parents are relatively close by and I'm sure they wouldn't mind taking care of grandchildren once in a while.

[RealPerson]

Yeah we had that same experience. My wife was planning on staying home with our son. He was so cute, but he was very energetic and extremely high maintenance. DW had to get back to work for mental sanity. A healthy separation proved very useful for us.

[retiredat47]

WIC stands for "Women, Infants, and Children" and is a program that provides food and nutrition counseling for low- and moderate-income mothers and children 5 and under. They do encourage breastfeeding but understand if you can't or don't want to.

Yeah, my brother was planning to retire in his 40s, and then he and his wife had a special-needs child. There went that out the window.

[arrrrgon]

@Mo: "while her cousin gets an ipad (okay, the cousin was 3 years old, so probably that's what you should get at 3, I mean shes 2x older...)."
I hope I'm not stepping on any toes, but that is sarcasm, right? An iPad seems like useless superfluous junk at any age, much less 3...
Either way, point well taken about the peer pressure. I feel like I am and would remain relatively immune to that though.

While I generally agree that things like Ipads, Iphones, etc... are a waste of money, I do feel the need to point out that an Ipad is actually far more useful to a 3 year old than to a teenager. Ipads have been shown to be very helpful when teaching a child to read. I'm sure there are many studies showing their educational benefits since most children learn well from a hands on approach which the Ipad supplies. With that said, I would assume a $50 android tablet could probably help just as much.