I know everyones opinion is going to be different on this, but how much do you reckon a kid cost, from the date of birth, through the up bringing of education, clothing, feeding and the rest. How much do you think a child will cost over a 20 year period?
And to all the parents out there. Honesty opinion please, but would you say its better to have a kid say when your 25 to opposed to be age 35, so that when your are 45 your kid, is all grown and can look after themselves by then
Or enjoy life now and then at age 35 decide to have kids then.
What are you thoughts?
Cheers
S.I.SHi S.I.S.,
Kid’s can not be measured in dollar costs. Ask any parent.
Regardless of your age, you will never trade that timing of the moment your child enters our world. Nothing else matters in times of life and death.
We can talk about trying to time events, but no matter when your child comes to you, it will always have been just the right time. Any earlier or later, and that child would be another child, unknown to you.
Kind regards, Phil.
hi SIS
how about i lend you 4 of mine and then you can see how much it costs?[
]as far as what age to have them, i wouldn’t like to be too old, my youngest is 3 and its nice not to get woken in the middle of the night by kids.
westanwell ive decided, but its still open…if im to have kids, probably most likely when im in my early to mid 30’s, i just feel that i should concentrate on life till then and then work on havin a family at that stage.
thanks guys
Well, s.i.s
The optimum time for women to have children is early 20’s, but unfortunately these days, due to careers and everything women are having kids much later than this, broz is learning midwifery at uni and she knows all about this kind of stuff.
You have to remember that the later you leave it the more chance of complications
Fudge111[
]Yes,
We all seem to be tied up in careers and property investing. It’s amazing when we look back to 2 generations ago to what ages women were birthing at.Times have changed but it important to look at the physiology of a woman and i have witnnessed it myself. The fact is that between 20 and 30 it is much easier for the body to cope with the bithing process.
Mental capability is also very important. No good rushing into it just because you’re young and fit. Often teenagers do not have the social support needed to take care of their baby while others cope quite well.
As for the money side of it: not sure of the exact cost but my mother has got 5 kids and manages quite well on a low income. Some luxuries may have to go out the window. But as someone said before it’s the joy that a child brings into your life that counts.
Broz00[
][8D][]Hi S.I.S. and all,
I had my kids early by today’s standards…first at 22 last at 28, and two in between.
I always wanted to start early as I had a hang up about my mum being old, she was a whole 37 when she had me! Doesn’t seem so old now (I’m 35) [}]
I like the fact that when my youngest is 18, I’ll only be 45.
Of course, you’re never “free” from your children, you’ll always worry about them and they’ll always be my babies. []
I’m with westan, I’m greatful I don’t have those sleepless nights anymore…of course I’m about to enter the dreaded teenage years…..[]
Just my version on things,Sue [
]“Be careful not to step on the flowers when you’re reaching for the stars”
G’day Sue…
Babies and kids are easy, teenagers are tougher again. Then when they leave home and have kids of their own…………………it continues.
Cheers
Bill
ps. You’re like the guy with the wheelbarrow…. it’s all ahead of you.Bill O’Mara
Real Estate,Mortgages, Option Writing & Forex. [email protected]Studies in recent years have concluded that the total cost of raising a child from birth to 18 yo is between $500k and $1m in todays dollars.
Hi…I know I am repeating myself yet again but the optimum time for kids (for women) is early twenties and you guys cant do it without us. However in my line of work I come across couples with fertility problems every day and the percentages are rising fast – nearly all these couples are in their thirties so as I have said before, what good is all this finacial gain if the trade off can be difficulty having a family and the huge financial and emotional cost of the infertility game. It is possible to do both and bring up adaptable and happy kids and get your nest eggs going. My (professional) advice is mid to late twenties, mature enough to cope, young enough to catch up financially when the kids are older. Good luck.
Hi Sunshine,
Your thoughts on these situations and can you guess which country?
A husband decides to freeze his sperm for later on in life. He dies and the wife then has IVF and has a baby. The baby is born 300 days after the death of the (husband). The court decides that the child can not have the husbands name on the birth certificate and is thus fatherless and not entitled to any estate or allowed to be registered under the fathers name or on the father’s family register. The court basis its decision on no proof that the husband wanted the child and that IVF is still not considered socially acceptable.
A couple decide to use a surrogate mother. They travel to another country where everything is done. When the couple go to register the child as a national of their home country the court refuses as the surrogate mother is of a different nationality. This leaves the couple with a child who has a different nationality and is not allowed to be registered on the family register. The court basis its decision on surrogacy is not socially acceptable.
This is all within the last 1-2 months.
Crashy,
That’s between 25K and 50K a year on average. What country?
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”Hi Crashy,
The most obvious country would have to be the good old US of A wouldn’t it?With the first case, I guess to avoid such a situation, the husband could have left instructions in his will as to his wishes for the stored sperm. Specifically, who could “use” it and if any children were subsequently born, what their entitlements would be from his estate. Perhaps a trust would need to be set up for this particular purpose, I guess it would also have to have a time limit, say five years, and if no kids then the estate could be distributed differently.
If IVF is legal, and this woman was impregnated legally, then what does it matter whether it is socially acceptable or not? Don’t get that at all.
So the child legally has no father, how is this possible, to not have a biological father?With the second story, was the child allowed back into the country of the “parents”?
Obviously, both of these scenarios highlight the need to understand what you are getting into before you start, to understand all the legal ramifications and prepare for unforeseen circumstances.My two cents,
Sue []
P.S. Bill, I’ll have four teenagers in the one wheelbarrow. I guess it could get heavy…“Be careful not to step on the flowers when you’re reaching for the stars”
Hi Sue,
The country in case A and B is Japan. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is socially acceptable. Socially acceptable seems to take predence over legality in Japan. The child is registered under the mothers name and family registry and where it states father has been left blank. Normally when the father is not named they type in unknown, but in this case it has been left blank and this is a first of its kind.
In the second case the child was either sponsored or on a tourist visa initially to get into Japan.
C2
“Is it true the more you owe the more you grow until the bank steps in?”One of the financial services companies is running an ad campaign putting a figure of around $260K from 0-18. “In the blink of an eye”.
I think I’ve spent that on mine already.[
]Well i guess, ill be definetly having kids late, near my late or early 30’s, is the cost of kids gettin more expensive or are those figures fake or real [
]?cheers
s.i.sS.I.S – if you are indeed still in school, my advice would be that provided you’re not absolutley out of your financial depth, do not defer having children just because of their cost.
I have my own goals financially, and while children will certainly slow my progress towards those goals, this never even came into the equation. Of course, it depends on your priorities, but to use investor-speak, the ROI on children is absolutely incalculable.
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