slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (08/05/85)
>OTHER PARENTS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG: I have always worried about how >much it costs to raise a child. It always seems that it's not as bad as >I feared. Even though our two older children are in preschool, most of >the cost is for us big people. As the mother of an 18 and a 12 year old, I can tell you that cost of a child increases exponentially. Clothes are more expensive for older children--and mine are now wearing adult clothes. They start eating like adults--this happens gradually, but is complete by about age 10. My 12 year old eats more than any other member of the family. The 18 year old, lucklily, is always out with her boyfriend, or on a diet. They go to school, which adds other expenses. They start to expect to have clothes, toys, and so on "just like other kids". You don't give in to all of that, of course--but you have to do some in order to give them some respect among their peers. They start to want to do outside activities--camps, band, and so on. These cost money. They are worth it in terms of enriching experience for the child, but they are expensive. They start either getting an allowance or doing chores for money, to give them experience in handling money. Then you are hit with the ultimate--which I will get this next year-- college. My advice for the original poster: I have been a single parent. Get some training NOW. You will become more and more strapped for funds as the little one gets older. So now, when s/he is young and inexpensive, is the time to go back to school, get additional training in your field, and so on. Get prepared for the expense. You have about 6 years before the real increase starts--so try to get established in your carreer before then. And good luck. If you want any advice on being a single parent, send me mail. I was unsuccessful in reaching through the header address on the article. -- Sue Brezden Real World: Room 1B17 Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb AT&T Information Systems 11900 North Pecos Westminster, Co. 80234 (303)538-3829 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your god may be dead, but mine aren't. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
jrb@wdl1.UUCP (08/23/85)
College is not such a drain on the parents if the child works their way through school. I stopped getting an allowance ($.95) at age 14. After that I had to make my own spending money (I did AV work at my highschool). My parents contributed nothing to my college expenses except for those entailed by my living at home. I paid for fees, books, transportation, and medical insurance myself (no car). John R Blaker UUCP: ...!fortune!wdl1!jrb ARPA: jrb@FORD-WDL1 and blaker@FORD-WDL2