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I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, and I'm not about to quibble over the calculations,   but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child frombirth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk aboutsticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:* $8,896.66 a year,* $741.38 a month, or* $171.08 a week.* That's a mere $24.24 a day!* Just over a dollar an hour.Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't havechildren if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. Whatdo you get for your $160,140?* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!* Glimpses of God every day.* Giggles under the covers every night.* More love than your heart can hold.* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss saidor how your stocks performed that day.For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:* finger-paint,* carve pumpkins,* play hide-and-seek,* catch lightning bugs, and* never stop believing in Santa Claus.You have an excuse to:* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,* watching Saturday morning cartoons,* going to Disney movies, and* wishing on stars.* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigeratormagnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand printsset in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father'sDay.For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be ahero just for:* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,* taking the training wheels off a bike,* removing a splinter,* filling a wading pool,* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team thatnever wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.You get a front row seat to history to witness the:* first step,* first word,* first bra,* first date, and* first time behind the wheel.You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your familytree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary calledgrandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology,nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that nocollege can match.In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You haveall the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed,patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and lovethem without limits, So, one day they will, like you, love without countingthe cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!