Bundle of Debt or Bundle of Joy
"Mom can I have this?"."Dad can I have that?" and it begins. By "it" I mean the constant spending of money that parents don't have to spend on $300.00 IPod's or $80.00 shoes. But, do people really know what their getting into when they have children? With the price of: diapers, wipes, milk, bottles etc. Who can really afford babies? Everyone says they cannot wait until their 18 but, at 18 parent's are still taking care of their young adults.
Whether it's paying for college or changing diapers, children are expensive. As humans we don't think about the cost children. According to "Maternity leave, Bundle of joy shouldn't call for bundle of debt", an article, states "Mothers before or after maternity leave have done no financial planning at all". Thus meaning, no one every really thinks about the cost of children. Although, the cost is a very important aspect when having babies. Research shows that children cost anywhere from $125,000- $250,000, aging from baby to 18, this price is not including college unfortunately. A shocking $9,000- $11,000 is spent on babies their first year alone. This $9,000-$11,000 is simply spent on diapers, formula, furniture, clothing etc. This information can be found at http://www.surebaby.com/costs.php.
Which brings us to the topic of teenage pregnancy, if adults can't afford children, then can teenagers afford children? Sadly, no; with teenage pregnancy you're not only giving up money you don't have but, your also giving up an education, and your chance at enjoying being a young adult. "People who have children in their teens are less likely to get a high school diploma or go on to college. They tend to earn less in the working world, and children born to these teens struggle to keep up with their peers. For many, beating back poverty becomes the overriding concern". This is information from an article titled "A baby changes everything: The true cost of teenage pregnancy's uptick" at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35448556/. People of all ages should think about the cost of children before having them, or even planning them. Children stick with you past 18 years so, getting prepared to have children can come in handy. When I say getting prepared I mean getting financially stable, this can benefit all mothers in the long run.
