Are older kids really more expensive than little ones?

[Anonymous]

I completely disagree. My DD is a competitive gymnast and my DS plays travel soccer. Those are expensive of course, as are their clothes, electronics, food, etc. But in NO WAY does it compare to full time childcare. It just doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that my two kids will require $3000+ in expenses when they are older. [/quot
Per month or per year?- I pay more than this per year for music lessons alone.

[Anonymous]

Not more expensive if you were paying for FT childcare.

Outside of childcare expenses, I find elementary school kids are not very expensive -- mine don't eat much, don't play travel sports, and clothing expenses aren't that much. Teens get more expensive -- clothes are more expensive, probably want to add them to your cell phone plan, once they drive you have to add them to your car insurance, they start eating more. Activities are a big wildcard in figuring this out -- will you be doing travel sports, horseback riding etc, or just rec teams, music through school, etc.

[Anonymous]

Nothing except private school and college is more expensive than full time day care/ nanny/ preschool. But the expenses do go up bit by bit. We found summer care to be expensive. Camp and so on. And by 6th grade they want much better clothes. Extra circulars can go u to any amount depending. For example, you can do a special camp at a college for $4K week, or you can do less.
Food gets way more expensive, especially if you do organic or have a boy.

[Anonymous]

Braces + summer camps ran about 10K year for 2. Also when they outgrow kids clothes and shoes -- expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that my two kids will require $3000+ in expenses when they are older. [/quot
Per month or per year?- I pay more than this per year for music lessons alone.

That is a month unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Braces + summer camps ran about 10K year for 2. Also when they outgrow kids clothes and shoes -- expensive.

But braces is a very limited time, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that my two kids will require $3000+ in expenses when they are older.

Braces are 4-6k
Field trips can be 5-40$ Each
Youth group events (church) can be 8-90$
Scout camp can be 300$; High adventure camps are 2000k; weekend campouts are 25-75$
School Band or choir trips can be 1200$
Required dress or Tux is 75$ for said Band
Shoes are men's or women's prices so 100$
Piano lesson are 150$ month
Ski invite can be 200$ dayntrip
Footbball, basketball, school events can be 20$

You absolutely do not have to do some of these thngs like the big trips but none are really that extreme ( except the high adventure/ choir) and they do have fundraising for those. I just put it out there as we are not over the top with activities but one DC likes to go to a sports activity at school every now and then, likes to bowl/ grap a sandwich with youth group every now and then, go to summer church camp, and participate in scout activities, play guitar. Our other dc does other things. It is just part of teen years to do things like a football game, music lessons, a camp whether at church, scouts, school. Just acivities in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two male teen drivers $500/month car insurance.

Ugh. Not looking forward to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Braces + summer camps ran about 10K year for 2. Also when they outgrow kids clothes and shoes -- expensive.

But braces is a very limited time, right?

2 years, (12-14) 2 kids = $10K and about $5K+ camps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Extra curriculars
More expensive toys
Bigger vacation costs if you want to do vacations that help expose kids to different things
More expensive clothes
After care
Camps
They start to have social costs like going out to movies with friends.
Expensive hobbies like skiing if that's something they are interested in.


But that's all in the context of your budget and parenting philosophy. My son is 8 and at a small private school, so I've got tuition ($13,000). And I need full time care in summers because I work. He still doesn't cost me the $20,000 a year he did in infant day care. But it's coming soon. So.... $7,000 a year for everything else.

So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that my two kids will require $3000+ in expenses when they are older.

You are right in not believing that. They will require a lot more than 3K! That is my summer camp budget for one of my kids - and it is not a lavish one!

That is your fault. Summer camp is a luxury. You are paying people to watch your kids all summer instead of taking care of them yourself.

[Anonymous]

Only on DCUM would you see parents paying this much money to raise their kids. It is disgusting what you all think are necessities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that my two kids will require $3000+ in expenses when they are older.

You are right in not believing that. They will require a lot more than 3K! That is my summer camp budget for one of my kids - and it is not a lavish one!

That is your fault. Summer camp is a luxury. You are paying people to watch your kids all summer instead of taking care of them yourself.

You are an asshole. Should children of working parents be stuck at home doing nothing all summer? That is a recipe for disaster. A sitter is as expensive as camp. Except for teachers, I don't know any parents who have the same amount of time off as their kids over the summer.

Camp may be considered a luxury but did you know how important summertime enrichment is to retaining learning, even if unrelated? One of the prime reasons that poorer children fall behind is the summertime regression from lack of activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Braces + summer camps ran about 10K year for 2. Also when they outgrow kids clothes and shoes -- expensive.

That's still considerably cheaper than a year's worth of daycare for 2, though.