Baby Sticker Shock

Forget about the pain of labor, the chronic fatigue and saggy body parts. There is something far more frightening to consider when it comes to adding a bundle of joy to your family: bankruptcy. You don’t have to be a CPA to know that adding a baby to the mix can subtract some serious cash from your bank account, but did you know the cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 —-not including college -— can drive you to the poorhouse? The government just released some scary financial facts about raising a child in the 21st century. … Continue reading →

Raising Kids Ain’t Cheap

Whether you are a parent or not, you probably know that raising a child costs a fortune. And by fortune I don’t mean the amount of money it would take to book a private jet and tour the world on a luxurious holiday. I’m talking about the amount of cash that would allow you to purchase a very nice house in a very nice neighborhood and still allow you to drive an extremely nice car… or two. A new report out claims the cost of raising a child from birth until he graduates from college is between $397,670 and $1,239,649.22, … Continue reading →

Does Your Boss Have Kids?

If so, do you find that the status of “parent” makes him or her more sympathetic when your daycare calls demanding that you pick up your puking, feverish child NOW… and NOW is 10 a.m.? How does your boss react when you consistently leave the office at 4:30 on the dot to pick up your children from their after school program while the rest of your colleagues remain at the office until 6 or 7 p.m.? Does your boss feel your pain as you struggle to juggle career and family or does he or she resent your late mornings and … Continue reading →

Is Parenting Experience Different for Older or Younger Parents?

I started out on this motherhood path rather young—23, when my first daughter was born. I didn’t feel particularly young at the time and definitely did not feel “too young” to be a mom. I thought that I would become a mom again as an older parent, but that hasn’t happened yet so now, in my forties, I am a typical mom of teens. I have friends, however, who have both been “young” parents like me and waited until recently to embark on the path of parenthood. What I am unclear about is whether the parenting experience is really all … Continue reading →

Fears, Myths, and Realities About Being and “Older” Mom

While I write often here in the Parents Blog about life with three teenagers as a single parent, I do not really write about my plans to continue parenting and add to my family through adoption. As I sit on a “waiting list,” waiting for a referral, I do some volunteer work with some local special needs adoption organizations and prepare myself for becoming a single mom all over again. I have a few very supportive friends (whom I cling to) and plenty of people who wonder why on earth I would want to continue parenting now that I’m nearly … Continue reading →