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Vancouver, BC (April 16, 2001):
The Manitoba Department of Agriculture recently
updated the cost of raising a child from birth
to age 18 and came up with a figure in the vicinity
of $155,000. Your math will no doubt vary, but
you already know not to sweat the small stuff!
For a closer inspection of the numbers, along with the US based
report, peruse the "Kids Money" page on the KCM web site listed below. Come
back for a second look as often as you wish a refresher.
Adrian Mastracci, fee-only investment counsel and president
of Vancouver based KCM Wealth Management comments, "Teaching our children
and grandchildren the value of money and investing is one of the greatest challenges
for parents and grandparents." Mastracci adds, "It's one of the longest marathons
you'll ever be in. So brave the elements and pace yourself for the long haul."
"This newsletter is meant to sprinkle a little humour in your
relentless quest to raise your children," says Mastracci, "I've collected a
variety of tidbits that will bring a little smile and laughter to your day."
So just what do you get for your $155,000? Sit back, relax and
let's begin:
- Naming rights: First, middle and last.
- Giggles under the covers every night.
- More love than your heart can ever hold.
- Butterfly kisses and velcro hugs.
- Endless wonder over rocks, ants, worms and clouds.
- A hand to hold often covered with jam, or peanut butter or both.
- A willing partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles
and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
- Someone to laugh yourself silly no matter what the boss said or how badly
your stocks tanked.
For $155,000 you never have to grow up:
- You get to finger-paint, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs and keep
the faith in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and of course the Tooth Fairy.
- You have a perfect excuse for ages to continue reading the adventures of
Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday and Sunday morning cartoons, going to Disney
and wishing on stars.
- You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under refrigerator magnets,
collect spray-painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay
for Mother's Day and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
- You get to replay the Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins over and over, at least
200 times per child.
For $155,000 there's no greater bang for your bucks:
- You get to be a great hero just for retrieving the frisbee off the neighbour's
roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, filling the wading pool, and
coaching the baseball and soccer team that never 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 date, first time behind the wheel of your car. Oh Lord, quick let's
raise the driving age to 21!
- You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications
and human sexuality that no college can ever dream of matching for a million
years.
In the eyes of your child, you rank right up there with God:
- You have the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away monsters under the bed,
patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever and love
them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting
the cost.
I would say that was money well spent. What do you think?
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