You know how before you had kids everyone would tell you how expensive they are? I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I mean, how expensive could they possibly be? Oh, believe me when I say I've figured it out, but just for kicks let's all get a good laugh at my expense at how clueless I was.
Using just my first as the example, I had myself convinced that kids are no big deal in the financial department. Here's how I fooled myself:
Clothes can be a decent expense, especially if you don't have friends or relatives with an older child to pass stuff down. Boys are tough too, cause they beat the hell out of everything. So every school year we have to shop for new jeans twice, new gym shoes, a couple hoodies, new backpack, blah blah. Then half way through the school year they decide they won't be caught dead in the $200 of stuff you bought at the beginning of the year. Or only certain brands, please. All the other kids have North Face winter coats? Sorry dude, not happening. What? A dress outfit for the concert at school? Crap! He can't wear his old beat up DC gym shoes to that? Crap! Skidded out on the playground and ripped the knees out of another pair of jeans? Crap! Ya it's adding up, but still seems fairly manageable.
Then the sports begin.
All you other parents with kids in sports just collectively shuddered, didn't you? Our boy has been the karate master since he was 3 and got Tommy Nitro and the Crimson Sausage karate video, so there's never been a question of what he wanted to do. So, we sign the kid up...$130. Can't do taekwondo without a taekwondo uniform...sounds reasonable, $50.
180 bucks? The kid better flipping like it.
A couple months of classes and hi-ya's! Then belt promotions start - $60 each. (Ya, that's $60 TWELVE TIMES). Then they start sparring and need all the gear to protect their body, head, and especially those teeth, cause God forbid anything happens to them, you know how expensive that would be?
Then they need weapons. More weapons. Then tournaments at $120 a pop. Then we travel for tournaments, then he wins and needs a new uniform to tout his prowess. A shelf! He needs a shelf to display his trophies and medals. Special shoes, warm up suits, bags and cases to carry all his stuff around in. WTF? This is one hell of an investment.
I'm sure all parents with kids in sports go through the same thing. The cost of registration, uniforms and equipment is astronomical. I've heard that hockey costs are off the wall, ice skating is insane, and friends of ours with three kids in traveling soccer leagues are in for over a grand each season. Et tu, soccer?
Obviously kids are expensive. This is the real world, but it seems to me that keeping them out of sports because of cost shouldn't be an issue. Kids need to be active and learn how to be team players and the discipline and confidence and all that. And besides...if they're not in it now, their chances of getting on the varsity team in high school are nil. Gasp! Of course there are cheap and/or free things they can do, but we want what they want, they love the sport, they love playing it and everything else that goes along with it, so we swallow the cost of it all.
So, I've decided to have a fundraiser. Sure, why not? You want my kids to be healthy and active, DON'T YOU?? Here's what you do:
Go to www.greengiraffe.myshaklee.com and look around at all the great healthy products for you, your kids, and your home. It's a great opportunity to go green with your cleaning supplies, switch out all your personal products to the safe stuff, or get your family on a daily multi-vitamin! THAT'S using your dojo mojo.
So many options that will help me pay for two kids in taekwondo! In return, I sincerely thank you, and I will send you a picture of my kids with their trophies. You'll love it.
As an added bonus, send me an email with your kids sport and annual cost of registration and equipment, and I will send you a lovely rebate. Don't forget to join membership!
Using just my first as the example, I had myself convinced that kids are no big deal in the financial department. Here's how I fooled myself:
- Making babies the traditional way is free. Hallelujah. Might have been down a bit for a bottle of wine and a nice dinner, but whatevs. Insurance paid for most of the doctor visits, hospital stay, etc. We were out a couple hundred bucks.
- Cutie maternity clothes...I spent a bit. Had to be a fashionable preggie, right?
- Baby shower. Everything you could possibly need to feed, clothe, and care for a baby, except the elusive instruction manual of course... all at one happy party. Cha-ching. Thanks, everyone!
- Bring baby home. Diapers, wipes, cream for their little bee-hind. Let's say $25 at Jewel. Nursed the baby for quite some time and saved a bundle on formula.
- Picked out some clothes and stuff that I just had to have...couple hundred bucks.
- Went back to work and paid for daycare. Ooof, that's a little painful, but we managed.
- Preschool - couple hundred for the school year.
- Clothes - buy a couple things here and there, but boy do we love hand-me-downs.
- Toys - that's what holidays are for.
- Elementary school - gym shoes, clothes, school supplies. Etc. etc.
Clothes can be a decent expense, especially if you don't have friends or relatives with an older child to pass stuff down. Boys are tough too, cause they beat the hell out of everything. So every school year we have to shop for new jeans twice, new gym shoes, a couple hoodies, new backpack, blah blah. Then half way through the school year they decide they won't be caught dead in the $200 of stuff you bought at the beginning of the year. Or only certain brands, please. All the other kids have North Face winter coats? Sorry dude, not happening. What? A dress outfit for the concert at school? Crap! He can't wear his old beat up DC gym shoes to that? Crap! Skidded out on the playground and ripped the knees out of another pair of jeans? Crap! Ya it's adding up, but still seems fairly manageable.
Then the sports begin.
All you other parents with kids in sports just collectively shuddered, didn't you? Our boy has been the karate master since he was 3 and got Tommy Nitro and the Crimson Sausage karate video, so there's never been a question of what he wanted to do. So, we sign the kid up...$130. Can't do taekwondo without a taekwondo uniform...sounds reasonable, $50.
180 bucks? The kid better flipping like it.
A couple months of classes and hi-ya's! Then belt promotions start - $60 each. (Ya, that's $60 TWELVE TIMES). Then they start sparring and need all the gear to protect their body, head, and especially those teeth, cause God forbid anything happens to them, you know how expensive that would be?
I'm sure all parents with kids in sports go through the same thing. The cost of registration, uniforms and equipment is astronomical. I've heard that hockey costs are off the wall, ice skating is insane, and friends of ours with three kids in traveling soccer leagues are in for over a grand each season. Et tu, soccer?
Obviously kids are expensive. This is the real world, but it seems to me that keeping them out of sports because of cost shouldn't be an issue. Kids need to be active and learn how to be team players and the discipline and confidence and all that. And besides...if they're not in it now, their chances of getting on the varsity team in high school are nil. Gasp! Of course there are cheap and/or free things they can do, but we want what they want, they love the sport, they love playing it and everything else that goes along with it, so we swallow the cost of it all.
So, I've decided to have a fundraiser. Sure, why not? You want my kids to be healthy and active, DON'T YOU?? Here's what you do:
Go to www.greengiraffe.myshaklee.com and look around at all the great healthy products for you, your kids, and your home. It's a great opportunity to go green with your cleaning supplies, switch out all your personal products to the safe stuff, or get your family on a daily multi-vitamin! THAT'S using your dojo mojo.
So many options that will help me pay for two kids in taekwondo! In return, I sincerely thank you, and I will send you a picture of my kids with their trophies. You'll love it.
As an added bonus, send me an email with your kids sport and annual cost of registration and equipment, and I will send you a lovely rebate. Don't forget to join membership!
Raising active kids...it takes a village.
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