More love than your heart can hold. Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs. Endless wonders over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. A hand to hold, often sticky with jelly, or peanut butter.

A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring down rain. Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you NEVER have to grow up. You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to keep reading the adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies and wishing on stars. For $250,000 ……….you NEVER have to grow up.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under refrigerator magnets, 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.

So, given all you get for your investment, the bottom line is: Raising kids today is the smartest and most rewarding investment you will ever make and the dividends never stop coming.

There's no way to put a price tag on: Having someone cry, "it’s a boy!" or shout, "It’s a girl!" then hear the baby cry and know that it is healthy. Counting all 10 fingers and toes for the first time. Feeling the warmth of fat cheeks against your breast. Cupping an entire head in the palm of your hand. Making out da-da or ma-ma from all the cooing and gurgling.

Children are Priceless Planning and awareness are critical for well adjusted healthy children.

References Bauer, J.W. &Rettig, K.D. University of Minnesota, The costs of Raising a Child 2002, Lino,Mark. Expenditures on Children by Families, 2005, US Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutritional Policy and Promotion, Misc Publications , Maynard, R.A. (1996). Kids having kids: A Robin Hood Foundation special report on the costs of adolescent childbearing. New York, Robin Hood Foundation. ConsumerReports_org - The cost of raising a baby mht