The high price of children--a good value or not?

When we used to be an agrarian society [yes, I know, that was about a hundred years ago!], the obvious rule of thumb was--the more children you had, the prosperous you became.  That was a time when most families lived on a farm and the more "hands" there were to share the work, the more prosperous a family became!  But we no longer live on farms--less than 2% of us do these days--so the economic rationale for having children has been turned on it's head:  it now costs a great deal to bring a child into the world and sustain him or her into the future--the more children the more your wealth--by economic measures, at least--shrinks.  

Or does it?  Are there other ways to think about it?  That's the point of today's post.  

The amounts in dispute range from as small as $170,000 for low-income families to over a quarter of a million dollars for some others--who's to really say.  I guess it sort of depends on where the "meter" starts as to what the "fare" eventually totals to.  Irrespective of what the best estimate is, all of the numbers thrown around are large--in truth, very large!  

Because this post--keithmurrayONBIZ--focuses on such matters as ecomonics, the wisdom of various business decisions, "buyer behavior," and management choices generally, I thought the personal issues pertaining to children was fair-game--as well as one not without a lot of management, financial, and career implications!  So, while a little different than the usual systematically reasoned, logically calculated arguments in favor of this or that strategic alternative, or one or other management decision, my post today draws--between the "art" and "science" of management--mostly on the intuitive, art part point of view.  

In the course of my day, I run across a lot of material that's sent to me, frankly is not all that good; however, the caliber of the rendition, to say nothing about the thoughtfulness of the content, that I make available to you today is an exception.  I share it with you to view for yourself and experience the message.  It might lead you, if not to change your mind, to at least re-think the matter of the cost and worthwhileness of having children in a slightly different way--certainly beyond a strict basis of dollar-and-cents.  

Here you go...the [non-economic] price--and value--of having children...

A post follow-up note:  If you're interested, check out a different-but-interesting-nonetheless [econometric-based] POV from MSN's site:  "Raising your quarter million dollar baby," by the MSN Money writers. 

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