Raising Pampered Kids

03/14/2007

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.
Helen Keller

The Wall Street Journal recently estimated that families in the top-third income bracket in the USA will spend from $800,000 to $1.6 million to raise a child born in 2005 through age 17 (“The Million Dollar Kid”, March 4, 2007). In introducing these projections the Journal observed, “With the debate about the country’s wealth gap heating up again, pampered kids provide some of the most dramatic examples, from toddlers in $800 strollers to 10-year-olds with cellphones.”

The Journal projections were based upon a survey of parents’ spending habits. Among the expenses included in the projections are…

enrollment in child care and private schools ($96,000)
tutoring ($75,000)
gas spent transporting children ($18,394)
iTunes downloads ($3,600)
babyGap wardrobe ($6,205)
organic groceries for child ($50,000)
acne treatment during teen years ($11,000)
car as 16th birthday present ($23,000)
swimming pool in back yard ($60,000)
designer handbags for teenage girls ($4,000)

Get Your Classroom Singing with CIRCLE OF SONGS

These CD/Songbook sets were created to promote group singing at circle time. The simple presentation of developmentally-appropriate music activities and photo-illustrated songbooks make singing fun for everyone!

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