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Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:05 pm
by hellome
What are your views (financial, emotional) on this?
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:21 pm
by Bobus
Is raising 2 kids less expensive than raising 1? I ask because you seem to be in doubt by asking "does that mean its a direct saving?", whatever direct or indirect means in this context.
Kids are expensive. Yet people have kids presumably because they value them beyond what they cost. Just like gadgets are expensive - yet people buy them coz they derive value from them beyond what they pay for it.
A second kid is a sibling to the first - so the first and second kid derive value from a sibling.
For some, having kids of both genders is important - so they try until they have at least one of each - and stop when they succeed or until they have had one too many of the same gender already and dont want to risk another of the same gender.
For my wife, a daughter was very important. For my mom, a grandson was important. :) Both have what they wanted now in our family. Our first child also expressed a wish for a sibling and has that wish fulfilled.
Beyond money for raising, there is also the issue of devoting time.
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:22 pm
by nand
In every material and financial way 1 kid is easier than 2. That said, I love both my kids equally and would not want it any other way. For the kids themselves - 2 is always better than 1. In fact 3 is even better if you can afford it, but the world unfortunately has too many and it cant.
these decisions are made using the heart not the head. If you use your head you can never have even 1 kid.
hellome;78936Having one kid instead of 2 kids - does that mean its a DIRECT saving? How many of you have thought on those lines...
What are your views (financial, emotional) on this?[/quote]
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:33 pm
by Bobus
One economy of scale that I can think of is that it seems easier to baby-sit / manage 2 or 3 brats that are together than a lone brat. :)
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:37 pm
by Going_nowhere
hellome;78936Having one kid instead of 2 kids - does that mean its a DIRECT saving? How many of you have thought on those lines...
What are your views (financial, emotional) on this?[/quote] How many kids do you currently have ? What does your spouse have to say ?
If you want the board to decide, we can have a vote and then you can accordingly plan the size of your family. :)
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:03 am
by RRS
I feel more the better. But atleast 2. If one can't have it naturally, atleast adopt.
We have 2 of the same kind. I would have liked to have one more of the different kind for the emotional reasons during my harmones swinging days but have raised my boys mellow enough so my toilet seats are down :-) without yelling, so they care for me enough.
Seriously, first child is for you and second child is for your child and in these uncertain times, you atleast have insured each other for emotional support and something to look forward to in bleak days.
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:17 am
by moreqa
It is also a point to consider whether one child will feel inferior/superior comparing to the other child - due to various comparisons like mom's pet, dad's pet, one child is able to do some things that the other child can't, one is fair other is a bit darker looking, one is talkative other is quiet, strong/weak, age difference between the two, schools they would go to, and the list goes on.
Are you ready to manage that?
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:25 am
by layman
moreqa;78968It is also a point to consider whether one child will feel inferior/superior comparing to the other child - due to various comparisons like mom's pet, dad's pet, one child is able to do some things that the other child can't, one is fair other is a bit darker looking, one is talkative other is quiet, strong/weak, age difference between the two, schools they would go to, and the list goes on.
Are you ready to manage that?[/quote]
In that case one cannot get married either. What if one spouse is smarter than the other, one is fair and the other is dark and so on?
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:26 am
by RRS
Financial stress will be little more with more kids but with little bit planning should not be too much of a burden if both husband and wife work and share the duties and the constant engagement gives you no time to dwell on negative thoughts. Sometimes stress is good than being idle and that's MO and people may disagree.
When I was in India, I did not want to have more than 1 kid as upper/lower middle class seems to be leaning towards that concept past 1-2 decade generation but after coming to US, I wanted to have atleast 2 and being in cold NE area and seeing Caucasians with 2-3 might have had some influence too :-)
Two kids Vs One kid - Financial impact
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:29 am
by OurGen-X
Bobus;78944
For my wife, a daughter was very important. For my mom, a grandson was important. :) Both have what they wanted now in our family. [/quote]
This is a very disturbing trend that is probably the root cause of the prevailing female infanticide from many sections of society in India today. Why is it that "moms" consider it important to have a grandson? Is a grand daughter not good enough? Isn't this some kind of gender discrimination. I have seen way too many households where boys are given preferential treatment over girls and that just irks me!! For this very reason, we planned to have two kids and we have two girls and we've made sure we won't have any more. My girls mean EVERYTHING to me and I cannot imagine life any other way!
Our mothers and the rest of our family just have to live with this fact!