Expenses of Parenting

In this article, titled, "And Baby Breaks the Budget," by M.P. Dunleavey, a mother reflects on the financial constraints and often hidden expenses of parenthood. The mother seems to have a rather negative view towards the financial responsibilities of being a mother, referring to them at one point as, "financial hazards". If I were to give this troubled mother some advice, I would talk to her in terms of sunk costs, after all, there are many costs asscoaited with parenting, not all of which are obvious; parnets must be prepared to financially provide for another human being. Though the mother was thrilled about all the hand-me downs from friends and family, she seemed pessismistic about the new expenditures incurred by the cam-corder and a new DVD player. I would tell the mother to learn to see the cam-corder and other similiar expenses as sunk costs. She has already purchased these items so there is no use freting about the expenses that accompany the cam-corder and the DVD player. Another thing to think about before having children is the fact that we are living in a digital era, where technology fuels our daily activities. Though our lives may operate more efficiently, we live in a very expensive world. Technology is not only expensive, but necessary for many people. Perhaps a more non economic view towards this article would be the question of whether one can place a cost on a child? Can you put a price on family?