Why Would it Cost $220,000 to Raise a Child??

So I'm reading a Time magazine article about the high cost of raising a child (in the USA that is). The number quoted was $220,000. I looked up the USDA stats that come up with these numbers and sure enough--average spent in 2008 was about $180,00-$220,000 depending on your income, as rich people simply spend more on their kids.

I needed to know more because it seemed so crazy to me, so I looked at the breakdown chart. Ok, the food bills make sense, especially if you buy healthy food. Of course breast feeding your baby would greatly reduce the first years costs. Health expenses probably includes dental, etc..so that wasn't outrageous. Nor was $1,160 on 2 years worth of transportation once you include an occasional plane ticket. However, I contend if we weren't obsessed with driving children to all these sports & lessons and had better public transportation that cost would be less too...

The main issues I had with their numerology (or our voracious lifestyles) was the clothes & housing. I agree that clothing a teenager is expensive--because lets face it, we are so crazy materialistic that our teenagers get heckled for not wearing the hottest trends and having sparkling new sneakers. The only way to fix that is to shake up society. But can't we suck it up and buy more used clothes for the little ones?? Or a few less? I often see daycare kids dressed to the nines in the nicest outfits--in my opinion the parents are alleviating their guilt by dressing them up....yet I regress.

Housing was the big ah-ha moment: The cost breakdown was 33% of that large $200,000 estimate -due to mortgage and utilities. Probably based on the assumption that an American kid will simply fall over and die without his or her own bedroom. Therefore you need to run out and buy a four bedroom three bath house. Baloney!
Many people without children happen to have big mortgages as well, and I'm pretty sure they crank the heat . So I'm not sure how the kids are to blame for the mortgage, except for the perception that you need this big-ass house so you can hide from each other.

Remember the Brady Bunch? Six kids 3 bedrooms. My sister just raised her kids in a 2 bedroom house (the trick was to make the basement a play area) And our house in Alaska used to house 4 kids and it is two bedrooms, tiny office -possible third bedroom, and one bathroom.
Sharing bedrooms actually teaches kids to get along with one another. Sure they can argue and go nuts--but the lesson is you need to deal with it--not shut the door and hide. Plus I know some kids actually find it fun--and that isolation is lonely. Of course if you have a boy and a girl, you probably are going to separate them out at some point (I'm not crazy enough to say they should share a room) Maybe build out that attic like the Brady Bunch did!

But please lets remember, that the high cost of raising a child really has nothing to do with keeping them warm, fed & clothed-- but more with what Americans want and what they have come to expect.