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Tell Me
" 2. You are too young to have sex if you aren't ready for the responsibility of raising a child. Having a baby is an end to normal life as you now know it. As a matter of fact, YOU WILL HAVE NO LIFE! Are you a teenager and think you're ready? Ha ha. You are way too funny. Take down my email. Ask me to tell you in full gruesome detail about raising a child. I will scare the wee right out of you with the reality of it. "
Tell me about raising a child, I'd like to know. I think I'm old enough to have sex, and fully take on the responsibility of a child if somehow I get pregnant.
So I'm just asking now, in case you can make me thing otherwise..?
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Amazingly enough, you are the first person to ever ask me such a question. Want some details, do ya? Ok. This will be a long one. Hope you like to read.
Please note that from how you asked, I am going to completely assume you are a teenager. I may be wrong, but I highly doubt it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have said you "think" you are old enough.
First off, lets talk about money. Do you like money? Kids cost a lot of money before they are even born, and more after. Say bye bye to your folding money! Let me give you a break down...
Before birth: Well, we need some furniture for our nursery. Check out walmart.com. That's where I got these prices, and that is one of the cheapest places to get such things.
Bassinets run around $90. Fun considering you only use them for 4-6 months. We don't want baby sharing our bed, do we? That way increases the chances of SIDS. Cribs cost around $100. Dresser $100, Wooden rocker $35, Crib bedding set $35, Bassinet sheets around $10.
So, with buying the cheapest priced furniture and bedding (no personal style what so ever), we have so far a total of $370.
Now, we have to be prepared with clothes at $12- $14 per set. Nice considering they outgrow them in a heartbeat. You get, say, 10 outfits for baby. That's $120 at $12 per outfit. Got to have some diapers on hand. At least $10 for one small pack of newborn diapers. Look at at least $15 for a diaper bag. Can't forget the car seat! Another $50 out the window. Another $50 for a pack-n-play. Those are a blessing. Got to have one of those.
Our total is now up to $615 and our baby isn't even born yet. Let's move to something else that costs before baby is born.
If you have no health insurance, vaginal birth costs around $2500. That is if all goes smoothly. C-sections cost more. They will want you to have sonograms periodically, and that isn't included in the cost. At least $150 each, and you would have at least 2.
You will need a car to get you back and forth to your many, many OB appointments- at least $5000 for a decent used clunker. Said auto needs tags and insurance. For a teenager, at least $1000 per year.
Now we are up to a total of $9415. Boy, this bill keeps racking higher and higher. Still, no baby born. I'm going to quit keeping track of prices now. You are getting the point, aren't you?
Gas isn't cheap, at $2.00+ per gallon. You need a home of your own. Rent is not cheap by a long stretch. You need to furnish your home, pay for water, gas, electric, sewer, trash, better have a phone in case of emergency. You have to eat, so must have groceries. Got to have something to eat on, so must have pots, pans, dishes and silverware.
This all takes a good job, or a couple of decent jobs to pay for. Remember now, you say you think you are old enough to be FULLY responsible- that means you do it on your own. Mommy and Daddy don't pay for these things, you do. Mommy and Daddy don't care for this child, you do. Mommy and Daddy don't provide a roof over it's head, you do.
And don't forget this- if you are a teenager, there is a high possibility of you being a SINGLE PARENT. Do you really expect a 16 year old BOY to step up and be a father? You may just be on your own, girl.
Lets also not forget, how are you going to finish high school, with having jobs to FULLY SUPPORT a child? What are your thoughts on going to college? Got to FIND time to get your GED first, then hope that sometime in the next 10 years you will be able to have time and afford going to night school at a local community college. Bye bye University!
Because, lets face it- any woman with a baby is a busy one. You got to feed a newborn every 4 hours around the clock. It doesn't care if you are tired. It doesn't care if you haven't had a bath in a week. It doesn't care if you haven't had time to eat today. It's hungry now and isn't capable of feeding itself. Remember: this is all YOUR JOB if you are ready to FULLY take on RESPONSIBILITY of raising a child.
And my, oh my, when the baby is sick or teething- guess you can sleep sometime next week... Got to get up bright and early to go to work,you know. Can't miss a day's pay, and sure can't risk losing that job.
By the way, daycare runs around $150 per child, per week, even if they don't go all week long. Have to pay to keep that slot open. It's hard to find good daycare for newborns.
Oh, and guess what? No more time for friends. No going out and partying. No going out to goof around. Hey, you have to grow up REAL FAST, and your friends WON'T grow up with you. They don't have to be a responsible adult, but you sure do. Won't it be SO much fun to watch them live out their youth while you have to become a woman and be a parent? No time for you to have a good time. You have a baby who depends on you.
Gee, all of this and only a newborn baby as of yet. Do I need to go on? Have you heard enough?
Are you sure you are prepared to fully take on the responsibility of raising a child? Can you do all of this on your own, or would you have to stick your parents with the hard stuff? Can you say that you would be able to fully care for a child and give up all of the things in your life without having resentment towards an innocent baby who doesn't ask to be here?
That's up to you to decide.
I like your question. I think it's a very good one. Shows me that you must think about the consequences of your actions before you act. I just hope I gave you something real to think about.
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