Essay On How To Raise A Baby To Adulthood

At any age, making the decision to have and raise a baby to adulthood is one that takes a lot of careful consideration and planning. Right now at the age of seventeen, my goals for the future include pursuing a post-secondary education, world travel, starting a career, and more. However, if I were to have a child at this age, whether planned or unexpected, my goals would change drastically and my life would be affected in several ways. First off, raising a child is expensive. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of raising one child born in 2013 through adulthood is estimated to be about $245,340. According to another report from the USDA, median income families spend about $12,000 on child-related costs in just the first year, and that number increases to $12,500+ per year after that. These high costs do not include bills from care at doctor 's visits during pregnancy or the cost of delivering the child in a hospital, which without insurance can be up to $9,600 for a vaginal birth with no complications and upwards of $15,000 for a C-section with no complications. Currently, I hold a part-time job at which I usually work 10-20 hours per week at minimum wage. At most, that 's $150 per week and $600 per month. This falls about $400 short for the monthly cost of $1,000 during the first year of a child 's …show more content…
According to an article published by The Telegraph, two thirds of new mothers said that having a baby destroyed their social life. The article also claims that the first year after giving birth is the loneliest time of a young woman 's life. Many new mothers grow distant from their close friends and form new relationships with other parents as they can relate their shared experiences raising children better. Raising a baby takes a lot of time, so going out with friends becomes inconvenient. Hobbies also become difficult to keep up