The new cost of raising children in Canada

Kids arn't expensive compared to the toys we buy for ourselves like boats, quads,holiday traiters. They only really NEED food,clothing,shelter and to be loved. Shelter,you need a house for yourself anyway.Food, what's another scoop of vegetable's or a bowl of cereal,or making a bigger salad really cost compared to what we blow on ourselves all the time.Clothing, if you must,you can go to a thrift store and get good cloths for a dollar or two.Love,we should all have an endless supply of that.

My son is in Novice Hockey and just scored his first goal yesterday. The look on his face was worth about 500 grand I'd say. So I already have a positive ROI.

Alot of this is because stupid parents. 12 year olds with cellphones, designer clothes.. GIVE YOUR HEAD A SHAKE

It is only common sense that when you have more than one your cost goes down per child. You don't need a study for that. As far as the good news, not really sure what they are getting at??? If there is to be good news I agree with the other posts, improve economy, reduce unemployment etc...all still common sense. There is nothing new under the sun. King Solomon already figured that out thousands of years ago. Don't people read the Bible anymore? Oh yeah, I forgot this is Canada.

It sounds expensive to have a stranger raise your children for you.

Rummage is best place to find used clothes, very good stuff.

Then can some one please explain how in the heck couples, obviously jobless and already looking like bums, pushing two tandem strollers in malls, the tiny teenage girl pregnant the forth, possibly 5th baby can afford raising their children?!!

i have 6 kids...and im a proud mother

Sixteen grand per year? I was not planing on buying them a Mercedes when the his 16 so I guess my cost will be less.

and a lot whom i've met aren't worth a plugged nickel.

1 child costs more?? DON'T MADE THEM A SPOILED BRATT!!!!!!

yes because today parents want their children to have all the toys from Toys "R" us.

TRY rasising Canadian KIDS OUTSIDE of CANADA..... THAT is REALLY expensive..... The only schools which have an equivalent standard to public Canadian schools where i live right now, in Vietnam, are International schools, such as the CIS, CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, which costs almost 2000 DOLLARS a MONTH!!!!

Some kids bring there kids home and let mom &dad foot the bills.
This is do to the job problem in this country. So grand parents suffer with fixed incomes.

One hint to new parents, don't buy everything new. Yard sales are amazing places to buy clothes, toys and baby equipment (like highchairs). I buy 75% of my kids clothes secondhand, kids don't wear clothes long enough to wear things out, so you can get things that are still in great shape. I have even pick things up that still have the tags on them. As for baby equipment, just make sure when you buy them they are in good shape and are up to today standards for safety.

"To parents, their kids are priceless." Well said. I'm never putting a price tag on my kids.

I did not have kids and cost was a big factor. I married a man who has a daughter. We do not make a lot of money so we decided not to have a child of our own so we could make sure that we could provide for my stepdaughter properly. It was definately the right decision from a financail standpoint.

We have 2 children with a third on the way. We are lucky that I am able to stay home with the children, which saves us from paying for childcare. Things are tight but it works for us. I know people who had children with the intention of living off of the government .. Now thats sick. If you need to fall on the goverment for support for something that is completely out of your control, then thats OK because thats why its there. I can understand people that are bitter about this topic. I can see both sides of it.

can we see the next journalistic piece in the series? the one about declining birth rates and how Canada will be bankrupt by 2050 because there are not enough workers ages 20-40....

When you are talking in financial terms, children are an investment like anything else. Are you going to get "that money" back? No. But for people who want kids, there are greater rewards than money.

Unfortunately, I know people who are sinking more/all of their money into their children's education savings or sports hobbies then their own retirement on hopes their children will become doctors or lawyers or famous athletes and will support the parents in the future. To those parents I say "dream on..."