How much does a 10 year old cost?

[Deleted]

What expenses are involved with raising a 10 year old?

[kinetickid]

Jan 7, 2011 18:23:30 GMT -5 @justaposter said:

What expenses are involved with raising a 10 year old?

More than they're worth!

[Deleted]

LOL probably, but could you put a dollar amount on that?

[JustLurkin]

That's up to you...your question is kinda like "How much does a car cost?".

I think extra-curricular activities are suckin me dry...but think the activities I have my son involved in are worth it. But, if he didn't have those activities, he'd be just fine.

[sil]

Good question. I've read so many threads about how much a baby costs, but now that we're living in that baby phase, I'd really like to know what we're in for down the road. How much do after school programs and summer camps typically cost? I'm sure childcare is still one of the biggest expenses at this age.

The other biggie is probably food. My 4 year old already eats more than I do during some meals. Othertimes he won't eat a thing, but I never figure that out until after I've already cooked for him. So I think we'll be in a world of hurt on our grocery bills once he turns 10!

[Deleted]

Jan 7, 2011 18:58:03 GMT -5 JustLurkin said:

That's up to you...your question is kinda like "How much does a car cost?".

Well how much does a good, well rounded kid cost

[upstatemom]

A 10 year old is priceless IMO ,
Its a few years later when they grow like weeds that it gets really expensive trying to keep them in shoes, cleats and clothes that fit them, but when they give you a hug and kiss its all worth it.

[JustLurkin]

Jan 7, 2011 19:03:01 GMT -5 sil said:

The other biggie is probably food. My 4 year old already eats more than I do during some meals.

Ohhhh, yea...Later are we talkin male or female...my son is hitting puberty and will easily take 2 or 3 servings...he's not gaining weight, so I leave him alone about it...but wow!

Childcare goes down because you'll need before and after care, and at that age they can do other activities as well...like through the school, or the Y...my son goes to Park & Planning after school.

upstatemom is right, 10 is a good age...they haven't *quite* reached the age where you're considered embarrassing and clueless!!

ETA: So it won't be a shock to you Later...summer camp brochures are *already* rolling out and are generally 1st come 1st serve

[Deleted]

We aren't quite at 10 yet, but I will add what I know. Before and after school care is about $400 a month at dd's school. I haven't been able to get a price for summer camp yet. That comes out in February.

Other than that you still have cloths, food, activities, and they will probably be more into electronics.... And college is looming....

[Sum Dum Gai]

Its a few years later when they grow like weeds that it gets really expensive trying to keep them in shoes, cleats and clothes that fit them

I don't know what you're talking about. My daughter just turned 10 last month and she's already wearing a womens 7.5 shoe. That kid hasn't had a single pair of shoes that fit longer than 6 months ever.

As to the bigger questions of what a 10 year old costs. Uh... beats me. This might sound weird and all, but I've never gone through and separated the budget to see how much each family member is costing. Like anything else with kids, it'll come down to how much you make. A single person raising a 10 year old on $30k a year will spend a completely different amount from a single person raising a 10 year old on $100k.

[kinetickid]

Jan 7, 2011 18:38:07 GMT -5 @justaposter said:

LOL probably, but could you put a dollar amount on that?

Take the cost of having a 9 year old and add 8%.

[Deleted]

Dark you have girls! What kind of stuff is the 10 year old doing??

[Cookies Galore]

So I take it you will be fostering a 10-year-old? Good luck! I'm sure you'll do right by the kid!

[Deleted]

Jan 7, 2011 19:38:05 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

So I take it you will be fostering a 10-year-old? Good luck! I'm sure you'll do right by the kid!

Thanks. I think I am settling on the 8-10 range. I'm just trying to get an idea of their lifestyle lol.

[Deleted]

Later I have a 9 year old girl and a 10 year old boy. I don't know how much they actually cost, but they aren't cheap. I have to buy them new clothes and shoes about every 3-6 months. DD won't stop growing. She is like her mom and loves shoes....She also is harder on her clothes than the boys. I don't get it but she is.
DS isn't growing as fast as DD, but he still needs new clothes and shoes quite often.

They usually do activities during the year. DD likes to do choir and baseball. DS likes to do baseball and soccer. Baseball is $100 to sign up for and then I usually have to buy new cleats every season. They are usually about $30 a piece. I usually also have to replace a bat or a glove or both during the season because they either lose them or outgrow them.
Soccer is usually $75 to sign up and then new cleats every season. The cleats run about $30 also. No they are not allowed to wear baseball cleats on the soccer field.

Don't forget all the birthday parties that they will be invited to. I have 3 kids that get invited. I usually limit gift giving to about $20.

DS will be needing braces this year. That is going to cost us about $5K. He has some pretty messed up teeth, but the dentist wanted to wait for him to lose more baby teeth.

DS doesn't eat a lot, but DD can out eat a grown man. She is a twig so I don't know where she puts it all.
Not sure if any of my rambling helped

[Deleted]

Ya Angel, that does help. It kind of puts things in context for me.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Dark you have girls! What kind of stuff is the 10 year old doing??

My ten year old decided she's a tomboy, so this could be radically different if you get a little princess girl, but she's into video games, soccer, choir, band, student council, skateboarding, riding bikes, art, cooking, and books. The order she'd put those in varies from week to week.

Both of ours spend about an hour reading every day, our rule, but they both love books. Get a library card or the books alone could break a budget. We have a Wii, and PS2 that we all share, and they each have their own DS. We only get maybe one or two new games a year though. We just got her a computer for Christmas, we'll see how that goes. She goes through clothes and shoes like you wouldn't believe. Our rule on sports and after school activities is that they can basically do whatever they want, but school comes first. We try to limit it to one full time activity at a time as well. More during the summer, when the activities can be pretty time consuming. During the school year I don't see why they can't do say, softball once or twice a week, an art class another day, and chess club on Friday or whatever. Some of the summer activities are four or five a days week by themselves, so they usually only get one. It's always their choice though, we don't force them to do any activities like take piano lessons or something.

By 10 they don't go to the doctor much, unless they've got some kind of medical condition. They're old enough to tell you that they have a cold, a stomach flu, etc. Unless they obviously need stitches, have a broken bone, or they don't get better within a few days you can treat it with OTC meds or some chicken soup and bed rest.

They're old enough to understand that "that's what she said" is somehow sexual. They might not fully get the joke, but they will roll their eyes and go, "That's disgusting dad!" Let's see what else. Oh, she'll have plenty of friends who already have cell phones. She will want one. Some of her classmates will probably already be wearing make up. At least one of the girls in her class will dress like a cheap hooker from time to time. I blame the parents. Uh... yeah, that's all I've got right now.

10 is a really good age though. They're old enough to have interesting conversations with, they're still curious about everything, they still think you're cool. There are definitely some perks.

[Deleted]

Dark has the tomboy, and I have Her Royal Highness...She is all about the shoes and the fashion. I don't mind buying her fashion as long as it isn't revealing. I am good at shopping sales so I can let her dress pretty fashionable. One thing I do is that we go into Limited Too or Justice and find things she likes. Then we go to TJ Maxx and try to replicate the look for cheaper. I know you are good at this for yourself so you should be an expert at it for a kid.

She is getting into make up and loves jewelry (yup she has been banned from my room because she won't stop wearing my stuff to school). I wouldn't mind if she asked but usually she just takes what she wants.
I do not let her hooch it up though. She can wear a light pink lipstick or gloss and a little blush. One day she did try going to school looking like a street walker and I sent her back to her bathroom to wash the blue eyeshadow off.

Neither my 9 year old or 10 year old have cell phones, but DS will be getting one for his 11th birthday. He is involved in a lot of activities and sometimes I have a hard time finding him after practice. She will probably get one at 11 too. We will see...right now she is on a tight leash because she is wanting to break the rules (yup...she is my kid). She hates me every other day because I am standing in her way of world domination.

Oh and also be aware that girls are starting their periods earlier.....

[Deleted]

A healthy white girl is probably worth $10k on the open market.

[Deleted]

Hmmmm How much would I get for a bitchy 9 year old, a picky 10 year old, and a gassy 14 year old?

[kinetickid]

Jan 7, 2011 20:22:34 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

A healthy white girl is probably worth $10k on the open market.

[973beachbum]

My Dd is 15 but she used to be 10

It really does depend on how much you make. If you don't make much then clearly you won't spend much.

My kids are obviously deprived! My 7 yr old DS an my 15 year old DD share a playstation II and a game cube. Both were bought used from Gamestop. We haven't bought a new game for the PSI in maybe a year and only a couple for the Game cube. But with maybe one exception they were also all used. If that isn't shocking enough they were actually thrilled to get them. I have actually never had something from them bought used not work. My kids have broken things but it wasn't Game stop's fault!

My Dd at that age started playing the French Horn. Schools around here have band in school but you have to supply the instrument. The places will rent them to you in a rent to own type of thing. At some point you own it and don't have to pay rent anymore. I think by that time you could have bought the thing 5 times. but it is good to see if they are going to stick with it. Most go for $40-$150 a month to rent.

All activities like that you have to pay for. Clothes at that age start to come in line with what an adult would pay. I live where it gets cold in the winter so every year it is new winter coats and snow boots etc on top of regular clothes.

I know the whole school comes first but I think things like band or sports are important. It gives the kids a sense of accomplishment as well as responsibility. It also gives them something to look forward to in school even if they aren't the best student.

[debtheaven]

Later there is quite a difference between eight and 10. At eight they are still content to be "children" (generally speaking of course), by 10 they are starting to emulate the teens (again, generally speaking).

I have definitely noticed a "trickle down effect" here, especially for the girls. My DD wanted a relatively pricey handbag (105e), and I bought it for her as her Middle School graduation gift. Within a year most of DS3's friends (six years younger!) had the same handbag after finishing primary school. Within two years, everybody and anybody here under 18 had at least one. This is a posh suburb but it's France so most people here don't go crazy.

So in short, how long is a piece of string?

ETA: This is like everything else, you will probably end up with a compromise, somewhere between what the child thinks is important and what you think is important. We don't buy gaming systems but we are pretty loose with airfare.

[debtheaven]

And I agree on the extracurriculars, they are important. The child doesn't need to do five (I don't like overscheduling kids) but it would certainly benefit her to do one or two, and the costs can vary widely. Theater or dance or swimming is a lot cheaper than horseback riding. When the kids were younger / experimenting with activities I liked to have them do one individual activity and one group activity, and one of those two had to be physical / a sport. They end up finding a niche over time, but I don't know how much time you will have with this child long-term.

That's one lucky kid though! Best of luck to you!

[Deleted]

9 year old girl here. Dance runs 54$ a month, plus 52$ i paid for tap and ballet shoes last week, costumes will run me 105$ this year. Chorale costs me 85$ a semester. She likes more shoes than her brother, but i generally give them a limit and he buys two good pair and she buys as many 'cheap' ones as she can get her hands on... but she does have more clothes... LOTS more... just works out that way... She reads more too... and does more 'stuff' that requires more upkeep... he can play legos and video games forever, but she wants to make chocolates, and bake cakes, and do crafts, etc... And she likes lip gloss and lotions and stuff like that already... Oh... and the hair stuff, ties, and bun wrapper things, and earings... man... now that i think about it girls are expensive...

Is that the kind of stuff you want?

[Deleted]

"Is that the kind of stuff you want?"

Yes it is. I haven't really paid attention to what age kids do this and that at. All of your answers are filling in the picture for me. I will read all you have.

[Sharon]

I guess my DD is totally depreived. We don't have a playstate, Xbox, gamecube, DS or any gaming type of thing. She does have an Ipod that she bought with her own money. DD has always done dance which runs year round. By the time she was nine she was doing tap, ballet, and jazz. Dance lessons in this area are priced by class, so much for an hour class, with the second hour being slightly cheaper etc. The shoes cost a lot.

With band you can do the rent to own thing with the instruments or the schools will sometimes let you rent the instruments for the school year from the school. Local music teachers also sometimes have instruments that they will sell at a greatly reduced price. It all depends on the instrument.

[Deleted]

LOL That's what I hear!

[Deleted]

My 10 year old was GREAT! But when she turned 16 I decided to sell her....


Uh Oh... we've been talking about this... a few of us mothers with 12 year olds, and i've done some reading, that says 11-14 is actually the worst... and i remember from teaching that grades 6-8 were what i considered the worst, so i was thinking that, despite the obvious still growing towards independence, that it might actually improve somewhat by 16 or so... (not that i'm having a terribly hard time at all... i just like to grouse now and then, but he's a good kid... however my friends with 12 year old GIRLS... they say its quite a ride... something i have to look forward to...)

[Deleted]

Oh great...my daughter is 9 and I swear she is trying to see if I will finally snap.

My 16 year old DSD is a very calm and level headed girl. She has always been that way though. I would rather deal with her any day over my 9 year old who is a handful to say the least. Now throw in PMS (hers) and I feel like I am losing my mind! We bump heads big time. I hope and pray it gets better as she gets older, but it has only gotten worse with each year.