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Comcast actually offers highly subsidized internet access as well as low cost computers for lower income families. The internet access runs $10 a month, and the computers are $150.
I'm aware. There are families that can't afford $150 for a computer or even $10/month. For example, 31.3% of Philadelphia's children under the age of 18 live below the poverty line. Comcast bases its qualification on the free and reduced lunch program, which Pennsylvania calculates at 130% and 185% above the poverty level. Those are the parents who are more likely to have the money to take advantage of the subsidy, not the majority of the 31.1% of the children who are actually living below the poverty line.
Teachers make accommodations for students who don't have internet because there are impoverished students living in civilization.
Ultrarunner said "kids are as expensive as you want them to be." True to a point, but certain things are necessities. Food, clothing, a place to live, and, increasingly, technology. I think it would make things unnecessarily difficult to choose not to have internet because you "don't want kids to be that expensive." If you truly can't afford it, that's different.
I'm aware. There are families that can't afford $150 for a computer or even $10/month. For example, 31.3% of Philadelphia's children under the age of 18 live below the poverty line. Comcast bases its qualification on the free and reduced lunch program, which Pennsylvania calculates at 130% and 185% above the poverty level. Those are the parents who are more likely to have the money to take advantage of the subsidy, not the majority of the 31.1% of the children who are actually living below the poverty line.
I'm well aware, thanks for Googling it though.........
My mom had my grandmother as a built-in babysitter, i bought my own first (and subsequent) car, paid for my own clothes or got hand me downs (which I LOVED! ), dance lessons were my only extra curriculum, and I didn't eat much.
Seriously, I'd estimate she paid maybe 30k in 18yrs until I enrolled in college and started paying her rent. Then she profited from me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by no kudzu
Do the math. That is about $139 a month or $4.63 a day. Nobody can eat on that amount and you aren't figuring in medical expenses, fuel for heat and car, clothes, school supplies. I think you are being very naive.
Nope. She payed virtually nothing in rent to live w my grandmother, got public assistance until i was 6, then SSDI from my dad. I walked to school. Rent included heat. She refused to drive me anywhere so i walked, hitch-hiked, or rode my bike. I went to the dance studio 1x per week for a time. It was 2 miles away.
By the time i was 15 i was hardley home and my bf's dad drove me to and from my part-time job. I bought my own car at age 16. She refused to put me on her policy as a second driver (as all the other parent did) so i had my own policy which was extremely expensive for a new teen driver.
We had great medical and dental. (Except it would not cover a brace for my scoliosis so i never got one.) "School supplies" consisted of 3 notebooks a year. Again, a lot of hand me down clothes.
I know this is not a typical situation, but still thought a few people might be interested.
Oh- and when i was 21 she took my dad to court for back child support, despite the fact that we got SSDI from him (actually SHE did and forged my name as needed.) He's personally paid her over 30k since then and will probably be paying until one of them dies.
The people who live in areas with limited internet access probably don't get homework assignments that require it. Those of us who live in civilization are expected to have it.
Yes... but how is 10 minutes from downtown Olympia Washington, the capital of the State of Washington not civilization
My point is the United States is a vast land mass and much of it is without what we expect as normal living in Urban an Suburban areas...
Definitely. We noticed a big difference when our daughter left daycare to go to a public school Pre-K (which was much less expensive than daycare) and then when she moved onto Kindergarten (free). But even now that she's in elementary school we're spending a lot on all sorts of things. In the last month or so we've had to pay for after-school programs for everyday of the week (my wife and I both work, so we need to do that), new clothes for the school year, school supplies, Girl Scout fees, fundraisers for her school, as well as dental and vision check ups required by the school district. All told it's been a hit of about $3,000 in one month. We also had some big hits for day camp over the summer.
We shouldn't have any other big hits until the beginning of next year, but we'll have Halloween, Christmas, and an extra airfare for Thanksgiving. It definitely adds up, but is well worth it.
My mom had my grandmother as a built-in babysitter, i bought my own first (and subsequent) car, paid for my own clothes or got hand me downs (which I LOVED! ), dance lessons were my only extra curriculum, and I didn't eat much.
Seriously, I'd estimate she paid maybe 30k in 18yrs until I enrolled in college and started paying her rent. Then she profited from me.
No. Honestly, I didn't work the math for myself. I figured there were health care, dental work, and perhaps few relatively big ticket items like video games or sports equipment.
And I'd bet money, their own kids will not have that same experience. Those kids will grow up and want to provide more for their own children. And their parents will help them do so.
That is pretty typical of Americans regardless of background.
Well, I'm not sure that's limited to American thinking. AFAIK, in most cultures, parents always want their children to have better lives then they did. The hard part is to know when to spoil, and when not to.
I'm well aware, thanks for Googling it though.........
Why didn't you include the additional information? You posted like it was a solution for impoverished children gaining access to the internet, when it doesn't help the truly impoverished. I didn't google it. My girlfriend tried to qualify for this service when she lost her child support last year. It's not as easy to get as it sounds. And many families above poverty level, like my girlfriend, don't have two pennies to rub together. The reality is that teachers do make accommodations for students who don't have internet. Internet service is not mandated for students who live in civilization.
Do you find that having children is expensive in your family?
I have 1 kid and 1 on the way. It seems expensive to me. Between clothes, formula, diapers, and childcare for 2 kids, kids are definitely the #1 or #2 expense in our family, only competing against a mortgage payment for our house.
I think it is worth it.
Just wondering what others find with their kids...not wondering specific numbers, more along the lines of "yeah, they're expensive" or "boy, they hardly cost me anything".
Mine are all highschool age and up. They don't get any cheaper.
My grocery bill at this point has grown *large*.
A number of families however, if they need some extra cash, can get their kids jobs and the kids income from that can pay a big portion of thier living expenses. Lots of variables.
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I'm well aware, thanks for Googling it though.........
