And that doesn’t include college

New estimates show that inflation isn’t just jacking up the cost of groceries and gasoline, but childrearing, too. The cost to raise a child for a two-parent, married family with two kids on a middle income? Over $310,000.

The Brookings Institution‘s estimate addresses children born in 2015 and spans all the costs through the age of 17. And spoiler alert: it doesn’t include any costs for sending your kids to college.

That $310K price tag has jumped $80,000 from 2017, which equals out to be over $18K per year.  Expenses that fit into the increase are plentiful and include child care, healthcare, housing, food clothing, haircuts, diapers and other must-haves like sports and lessons.

Related: 16 Ways to Shop Smart & Save Money on Groceries

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So how did experts arrive at that number? It came down to using an average inflation rate of 2.23% (2015-2020), plus another 1.77% for the last two years. Thank you, recession!

“The new estimate only crunches numbers for middle-income, married parents, and doesn’t include projections for single parent households, or consider how race factors into cost challenges” reports The Hill. The cost for those family dynamics are even more bleak.

“Rising expenses for raising a family could disproportionately affect lower-income families. For a single parent earning $20,000 or $30,000 a year, shelling out the extra funds for a child might be difficult,” says said Dr. Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow at Brookings.

For Black families, the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute found that “that Black households are more exposed to inflation fluctuations than White households.” The Wall Street Journals says that “can make it difficult for households to determine how much the money they earn will buy.”

At the end of the day, no one enters parenthood thinking they are going to get off cheap. But for the next generation, we’re betting they’ll think long and hard about opening the purse strings before having kids.

Art is all around us—you don’t have to go to a stuffy museum to introduce your kids to the fine arts. We’ve rounded up 18 jaw-dropping outdoor art installations across the country that the whole family will appreciate. Some are interactive and others are just larger than life, but all of them are well worth a visit. Keep reading to see them all.

Isak Heartstone | Breckenridge, CO

Kate Loweth

From a downtown full of sculptures to live theater performances, Breckenridge is full of ways to explore the arts. Track down the famed Breckenridge Troll while you are there. Named Isak Heartstone, this 15-foot tall wooden troll sculpture is located on the Trollstigen Trail next to Illinois Gulch Trailhead. This massive sculpture is by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, who is known worldwide for bringing awareness to recycling and upcycling by building great things out of trash. Bonus: you can even explore the area's public art using the self-guided audio tour

Online: tinybeans.go-vip.net

Spoonbridge and Cherry | Minneapolis, MN

Created by a husband-wife pop artist duo, this larger-than-life spoon and cherry sculpture can be found at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Admission is free, so you can also check out the garden’s other pieces, including everything from a giant blue rooster to wind chimes that make soft music. Here's our guide to other kid-friendly Minneapolis activities

Online: walkerart.org/visit/garden

Wynwood Walls | Miami, FL

Wynwood Walls was started in 2009 to showcase international street art. Stroll through the rotating collection of more than 50 murals at this outdoor museum, then head out into the Wynwood district to check out the surrounding art galleries and eclectic shops.

Online: thewynwoodwalls.com

Seven Magic Mountains | Las Vegas, NV

Like a colorful mirage, this weird and wonderful exhibit is in the middle of the desert outside Las Vegas. Kids will get a kick out of these 30- to 35-feet high sculptures, made from painted and locally-sourced boulders. Check out our guide to other kid-friendly Las Vegas attractions

Online: sevenmagicmountains.com

The Beltline | Atlanta, GA

lbstidham0 via Pixabay

The BeltLine is a fantastic family-friendly pedestrian loop that’s expanding around Atlanta, and, as a new and very popular initiative, has a growing collection of artworks exhibited. There’s a mix of permanent and temporary exhibits, and even musicians and performers on occasion. Even cooler, as the Beltline expands, so will the collection (there are currently 110 different works exhibited). Grab your strollers and bikes, and hit the trail! 

Online: art.beltline.org

Queen Califia’s Magical Circle | Escondido, CA

This magical place is the only American sculpture garden and the last major international project created by artist Niki de Saint Phalle. It’s inspired by the mythic, cultural, and historic roots of California, and it’s a wonder for kids of all ages. There's a bright mosaic snake wall, a maze entrance to the garden and nine free-standing sculptures, which include totems inspired by Native American, Mexican and pre-Colombian culture. Don't forget to look for Queen Califia herself, a mythical warrior queen! Looking for more outdoor art in Southern California? We’ve got the best places right here.

Online: escondido.org

Cottontail on the Trail | Minneapolis, MN

If you head to the Portland Avenue stretch of the Minnehaha Creek Trail, you’ll find Jeff Barber’s "Cottontail on the Trail.” The rabbit (or Minnehaha bunny) is an iconic trail marker and landmark, and on most warm days, you’ll find kids crawling, playing, and jumping all around the impressive bronze sculpture.

Westmoreland Park Nature Play Area | Portland, OR

Zach R. via Yelp

Art that looks good and can be touched? Sounds like our kind of place. In 2014—using repurposed concrete for water play areas and salvaged logs for climbing—environmental artist Adam Kuby collaborated with GreenWorks Design Firm to create a playspace that reflects the recent, and nearby Crystal Springs restoration efforts. A popular spot for kids and adults alike, take a peek at our insider’s guide to find out more.

Lupe the Mammoth | San Jose, CA

Affectionately named “Lupe,” this metal pipe rendering of a wooly mammoth was designed by LA artists Feyja Bardell and Brian Howe. It was installed on the Guadalupe Trail in 2015 and represents the spot where the bones of a 12,500-year-old mammoth were discovered 10 years earlier. While kids can’t touch or climb on the structure, it’s a perfect way to get them excited for a day of science and fun before heading to the nearby San Jose Children’s Museum, where a replica of the prehistoric animal can be found. Search for more cool outdoor art in the San Francisco Bay Area by clicking here.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum | Austin, TX

This woodsy, magical garden inspires creativity for all. Not only is it a wonderful place to wander through at your own leisure, but the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum caters to families as well. The permanent collection is filled with the works of Charles Umlauf, a prestigious sculpture who taught at the University of Texas, Austin for 40 years. Each sculpture is gently waxed, and touching is okay (climbing is not). Stop by on family day, the second Sunday of each month, for art-making, sculpture demos, family yoga, live music, and storytelling. Family days are free, and the rest of the time, admission is just $7 for adults and free for kids under 12. Get more information about the museum here.

Socrates Sculpture Park | Long Island City, NY

You can check out both permanent and rotating exhibits at Socrates Sculpture Park. It's free to get in, there are a lot of events (yoga, music performances, kid workshops), and the former landfill is landscaped with over 90 varieties of plant life. Plus, there’s plenty of other fun stuff to do in the area. Hallets Cove, which you’ll find just north of the park, is a public beach and kayak launch during the warm months of the year. Find out more here.

Crown Fountain | Chicago, IL

Modern art at its finest comes to Chicago in the form of Crown Fountain. With its two 50-foot glass video installations of Chicagoans as new-age gargoyles spouting out water and visitors running around in swimsuits just like any public splash pad, it’s definitely a bucket list hit for all ages. Bonus: it's super close to The Bean. Check out this guide for other famous fountains in Chicago and this story on everything fun to do in Millennium Park

Red Wagon Sculpture | Spokane, WA

This Spokane playground is basically a toy that’s built to scale so playground runners can slide out of the big red wagon’s handle. This sculpture was built in 1990 and is 27 feet long—at least we know it’ll fit Clifford! Get more info here

City Museum | St. Louis, MO

This museum can be also described as a larger-than-life art sculpture that kids and parents can run around in. Jump on a plane, climb through a wire tunnel… It’s constantly “under construction” by a team of 20 different artists to ensure that every visit will be different. Get more kid-friendly St. Louis hot spots here

Online: citymuseum.org

Sun Tunnels | Lucin, UT

Drew Tadd via Pixabay

Four huge tunnels sitting in a desert leading nowhere might not seem like art, but there’s definitely more than meets the eye with this installation. Just looking through one of these can reframe how you see your surroundings, and the shadows they cast can teach little ones about sun orientation. Plus, they are just totally awesome to run through!

Online: umfa.utah.edu/land-art/sun-tunnels

555 Mission St. Sculpture Garden | San Francisco, CA

A quiet sculpture garden in the SOMA district of San Francisco is like jumping into a colorful children’s book. Pixelated silhouettes and cousins of Jack Skellington live here. The plaza is also perfect for a downtown picnic.

Olympic Sculpture Park | Seattle, WA

A free park devoted to 22 sculptures with unbelievable views of the Seattle waterfront makes for a perfect day out with the kids. Unfortunately, these sculptures are hands-off, but there’s a nearby museum with interactive exhibits that your littles can touch to their heart’s content.

Online: seattleartmuseum.org/visit/olympic-sculpture-park

Heavy Metal | Chattanooga, TN

Heavy Metal is an uber-fun playground of sound, where your kids can make music with friends or be a one-man band! This sculpture was created in 2000 and is a part of Chattanooga's city public art collection.

Online: locate.publicartarchive.org/art/Heavy-Metal

—Susie Forseman, Gabby Cullen & Christal Yuen 

 

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If you’re wondering whether you should bother with teaching your baby a second language, the answer is a resounding yes. Despite not being able to speak, babies still begin hearing, retaining and pruning sounds as early as the womb, which will ultimately form the foundation of language.

Just like reading to your kids, the benefits of being bilingual are plentiful. Studies have shown that bilingual children are given a leg up in life, achieving higher cognitive and academic skills and receiving higher scores in non-verbal problem solving, grammar and mental flexibility.

photo: Teddy Rawpixel via rawpixel

Scientists have found that academic success is best predicted by early language interactions, including the integration of a second language. So what does that mean exactly?

While teaching your child more than one language requires work, it’s worth it in the end. Begin speaking to your child while still in the womb, speaking all the languages spoken in your home. Once your bundle of joy has entered the world, continue speaking to them in English and your other tongue when it comes to singing, reading and everyday conversation. The gift of language is truly priceless.

––Karly Wood

 

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You teach your kids to wear a helmet and buckle up because their safety is always top of mind. Whystle, an app created by a mom of four kids, shares your values. The app provides personalized product safety alerts, recalls and other news items related to parenting that will help keep your family safe and healthy.

We know you do your best to keep up on the latest product and food recalls, but even the most super mom needs some super help sometimes. We like to think of Whystle as an extra layer of security. Here are some ways the app will help make parenting easier for you:

• When you’re researching a new product or brand, Whystle will provide a history of for that specific product type or a safety record of the brand. You’ll know whether the stroller you’re eyeing has presents a choking hazard or the dog treats you’re buying for Fido is contaminated.

• You can personalize your app so you receive product and brand alerts immediately that pertain to your stage of parenting and lifestyle habits. Get alerts affecting pregnancy, children, pets, food, allergies, medications, medical devices and much more.

• Share Whystle and your personalized feed with family and friends. This ensures that the people caring for your kids are on the same page as you and have access to the same information.

• If you own a product that’s been recalled and are entitled to a replacement, refund or some other benefit, Whystle will let you know. They’ll tell you exactly what steps to take to get what you’re owed (which is sometimes hard to navigate directly with the company).

Lauren Bell, the founder of Whystle, is a mom herself to four kids. She spent 10 years at the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuting companies for dangerous products so she knows firsthand how people kept getting hurt because the message wasn’t getting out effectively about safety issues and recalls. Her app is providing parents peace-of-mind and that is truly priceless.

Download Whystle here. Users can snag a free 7-day trial. Monthly an annual plans range from $2 to $5.99/month.

—Erin Lem

 

photos: Whystle

 

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You’ve documented every little tooth, smile and babble since birth. But once your baby can stand and walk, things really take off (literally!). We’re celebrating the endearing milestones of toddlerhood, from making friends to leaping with joy. Scroll down for 6 milestones to look forward to (or remember fondly) during the toddler years.

A Step Toward Independence

Jelleke Vanootegh via Unsplash

During that first year of life, your sweet baby looks to you for, well, everything. And then one day, they don't. The stage fraught with determination and a can-do attitude has earned a reputation as the terrible twos, but it's pretty wonderful too. And those first steps toward independence deserve to be celebrated. Your child feels secure enough to start to step away and find their own way.

Three Little Words

iStock

We've been loving on these little munchkins from before they were born, but somewhere between 24 to 36 months, they verbalize their feelings for us with three simple words: I love you. Even if you aren't easily moved by milestones, this one will give you all the feels. 

Discovering Dirt

Jelleke Vanooteghem via Unsplash

The smell of a newborn is intoxicating. The scent of newness doesn't linger long, but we still think babies smell pretty great long after that addictive odor wears off. However, once your baby can mobilize, they're perpetually grimy. Your toddler explores his or her world by touching all. the. things. And while it's amazing to watch their world grow, we suggest having a pack of wipes for post-dirt play. 

Making First Friends

Cottonbro via Pexels

When your toddler hands a prized toy to a perfect, pint-size stranger, you see the first glow of a friendship form. Empathy, that spark that allows us to connect with other humans, begins to emerge at around two years of age. Watching your child learn to make healthy bonds with those outside the family: priceless. 

Running & Jumping with Abandon

iStock

When your baby first began to walk, they toddled and toppled. But by around 27 months they can jump with both feet. By age three, they can run without falling over. At this point, it might be time to swap a stroller for a pair of sneakers so you can keep up!

Revealing Their Inner Artist

Gustavo Fring via Pexels

Your child's first marks might look like chicken scratches, but by 36 months, those scribbles become frame-worthy. Watching your budding artist communicate through color and paint is reason to celebrate with your first fridge gallery. 

—Meghan Yudes Meyers

 

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Research has shown that being a mom can be the equivalent of working two and a half jobs, so how much does the position pay? Jennifer Garner’s son thinks he has the answer.

Garner shared a photo of an adorable, hand-written check her seven-year-old son, Sam, gave her for being his mom. The sum for all those hours of motherhood? $168.42. In the notes section of the pretend check he wrote, “for being my mama.”

“Apparently, birthing and raising someone is valued at $168.42,” Garner wrote in the caption. “I guess I should keep my day job.” The post garnered plenty of response from fans and her celeb friends, like Kerry Washington who chimed in, “This is adorbs AND hilarious. I hope you get a raise in 2020!!!!”

Garner added the hashtag #iwouldbehismamaforfree because of course, as any mom will agree, the experience of being a mama is absolutely priceless.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Karon Liu via Flickr

 

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How did you react the first time you saw mild-mannered Bruce Banner totally Hulk out? When Irish Comedian Paddy Raff’s toddler daughter Clara saw the Marvel character go from regular guy to super-strong, her reaction was absolutely priceless.

In a recent tweet, Raff posted a cute clip of the two-year-old watching one of the Avengers flicks. As the little girl sits somewhat awestruck, she starts waving her fingering and saying, “No!” as the Hulk gets majorly destructive.

Along with the video, Raff added, “My two yr old daughter’s reaction to seeing the Hulk go bananas for the first time.” After seeing the clip, Mark Ruffalo (a.k.a. Bruce Banner) retweeted the video and added, “The secret way of stopping Dr. Banner from turning into the Hulk.”

Not only does Clara enjoy watching superheros on the screen, but the tot also seems to get a kick out of playing with big bro Ronan’s action figures. Raff also posted a pic of Clara lining the toys up to feed them breakfast!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Marvel Entertainment via YouTube

 

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Summer is upon us, people, and with that comes a whole new list of daily mom problems—and many of them are worth a good laugh. Love or hate it, here’s a batch of some of summer’s best parenting memes to get you through another day of the longest, hottest season of all!

Summertime and the livin' is ... ARGH!!

Super Mom Jeans Poddcast via Intagram

When their plans differ from yours a bit...

summer funny memes chaos
Fake Adult Mom via Instagram

Now that's just $5 of fun right there!

As Kate Would Have It via Instagram

Making priceless family memories!

The Mom at Law via Instagram

At least these days you're more likely to make it in one piece.

Mom and Buried via Instagram

How do you get a bikini body? Just put your body in a bikini!

MacGyvering Mom via Instagram

The Beach—the vacation that just keeps giving

Alright Mom via Instagram

I think you're gonna need a bigger cart.

Whitney Fleming/Playdate on Fridays via Instagram

Go play outside, kids, I'll be right here if you need me.

Mom of One and Done via Intagram

Sure, fine, whatever just give me some peace!

My Questionable Life via Instagram

TAKE MY MONEY! Just get these kids out of the house!

Cynical Parent via Instagram

Hotdogs—it's what's for dinner.

The Mom TruthBomb via Instagram

Screen time only between the hours of 6 A.M. and 10 P.M.

Cydni Beer on Instagram

A little silver lining for the working parents out there.

Eating Her Young via Instagram

Because this clock has got to be broken.

Funny Summer memes
The Outnumbered Mother via Instagram

I think the birds are out to get me.

It's Like They Know Us via Instagram

Now this is a summer camp I can get behind!

adult summer camp
Snarky Breeders via Facebook

—Heather Millen

featured image: iStock

 

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Have you ever snapped a quick pic of your kids only to notice the silly face they were making later on as you scroll through your photo list? One mom captured a priceless photo of her kids going fishing and the internet is loving it.

After an excursion at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, mom Marika Daniels shared a picture of her three sons, Levi, four, Logan, three, and Landon, 18 months, holding up the rubber fish they caught in the museum’s fishing pond. She wanted to recreate a pose she had captured a year earlier of the boys doing the same thing so she directed the boys to hold the fish up to their faces. “They have a little fishing pond there which was their favorite part of the museum,” Daniels told Yahoo!. “I took a picture of the two older ones holding their fish last year so I wanted to get another one to compare the two pictures a year apart.”

Unfortunately, as you can see in the photo, while the two older boys knew just what their mom meant, young Landon took her instructions a little too literally.

She posted the photo to Instagram asking followers to caption it and the internet quickly delivered. The best response by far was a clear winner and Daniels posted the image again with its new heading. Check it out below and see if you agree.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

 

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Want to be the most popular house on the block this summer? It’s time for a Target run where you can score an epic 20 foot water slide every kid (and grown-up) will be clamoring to ride.

Sprinklers, water balloons and kiddie pools are all great options when you’re looking to cool the kids down on a hot summer day, but nothing will beat racing across a whopping twenty foot water slide.

Priced at $550, the Rave Sports Turbo Chute is quite an investment, but with water play this amazing you may never hear the words “I’m bored” all summer and that’s pretty priceless.

The slide isn’t available in stores, but you can order at Target online.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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