Most parents-to-be are aware that raising a child is going to be expensive. But parents are still astounded by all of the extra costs that come up, because there are so, so many of them! Parents are working hard to cover everything from essential utilities and food to the costs of participating in school-related activities.
We asked our community of parents on Instagram, “What are ‘hidden fees’ of raising a child that no one talks about?” Here are just some of the surprise costs that parents sounded off about…
The hidden costs of feeding kids
Everyone knows they’re going to have to feed their kids, but few realize how involved it’s going to be.
- “Lactation help, supplements, formula, all the feeding stuff”
- “Food ingredients for trying new recipes in hopes that your child likes it”
- “Wasting food because they don’t like the way it looks 😡”
- “The snacks they feed the dog”
- “Fruit that’s spoiled by the time you get home…food that they won’t touch now but ate last week just fine… 🤷🏼♀️”
- “Fresh produce aka ✨the berries✨”
- “Strawberries 😂”
- “THE FRUIT”
- “‘I’m hungry’ 13 times a day 🤣”
The costs of healthcare and services
Starting with pregnancy and birth, up through when kids grow up and live on their own, the healthcare costs can be astronomical. And those costs can be even more if you have kids with special needs or health issues.
- “That nicu bill bought broke us right off the bat 😅😅😅”
- “Ear infection doctor visits when they’re little”
- “Nobody ever really prepared me for the lack of services available if your child has a diagnosis or disability. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, insurance premiums & copays that are inflated because of those therapy needs, etc.”
- “Anything with the teeth. Dentist visits and orthodontics for four with no dental insurance is pretty expensive 100% out of pocket. I took my kids for routine cleanings last week and it was 1200 bucks 😢”
- “Mental health care”
- “Doctor visits and therapy appt costs, all out of pocket due to high deductible plan.”
- “Medical crises”
The extra costs of childcare and school, even public school
Daycare is notoriously expensive, but the fees don’t exactly end when kids are school aged either!
- “Daycare prices that look like they will go down every time your child moves to the next room don’t actually go down. The daycare just increases the price, so you pay the same all 4 to 5 years. 😂”
- “School stuff: Field trips, uniforms, lunches, donations for events, gifts for classmates and teachers, birthday presents for birthday parties, cost to host birthday parties at venues. It all adds up.”
- “School, even public. Spirit days, school gear, pictures, supplies, classroom donations, parties, etc. it seems like it never ends. I know a lot of these things are optional, but wowee it starts to get out of hand.”
- “School fundraisers, bookfairs, red ribbon week, 12 days of Christmas at school (different theme everyday), picture day packages $80 for two kids!! It doesn’t end 😂”
- “‘Field trip’ fees at daycare”
- “Teacher appreciation week – bring a gift per teacher 5 days in a row!”
- “Our cost of daycare in Los Angeles is more than a mortgage in other cities. Yet, the daycare is closed for almost a month in total after all the holidays are tallied. No rate change in shortened months. It’s a big expense for our household.”
- “Daycares charge ‘early care’ fees from 7a-9am, knowing parents have to be at work by that time.”
- “After care”
- “Extra curricular activities😩 and summer camp”
The cost of kids’ clothing and lost items
Again, clothing and other basic items are a little more complicated once you have kids…
- “Pants that get holes in the knees after one trip to the park”
- “The ‘oops I lost my water bottle’ – three times per month replacements.”
- “Replacing lost articles of clothing. You most certainly did wear shoes to this party! 😳🤦🏽♀️👟💸”
- “Multiple pairs of mittens/gloves during 1 winter season due to many pairs getting lost or left somewhere”
- “Sweaters that magically disappear”
- “The shoes. Why are such small shoes so expensive?? I always shop secondhand, but it’s so hard to find anything in the right size. It’s a lot easier to just buy new.”
- “So many clothes, every season.”
- “They grow out of everything so quick!!!”
Other household supplies that you never thought about
Kids don’t exactly understand the concept of waste (even if you teach them).
- “Increased water bill. No one mentioned how much water I’d be using cleaning bottles and spit up clothes and sheets 😩”
- “Shampoo, conditioner, body wash because they push the damn pump a million times. But at least they are clean.”
- “Toothbrushes, cos they bite the bristles instead of brushing the teeth.”
- “Also the markers that dry out because they don’t put the caps back on”
- “Arts and crafts at home. ALL THE TAPE”
- “My Scotch tape bills are through the roof!”
- “The car seats. Having a big enough car to seat everyone”
Job- and career-related costs of being a parent
These costs are immeasurable and can last a lifetime for many parents, especially women.
- “That it would be less expensive for me to stay at home, instead of having a job and paying for daycare. 4 years later, I haven’t been able to be back in the workforce.”
- “Your PTO is really just for their sick days.”
- “Honestly it’s using PTO or Vacation to cover their school closures or when they are sick. The worst is the half days where you feel ultra unproductive!!”
- “The toll on my career.”
Parents have the hardest, most important job in the world—and along with the undeniable rewards, there are also heavy financial costs.
Real solutions exist that would support hardworking families when they need it most. Yet many parents struggle to afford basic necessities like rent, fruit, and childcare—much less the things that help their families truly thrive, like tutors for their kids, or enough cushion in the bank to cover a sudden car repair.
Policies that provide paid family leave, the expanded Child Tax Credit, and affordable childcare have been proven to help families—and by extension, society—succeed, where they’re available. The more that leaders make sure working families have opportunities and tools like these that allow them to build a good life, the better off everyone will be.
