Title:  The Cost of Kids
Feed: CWKN #443, June 24, 2009
Time: 1:36
SUGGESTED LEAD:  IF YOU ADD UP ALL THE MONEY ON FOOD, CLOTHES, ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS OR MUSIC LESSONS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU SPEND ON YOUR CHILD…  WHAT WOULD THE TOTAL BE?  THE AMOUNT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU…. AND YOUR CHILD.  THAT STORY IN TODAY’S CONNECT WITH KIDS REPORT.
<<PKG>>

NARR:  WHEN 16-YEAR-OLD EMILY SEGREST IS SHORT ON CASH… (:03)

SUPER: Emily Segrest, 16 years old (:07)
“Usually I just ask my parents for money and once I get it, I go and spend it on something.”

NARR:  IN FACT, ALMOST EVERYTHING EMILY HAS - WAS PAID FOR - BY HER PARENTS. (:05)

NATS: car starting

NARR: THE CAR …

THE CLOTHES …

THE MAKEUP…  (:03)

SOT: Emily Segrest, 16 years old
“Yea it’s just sort of all handed to me I don’t really have to work for it I guess…”

NARR:  MOST AMERICAN FAMILIES WILL SPEND BETWEEN TWO AND THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO RAISE A CHILD TO THE AGE OF 17…

AND THAT NUMBER CAN CLIMB BY 50 PERCENT OR MORE IF YOU ADD IN THE COST OF THE COLLEGE YEARS. (:14)

SUPER: Deborah Segrest, Emily’s Mother (:37)
“It’s scary.  It would scare me I think to think about all the money that we spend on them.”

NARR:  BUT EXPERTS SAY THE PROBLEM ISN’T HOW MUCH  PARENTS SPEND ON THEIR CHILDREN … THE PROBLEM IS … SPENDING IS OFTEN ALL THE CHILD SEES. (:09)

SUPER: William Buchanan, Ph.D., Psychologist (:52)
“What kids grow up with is watching their parents put things on credit cards.  Watching  parents taking money out of the a-t-m.  But how often does the child or teenager look at the parent putting money into the bank?  Paying off those bills?”

NARR:  THAT’S ONE REASON WHY ONE IN FIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS TODAY HAS OVER 6 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CREDIT CARD DEBT. (:06)

SOT: William Buchanan, Ph.D. Pyschologist
“If people wait until their child is a teenager before they start teaching them about money… they’re about five years too late.”

NARR: EMILY IS JUST NOW BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT HER FINANCIAL FUTURE … (:03)

SOT: Emily Segrest, 16 years old
“I’m a little worried about how I’ll be able to handle it.  Like once I get a real job, if I’ll have enough money or not.”

SUGGESTED TAG:  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO TRAIN YOUR KIDS TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, LOGON TO <LOCAL URL> AND CLICK THE CONNECT WITH KIDS ICON.