Timmerie shares a powerful story about traveling with her newborn son and being asked a surprising question: “Miss, is he expensive?” That moment opened the door to a bigger reflection – what does it really cost to raise children, and what actually matters most in parenting?
Cultural headlines claim it takes nearly $29,000 a year to raise a young child, but Timmerie challenges that myth. She explains that raising kids doesn’t require luxury strollers, designer nurseries, or endless activities. Instead, the true “cost” of children is not money – it’s the gift of time, presence, and love. Parenthood is about embracing the sacrifice and joy of raising children with faith, generosity, and simplicity.
She also brings up how raising kids is a visible witness to others. Whether your children are peacefully sleeping in a carrier or throwing a tantrum in the grocery store, the way we live parenthood can make it look approachable – or impossible – to a world that is increasingly unfamiliar with family life. For Catholics, this is also a chance for quiet evangelization, showing that family life is not only doable but beautiful, even in its hardest moments.
Timmerie reminds you that what really matters in raising children is not the dollars in the bank but the quality of our presence, the discipline we lovingly provide, and the sacramental life we share with them. Marriage and parenthood, she says, is the boldest risk of our age – and the most rewarding.
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