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How Much Does A Baby Cost
These three short poems reflect on the love, joy, and changes a baby brings, including the often asked question, how much does a baby cost? While there is a dollar figure attached to raising a child, there are many moments in a baby's life, and in the years that follow, that no amount of money could ever replace. Treasured moments and memories you will cherish can never carry a price tag.
Let these poems written by Edgar A. Guest give you thoughts to consider when you are wondering how much a baby costs. The verses may change the way you think about the true cost of raising a child. Share these poems with parents. They will surely bring a smile to their faces. We hope you enjoy these wonderful verses.
You may also enjoy the other baby poems by Edgar A. Guest. They all remind us that no matter what the cost, or what the life changes are of having a baby, the joys and happiness they bring far outweigh any costs!
Updated July 17, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
What A Baby Costs
Poet: Edgar A. Guest
"How much do babies cost?" said he
The other night upon my knee;
And then I said: "They cost a lot;
A lot of watching by a cot,
A lot of sleepless hours and care,
A lot of heartache and despair,
A lot of fear and trying dread,
And sometimes many tears are shed
In payment for our babies small,
But every one is worth it all.
"For babies people have to pay
A heavy price from day to day -
There is no way to get one cheap.
Why, sometimes when they're fast asleep
You have to get up in the night
And go and see that they're all right.
But what they cost in constant care
And worry, does not half compare
With what they bring of joy and bliss -
You'd pay much more for just a kiss.
"Who buys a baby has to pay
A portion of the bill each day;
He has to give his time and thought
Unto the little one he's bought.
He has to stand a lot of pain
Inside his heart and not complain;
And pay with lonely days and sad
For all the happy hours he's had.
All this a baby costs, and yet
His smile is worth it all, you bet."
For more words that celebrate the happiness, love, and wonder a little one brings, read these Quotes About Babies.
Home and the Baby
Poet: Edgar A. Guest
Home was never home before,
Till the baby came.
Love no golden jewels wore,
Till the baby came.
There was joy, but now it seems
Dreams were not the rosy dreams,
Sunbeams not such golden beams--
Till the baby came.
Home was never really gay,
Till the baby came.
I'd forgotten how to play,
Till the baby came.
Smiles were never half so bright,
Troubles never half so light,
Worry never took to flight,
Till the baby came.
Home was never half so blest,
Till the baby came.
Lacking something that was best,
Till the baby came.
Kisses were not half so sweet,
Love not really so complete,
Joy had never found our street
Till the baby came.
The Toy-Strewn Home
Poet: Edgar A. Guest
Give me the house where the toys are strewn,
Where the dolls are asleep in the chairs,
Where the building blocks and the toy balloon
And the soldiers guard the stairs;
Let me step in a house where the tiny cart
With the horses rules the floor,
And rest comes into my weary heart
For I am at home once more.
Give me the house with the toys about,
With the battered old train of cars.
The box of paints and the books left out.
And the ship with her broken spars;
Let me step in a house at the close of day
That is littered with children's toys,
And dwell once more in the haunts of play
With the echoes of by-gone noise.
Give me the house where the toys are seen,
The house where the children romp,
And I'll happier be than man has been
'Neath the gilded dome of pomp.
Let me see the litter of bright-eyed play
Strewn over the parlor floor,
And the joys I knew in a far-off day
Will gladden my heart once more.
Whoever has lived in a toy-strewn home.
Though feeble he be and gray.
Will yearn, no matter how far he roam.
For the glorious disarray
Of the little home with its littered floor
That was his in the by-gone days.
And his heart will throb as it throbbed before,
When he rests where a baby plays.
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Conclusion
These are wonderful words to share with new parents as they step into a time filled with love, change, and many unknowns. While raising a baby brings financial costs, the joy, memories, and love received in return are things no amount of money could ever buy.
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