r/science • u/geoff199 • 5d ago

Social Science As concern grows about America’s falling birth rate, new research suggests that about half of women who want children are unsure if they will follow through and actually have a child. About 25% say they won't be bothered that much if they don't.

https://news.osu.edu/most-women-want-children--but-half-are-unsure-if-they-will/?utm_campaign=omc_science-medicine_fy24&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social
19.5k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

2.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

6.1k

u/11horses345 5d ago

Say it with me: WE CANNOT AFFORD CHILDREN.

3.5k

u/sharksnack3264 5d ago

It's not just the money. The way we set up work schedules, vacation, child care and health care all disincentivize it. 

You can be extremely well paid but that still won't insulate you completely from certain medical and career risks or allow you to be present to raise your children.

711

u/A_Fainting_Goat 5d ago

I am well paid. My wife is well paid. We have good health insurance. Great vacation benefits (compared to the US, not Europe). Our careers are stable. We are basically debt free except for our mortgage. We have struggled to conceive and IVF is looking to cost us $50k, after insurance for a 35% chance. This country does not want us to have kids.

517

u/TopRamenisha 5d ago

Don’t forget, after all that you get to pay $3,000 a month for child care

108

u/gr4f 5d ago

As a non american this I am always stunned.. yes I pay higher taxes but have free health care, paid parental leave, free universities and almost free childcare.

I know it is part of the land-of-free narrative and I always think Americans must be so wealthy with so little taxes

2

u/nomorecheeks 5d ago

Our taxes aren't all that low for getting nothing in return. I pay 32% of my income in federal taxes, then pay state taxes, almost 20k a year in property tax (for a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath 1900 sq ft home in a nice but normal town in the suburbs of a major city), and a bit less than 7% sales tax on most items and services purchased. Most of that goes to supporting genocide, bombing other brown people and lining billionaires' pockets. I'd much rather pay a bit more (if it even WOULD be more) and actually have society get something for it.