4 ms·

What incentives? That really depends on where you are. In the US, having kids is horrifically expensive. You can look forward to tens of thousands of dollars

What incentives? That really depends on where you are. In the US, having kids is horrifically expensive. You can look forward to tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, even with good insurance, just for one hospital birth. Then having to pay tons of money for medical insurance for your kid, plus all the other regular expenses that come from child-rearing. Don't even get me started on the costs for daycare. In the US, there's enormous disincentives to having children. Here in Japan, it's much better: all medical expenses for children are free. There's also a cash bonus for having kids. Daycare is still a problem though, but the cost isn't nearly as awful as in America, however availability is a real problem.

satvikpendem 2y ago
Not the US, I mean in Europe, specially Scandinavia. They've tried so many things to incentivize people but still people don't have kids. It seems to be that as countries develop and get richer, the number of kids born tends towards zero.
- slaw 2y ago
  Scandinavia didn't try anything that could help. Let them try inexpensive houses or 20k Euro tax rebates per child.
lumost 2y ago
Child birth is a small fraction of the cost. The real costs add up in the 40 hour work week. School, daycare, and even the legal frameworks those operate in are intended for at least one parent to live close to the child and work at most part time. By and large millennials in the US were the first generation where both parents were raised to work for a variety of good reasons. How many jobs really let parents cut out at 4 to commute home for a 5pm pickup? Now consider the childcare and opportunity costs of raising children.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  >How many jobs really let parents cut out at 4 to commute home for a 5pm pickup? That's an American problem because of its car culture. In better societies, there's public transit, and/or cities/towns are walkable, so kids can just walk home by themselves. Here in Japan, kids are far more independent and have no trouble getting themselves to and from school, even with non-working parents.
  - lumost 2y ago
    Does that apply when they are under 3?
    - shiroiushi 2y ago
      Kids aren't going to school at 0-3 years old.

satvikpendem 2y ago

Not the US, I mean in Europe, specially Scandinavia. They've tried so many things to incentivize people but still people don't have kids. It seems to be that as countries develop and get richer, the number of kids born tends towards zero.

slaw 2y ago
Scandinavia didn't try anything that could help. Let them try inexpensive houses or 20k Euro tax rebates per child.

lumost 2y ago

Child birth is a small fraction of the cost. The real costs add up in the 40 hour work week. School, daycare, and even the legal frameworks those operate in are intended for at least one parent to live close to the child and work at most part time. By and large millennials in the US were the first generation where both parents were raised to work for a variety of good reasons. How many jobs really let parents cut out at 4 to commute home for a 5pm pickup? Now consider the childcare and opportunity costs of raising children.

shiroiushi 2y ago
>How many jobs really let parents cut out at 4 to commute home for a 5pm pickup? That's an American problem because of its car culture. In better societies, there's public transit, and/or cities/towns are walkable, so kids can just walk home by themselves. Here in Japan, kids are far more independent and have no trouble getting themselves to and from school, even with non-working parents.
- lumost 2y ago
  Does that apply when they are under 3?
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    Kids aren't going to school at 0-3 years old.