Parenting Is "Basically, Financially Ruinous"
One of the common themes that emerges from our Seven Questions series with childfree women is financial security. Not every person who chooses to remain childfree is financial secure, of course — but, whatever one's financial situation, it's better than it would be with financial dependents.
Séamas O’Reilly has a new column in The Guardian speaking frankly to how financially difficult parenting is for anyone who isn't independently wealthy:
I have to talk about money, too, because the single most abiding pressure of parenting – for those lucky enough to have healthy, happy children at least – is the fact that it is, basically, financially ruinous.
I have been writing this column for six and a half years and I have never once mentioned how financially perilous it has been, mainly because I’m aware that other people have it much worse. I also find it boring and embarrassing to write about my money worries full stop, and have an inkling that readers might feel the same reading about it.
But ignoring money entirely becomes, itself, irresponsible. There have been many months – years in fact – where it has been the single biggest parenting issue in my life, and not being clear about this is negligent.
He goes on to detail a number of the many financial challenges of parenting, closing the piece with an acerbic joke: "Were I to actually say all these things, any prospective parent will have wished they never asked me for advice in the first place. So, I assure them it’ll all be fine. Support the head. Sleep when you can. And marry an investment banker at the earliest opportunity."
The fact is that the financial struggles and consequences of choosing to parent are virtually undiscussed across most cultures, as are the financial benefits of choosing not to parent.
It's something that we should be discussing much more openly, particularly as many governments become more financially conservative, instituting austerity measures that limit social programs designed to support families.
Individuals are increasingly tasked with making up the shortfalls in social welfare, which puts additional financial pressure on families. It's an obligation that must be considered when making choices about parenting.
And so is the increased financial freedom that choosing zero kids affords.
Check out our Seven Questions archive here.
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