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throwaway6734

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What's going to get worse? Currently parents get absolutely shafted by the tax system as the tax credits are next to nothing relative to the amount of time, effort, and capital it takes to raise a child.

Currently the cost of raising children is privatized while the benefits are socialized.

It's a shame that there's not the option of providing parents with the choice of free child care or some kind of cash subsidy.

A bit tangential, but the overall problem is that cost of having children is privatized while the benefit is socialized. I'd love to see age and number of children progressively factored into the income tax bracket people pay. Something like a 60-80% tax rate for all income >150k for those >40 without children so those that benefit the most from future generations being born are helping to shoulder the cost

As a first step I'd prefer to see both of them dramatically more means tested. There's no reason that someone with millions of dollars of assets should be receiving thousands of dollars a month from the state. I think this position is politically tenable with the looming cuts that will happen automatically over the next decade

love to hear it! In that case, branching out to other peoples' children can bring great satisfaction. For example, volunteering to teach a class at a local high school

Another thing that’s really weird and related is another recurring theme in the American ethos: the cultural shame that comes with living “at home” or staying in the same small town for your whole life. Somehow they made it so living close to your family and friends for your 20s-30s and maybe forever means you’re a “loser”.

The older I get, the more I regret moving away from my family and friends in New Jersey. I'm only 3 hours away so still see them about once a month, but I'm very envious of my friends that stayed in our home town and get to see each other every weekend and their children get to spend daily time with their grandparents.

Whenever we consider moving back though, housing prices are always one of the biggest deterrents.

ive done the gap ride 4 times now and its always been a blast. we go from pittsburgh to cumberland so the last day is always such a blast with the big tunnel and 20+ miles downhill

but the problem is that the value proposition for having kids is not terribly high. They're expensive, and time consuming

Yes but you get to pass the gift of life off to another person which I think is the greatest thing one person can do for another. It's a sacrifice so someone else will get to experience their first spring, their first love, the great works of art of humans past, etc.

I don't think I'd be a terribly good parent, and I would prefer to avoid screwing up another human.

You sound like you'd be a great father. From a stranger who had their first 2 years ago with a second on the way, please reconsider your vasectomy. I can't stress the absolute joy and love it has brought my wife and I.

We just had our first child at 33 and I wish we had done it at 24 or 25, although it's hard to predict if we'd be as happy as we spent those years changing jobs, going back to graduate school, and traveling