“It’s Too Much. I Can’t Afford It…”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how society views "affordability" when it comes to kids.

I see people talking about how they can't buy certain things because they simply can’t afford them—whether it’s a new phone, a vacation, a fancy dinner, etc. And honestly, I get it. A lot of the time, we have to prioritize what we can and can’t afford.

But here's what baffles me: why doesn’t this same mindset apply when it comes to having kids? We see parents all over the place having children even when they aren't financially stable.

It feels like there's this idea that kids are an "exception" to the affordability rule. It’s like, "I can't afford this new car, but I'll definitely have a baby"—often without thinking about the long-term financial responsibility of raising a child, which, as we know, is a lot.

I get that people have their reasons for wanting kids, but it seems like we have different standards when it comes to “affordability” for kids versus other things.

A baby is a lifetime commitment, and there’s no “return policy” if you realize you can’t afford it down the road. But society still pushes this idea that "children are priceless" and to just make it work, even if you’re struggling to meet basic needs.

If only people viewed having children in the same perspective🤷🏻‍♀️