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If you were on the fence, what amount of money might convince you to have a(nother) child?
BabyCenter Staff | Group Owner
Last edited 04-28-25
What's the lowest amount of money from the below options (if any) that would encourage you to have a(nother) child, if you were on the fence:
$5,000
$10,000
$25,000
More money than that
Cost isn't a consideration
What's the lowest amount of money from the below options (if any) that would encourage you to have a(nother) child, if you were on the fence.
0
84 comments
- dPosted 04-25-25I feel like this poll isn't made for anyone in a high cost of living area. I expected the choices to be 50k, 100k, 500k, 1M.
Last edited 04-25-25A quick Google says it costs in excess of $300,000 or $400,000 *plus college costs* to raise a child. IF money were a factor, I’d expect that the money required to change people’s minds would need to approximate that amount at least.- Things like guaranteed paid maternity/paternity leave (6mo-1 year) and affordable childcare would sway me more than a dollar amount.Advertisement | page continues below
- bPosted 04-26-25My hospital bill for my last child was $65,000. It's been 4 months and insurance has denied the bill several times. I think the numbers on this poll are really low compared to reality.
Posted 04-26-25Sure a ton of money would be nice but medically I cannot have another one after this kiddo. He shall be my third and final. Also, none of these are even close to how much it would take to raise another tiny human.- tPosted 04-26-25Anybody giving out bonuses to prospective parents would get a much better return on their money funding guaranteed paid parental leave, affordable healthcare, and affordable childcare. A one-time payment this low would not sway me: simply birthing a child in my area costs more than 5k, and the first year of infant childcare for a working parent is in the realm of 14-18k. That's to say nothing of the cost of medical care and infant supplies.
Posted 04-26-25Not even counting the additional household costs, activities like sports, and college, just the cost of childcare would be $100,000 before kindergarten, and then there would be before and after school care and summer care costs. I love being a mom, but I also love my job (and more importantly, the financial security for my family that comes with it) and I would actually shoot myself if I had to be a SAHM. And my husband’s income is what’s making it so that we could definitely put one kid through college completely debt free, maybe even two, or give both kids a good enough chunk of change to help them out so if they have to take out loans they’re not drowning in debt, and maybe even retire in our 50s, so he’s not allowed to become a SAHD. Childcare costs are the big sticking point for us. We could talk about another kid on top of the two we plan to have if someone was offering $100,000 up front. For a guaranteed yes it’d have to be $500,000. The current $5000 payout per child being proposed by the US government is a joke. That doesn’t even cover my out-of-pocket insurance costs for prenatal doctor’s visits and giving birth.
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