#natalists #babies #children #MothersDay #HavingMoreChildren
We just celebrated Mother’s Day.
Certain people want more mothers. Or, more accurately, more children.
Nedra Rhone, the “Real Life” columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, cites a lot of reasons women don’t have children, or as many children, as some would like. She discussed the issue in her May 8, 2025, column.
As Rhone, who happens to be a mother, points out, there are many reasons women don’t have children. She also says that some women may want children, but circumstances haven’t allowed them to have them.
In fact, the U.S. population, as is the case with most developed countries, is aging. People are not “replacing themselves” at a rate that keeps the population growing.
We want the population to grow for many reasons, including having enough workers to replace those who retire.
But this natalist movement appears aimed at creating children that only fit a certain demographic.
Immigrants can bolster the work force, and have lots of children, but most don’t match the desired demographic.
The elephant in the room, of course, is the cost of children. Rhone points out that it costs about $200,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18.
Not everyone has that kind of money, or the ability and opportunity to earn that much.
Women are a significant boost to the work force, but the natalists prefer women to stay home and raise children. Again, not every woman has the luxury, opportunity or desire to do that.
Then, as Rhone points out, some women don’t really want to bring children into the world as it currently is. What she doesn’t talk about in her column is what happens to children when they become adults.
With the cost of living, housing etc. as it is, many young adults cannot afford to live on their own, never mind starting a family. They often live with mom and dad long after age 18. Some are burdened with student debt. Some just can’t find work that pays enough to live independently.
The natalist and pro-life movements want children to be born at any cost – even if the mother dies doing so. But, they offer no means to ensure these children are properly fed, clothed, housed, educated and otherwise taken care of.
Many other countries do take care of their children. The citizens may pay dearly in taxes for it, but, to them, it’s well worth it.
These natalists say they love individual freedom. That is, unless you are a woman of child-bearing age. Would you want to have more children if you live in a place in which your medical providers are severely restricted in how they can care for you during and around your pregnancy?
This should not be a matter of debate. People should have the freedom to start and grow families as they see fit – or not.
The natalists can do much more to encourage more births by giving women – and men – the resources to be able to work AND tend to families, without unwanted sacrifices.
Being pro-life means not only encouraging life’s creation, but also making it easier for both parents and children to sustain a quality of life.
Peter