To disagree with Phillipson's Have More Children advice

[JustASmallBear]

In various newspapers.

Bridget Phillipson is urging young people to have more children in order to try and reverse the inevitable population shrinkage from a falling birth rate.

AIBU to think at best this is short termism at its finest?

Apart from anything else, young people struggle to buy a home, let alone can afford the expense of having more kids.

I think Phillipson is deluded in believing anyone wants more children when it'll make their lives more financially difficult.

What are the incentives that will make this irresistible?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/30/falling-birthrate-bridget-phillipson-education-secretary-labour?CMP=share_btn_url

Phillipson herself only has two children, so she's not done anything to help!

So they want people to have more DCs but they're keeping the two-child benefits cap? (I'd they are sorry - can't keep up with all the proposals and u turns at the moment. )

To be fair I think Boris Johnson has done his best 😁

I remember hearing the phrase, "the world doesnt owe you a living" so why on earth do i owe the world a child

😆

We are fortunate (mainly my job which is three days a week) allows us to have had 4 children and survive 4 10 month mat leaves in 6 years but I can see how for most that would be difficult.

Also people are nose accustomed to a much higher standard of living. Meat every night, gum and tv subscriptions, two cars, holidays. A lot of my friend circle could afford 3/4 children but wouldn’t want to Scottie these luxuries to do so. We wanted 4 kids and a large house and so we haven’t been in a holiday abroad in 7 years. Neither is right just personal preference

Having children to pay pensions and act as carers for the elderly is a pyramid scheme with no end.

I think we should let the population decline and deal with the consequences. Perhaps as housing becomes more available it will become cheaper and result in the birthrate rising again - when people aren't putting all their money and energy into housing and can then manage on one wage.

Having children to pay pensions and act as carers for the elderly is a pyramid scheme with no end.

Yes! Addressing the nature of our economic setup would be a more sensible thing for Phillipson to task herself with.

The issue is that those who need most state support & do not have the capacity to support themselves/make a net contribution to the economy, tend to have more children than those who are better off.
Children born to parents who need most state support also have worse outcomes, so its like a never ending cycle of reverse evolution. Survival of the least-fit.

MP in Scandal!

Doesn't have a second family & has never had an affair with one of his staff!!

Country has been let down

How does that work with net zero?

Same. A pyramid scheme. Plus we’re already seeing AI impact the workforce. By the time the dc born today enter it it’ll be different again.

The incentive has already been mooted in government and appears to be in operation. They will further increase the levels of immigration to cater for the ‘shortfall’ in younger population.

I don't think these incentives will result in the hoped for rush to have more kids:

a series of family-friendly Labour policies, including the plan for about 200 school-based nurseries to open in England from September, intended to accommodate 4,000 children under school age.

This will be expanded later in the school year to 300, adding to other measures aimed at helping parents such as free breakfast clubs, more free hours of childcare, an expansion of free school meals and a cap on school uniform costs

They will further increase the levels of immigration to cater for the ‘shortfall’ in younger population.

They need to be careful though when pretending to be tough on immigration whilst actually increasing it. They might get found out.

Looking at the option of a second baby dispassionately...

• housing costs make it too expensive
• utility costs make it too expensive
• childcare costs make it too expensive
• the NHS is not a safe place to have a baby at the moment. Midwife led units have not been a success and too many mothers and babies have died
• There are too few midwives, gps, dentists
• university costs make it too expensive
• detrimental impact on career advancement
• detrimental impact on job security
• A ludicrous school system that can send siblings to different schools leaving a parent expected to split herself in two and somehow do two different school runs at the same time.
• the stress of trying to juggle the care of a child alongside a career is bad enough. With two children it would be nightmarish.

Hmm I’m too old to have more chicken. My 17yo and 19yo are both inclined not to have children, which I think is quite logical given the state we are in. Education is shit, healthcare is shit, housing is either expensive and/or shit, jobs are very hard to come by. Our roads and services are run down and ratty. My dc think a dog is a better option and they are right.

Have another one yourself Bridget.

It seemed short-sighted to do a two child tax cap, when each family needs to have on average 2.25 children, just to keep the population stable.

Exactly this. If we continue in this fashion, one day all those not predominantly on state support will die out. Not sure who's going to fund it all then.

I decided not to have kids because i didnt want to be a parent but since joining MN i have learned about the shocking birth injuries women are left with. Incontinance (both kinds) expected to endure painful sex for the rest of their lives, im so glad i never did it. But because of social media and sites like this one more women of child bearing age are aware of this now and aware of the fact the NHS will just leave you in this state, Could be yet another reason why more women are saying no.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4549623-post-birth-trauma-severe-damage-to-rectal-area

Also if your partner sods off, there is no guarantee that they will pay any maintenance and if you go through the government they will take a cut of it and won't properly chase non payment.

Interesting article about the subject:
www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jun/30/the-baby-bust-how-britains-falling-birthrate-is-creating-alarm-in-the-economy?CMP=share_btn_url

I don't think it's a money thing either, most people don't want more than two kids. I'm not even sure how many even want the kids they have, they just think they're meant to have two kids. But thankfully people are realising that you don't have to have children if you don't want them. There's a reason that's more prevalent in countries where women are more educated, richer and have more options.

💯 it's usually the people who shouldn't be having kids who are having the large families, and the cycle continues

I am in a highly diverse city and there is no problem with the Muslim birth rate or family size. Bridget is aiming this at the white middle class who see all the economic and time restrictions of children but don't necessarily have a patriarchal religion driving them on......