The demographic collapse and the birth dearth are finally getting serious attention in the media. While there are many factors involved, one thing we repeatedly hear is the explanation in favor of smaller families that kids are just too expensive. Big families, which most no longer see as normal, are an economic impossibility. For example, in an NPR report, “Nick, an Episcopal priest, agreed that big families make less sense in today’s economy,” explaining that: “It really stacks the chips economically against you.” This modern view is shortsighted and starts from a premise that only sees children as taking from you. We need to help our children understand that they add value to our lives, to our world, and to each other.
While driving the oldest three of my seven kids to a Church youth group event, I deferred their request to play some music and subjected them to a short lecture. I had planned a discussion to emphasize how valuable they were to me and to each other, by any measure. I began by asking if they knew the difference between an asset and a liability. The oldest, who had read Rich Dad Poor Dad, explained that a liability is something that costs you money and an asset is something that generates money. This set me up to explain that most people today view children as liabilities—something that just costs the parents money, which is why there is resistance to having more. But to me, children are an asset.