I have pretty strong views about this topic. I have been ranting and raving about it for over a year with no success.
Here's how i see it. Sure, we want kids, but we want them to be well adjusted and productive. it takes skill, time and money to raise happy, well-adjusted successful kids. i know about the cost. My husband and I have three teenagers and I feel just about all our disposable income gets poured into their upbringing in one way or another - school fees, guitar lessons, school ski holidays, clothes, etc.
I'm really proud of how they've turned out and am feeling really optimistic that they will all grow up to be well-adjusted, productive, contributing members of australian society. Australia will benefit, but we've received little in the way of financial support or encouragement. Sure, people say, you don't need money or thanks from the government or your society; seeing you kids turn out well is reward enough.
well, I disagree. My kids generation is saying "We don't want kids. It looks like too much sacrifice and hard work." Producing quality kids is not valued in our society. Cool people live in the inner-city, going to restaurants, holidaying overseas and living the high life; people who live in nappy valley suburbs are the losers. (By the way, that's the new derogatory term for where young families are forced to live on their stretched incomes.)
Jeff Kennett copped flack for suggesting to girls at a private school to leave some time to have kids when planning their busy exciting lives. I understood what he was saying, even if the media didn't.
This is how I see it: i have two jobs: one as a highly paid consultant helping people be more productive in their work life; my other job is rearing three top quality lifestock (I know it's a funny way to look at it but my husband and I are pastoralists in a sense, raising top-grade stock who hopefully will turn out top performers and go on to breed their own top quality offspring. Just consider the multiplier effect and you can appreciate why I take the second job so seriously.)
Now if I were one of the powers-to-be in australia, I wouldn't take parents like me for granted. I'd encourage me, give me recognition and financial rewards.
I don't know how you'd do this in a practical sense - perhaps a bonus to superannuation or something. (Afterall, it's a bit hard making extra super repayments when your money gets sucked up by kid expenses). Perhaps introduce a promotional campaign acknowleging all the parents out there who have done a fine job raising kids who will go on to contribute.
I know it rankles me to hear that a retiree couple can earn up to $32,000 before paying tax, when working parents pay heaps of tax without any government assistance once their combined salaries exceed $70,000 or whatever. What about making a token financial contribution to my three fine cows i'm providing the country!!!
What do you think? Is my argument so crazy? Of course we don't want to encourage young Australians to breed: we want to encourage them to breed well. There is a difference and it's a concept worth investing in.
