Eimear Varian Barry

you don’t fix the declining birth rate with subsidies or financial incentives. the “kids are too expensive” argument is a convenient cope. people claiming they can’t afford children are usually rationalizing deeper issues: they just don’t want them. having children is as expensive as you choose to make it, and for all of human history, people with far fewer resources managed to raise families. the problem isn’t financial; it’s cultural. we live in a society that has systematically psyopped and brainwashed people into believing children are a burden, not a blessing. women are told that motherhood is a sacrifice and a hindrance to their career, as if chasing corporate promotions or vanity metrics is more meaningful than creating life. men are infantilized and taught to fear responsibility. worst of all, we’ve cultivated a nihilistic worldview that makes people see no point in building a future. the solution starts with changing the culture. we need to instill pride in people: pride in their ancestry, their legacy, and the future they could create. optimism about what’s to come has to replace the relentless doomscrolling of modernity. kids aren’t just an "expense"; they’re the greatest investment a human can make, and we need to start celebrating that. in the short term, the most realistic strategy is doubling down on those who already value family. focus on motivating families with 2-3 kids to have one or two more. it's much easier to expand a family than to convince couples to start from scratch when they've been ideologically poisoned against the idea. finally, we need to stop glorifying the miserable, atomized single life and the media narratives that turn parenthood into a joke or tragedy. yes, parenting is hard, but everything worth doing is. the joy and purpose it gives far outweigh the sacrifices. once we get that cultural shift rolling, the financial complaints will fade away like the convenient excuses they always were