Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

xatakaon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 112 posts

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#11

Post by hammock »

jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

>Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies.

The most fascinating part of this is that, against income, fertility is a bathtub-shaped curve. The poorest and richest have the most kids, which the middle class drags the whole nation down.

I get the feeling many have this idea that the more educated /career-oriented you are, the more you delay kids or have less of them. But that is not the case, past a certain point. Look up any of your favorite elite celebrities for example and how many kids they have. They might never talk about them, but I’d bet most of who you look up have 3+

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#12

Post by EZ-E »

jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

With the expectation of both parents working full time jobs and living in small spaces (at least in big cities like in Japan) - the current state of modern urban life is just not right to have kids. Where are they even going to run around and play.

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#13

Post by yoyohello13 »

alexpotato wrote: post #9
jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

This has been parenting for the last several thousand years. I say this not to be flippant or sarcastic but rather to ask how our ancestors seemed fine with the above but we seem less so? (To be fair, I have 3 kids and totally get why your scenario might lower the odds. I'll say that even with the 1am wakeups, the "I love you!" from a toddler is one of the best feelings ever.)

> ask how our ancestors seemed fine with the above but we seem less so?

Maybe they weren’t fine with it. They just didn’t have any other choice. Now we do, and turns out a lot of people choose not to have kids when given the choice.

Honestly, I think we will have a rough couple generations, then nature will take its course and humans will reach a new equilibrium that factors in birth control.

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#14

Post by toomuchtodo »

alexpotato wrote: post #9
jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

This has been parenting for the last several thousand years. I say this not to be flippant or sarcastic but rather to ask how our ancestors seemed fine with the above but we seem less so? (To be fair, I have 3 kids and totally get why your scenario might lower the odds. I'll say that even with the 1am wakeups, the "I love you!" from a toddler is one of the best feelings ever.)

~40% of US and international pregnancies, annually, are unintended. When unintended pregnancies are prevented, there are less children. Educated, empowered women have less children or no children. Desired fertility is less than replacement rate, broadly speaking.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40982392 (citations)

https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate#what-explains-the-...

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/07/25/the-exp...

https://www.axios.com/2024/07/25/adults-no-children-why-pew-...

> Stunning stat: 64% of young women say they just don't want children, compared to 50% of men. (US specific survey data)

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#15

Post by tcbawo »

jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

Industrialized countries generally have high cost of living. It is much more common for both parents to work than 50 years ago. Also, for many, a career involves moving away from parents, grandparents, and siblings. This all leads to a vastly reduced safety net compared to what was common for most of human history. It is probably unlikely that government could ever fill that void. Eventually, high prices will cure high prices. But, the methods, timescale, and pleasantness in the intervening time is anybody’s guess.

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#16

Post by dyauspitr »

jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

You have to listen to crying and lose some sleep for a couple of weeks? You’re an adult, this is possibly the most self absorbed and shortsighted thinking I seen in a while.

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#17

Post by rpcope1 »

It's probably going to take way more than just free daycare to make a dent. If declining birthrates can be swung back to a more neutral rate like 2.1, it probably will mean wide reaching financial, cultural, and general societal changes. I think something like the Order of Maternal Glory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Maternal_Glory) but for like 3+ kids, where there's additional social standing in addition to significant financial support, would be a good start.

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#18

Post by orangecat »

alexpotato wrote: post #9
jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

This has been parenting for the last several thousand years. I say this not to be flippant or sarcastic but rather to ask how our ancestors seemed fine with the above but we seem less so? (To be fair, I have 3 kids and totally get why your scenario might lower the odds. I'll say that even with the 1am wakeups, the "I love you!" from a toddler is one of the best feelings ever.)

I say this not to be flippant or sarcastic but rather to ask how our ancestors seemed fine with the above but we seem less so?

Life as a non-parent has gotten much better, especially for high earners.

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#19

Post by j7ake »

rpcope1 wrote: post #17

It's probably going to take way more than just free daycare to make a dent. If declining birthrates can be swung back to a more neutral rate like 2.1, it probably will mean wide reaching financial, cultural, and general societal changes. I think something like the Order of Maternal Glory ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Maternal_Glory ) but for like 3+ kids, where there's additional social standing in additio…

Free day care is amazing. If that doesn’t make a dent then I am not sure what will.

Probably free daycare and relaxing immigration would be best to increase population

Re: Japan Offers Free Daycare to Boost Tokyo's Falling Birth Rate

#20

Post by mmiyer »

hammock wrote: post #11
jopsen wrote: post #5

Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. Being up a 4am to greet my wife who's been up since 1am with a screaming child. I'm not sure exactly what kind of benefits could convince us that he needs siblings :) Just saying, that while I certainly applaud the effort. I don't see any easy ways to fix the issue: kids are hard work, there are many other things you could do with your life.

>Falling birth rates is a problem in most wealthy industrialized societies. The most fascinating part of this is that, against income, fertility is a bathtub-shaped curve. The poorest and richest have the most kids, which the middle class drags the whole nation down. I get the feeling many have this idea that the more educated /career-oriented you are, the more you delay kids or have less of them. But that is not the…

I think it's the point at which you can hire a nanny - being able to offload a lot of parenting responsibilities to someone else helps.
Post reply on HN