Having a children is a privilege but a pandora's box in fact when the first one was born I couldn't help thinking now what am I going to do it wasn't a baby a person. But one things for sure it will be the biggest responsibility you will ever take in life that could possibly end in sorrow. As a mother looking back at 3 adult children in someways I was luck that I had healthy children but children are people that will come about with their own agendas. My youngster at 22 is living a jet setting life overseas theres not a day I don't worry for obvious reasons that haunt me, there is no measure to describe my grief not because she is a free spirit thats leads her life so very different to my own but the potential dangers at hand I'm so sad for this. I never wanted my children to be like me I wanted them to have the confidence & visibility that I never had yet in a selfish way they fulfilled my own void of purpose. No matter what our choices are as a parent or what choices our off-spring theres always a price to pay and it can be a very rough road indeed.
Vietnamese - 9 years ago
You will get more punish, voters of Paying tax.
Unfair for us. Smart people pay for stupid people. Charity is optional, not a must-do. Beggars.
Vietnamese - 9 years ago
I've been always living in Vietnam. But i'm a different woman.
Why the heck we pay tax on feeding your child ??? Hell no .
You think having babies is happy so keep on with that. Why do we have 2 pay tax 4 lighting your happiness ?
You get married. You have children. And i have 2 pay tax to FEED YOUR CHILDREN !?
Are American really nuts ?
Catherine - 10 years ago
I am child-free by choice, and take offense that some view me as a "future freeloader." I've worked a full time job since I graduated from college and have social security and taxes taken out of each pay check. What amazes me is that although I have $600-$700 in taxes deducted from each paycheck, my federal tax return for the year is usually around $600, while a couple of my coworkers, who are single (never been married), and have 3-4 children they can't afford, are rewarded each and every year with a $3,000-4,000 tax return. I know this because they freely discuss it every year. This is in addition to the WIC, Medicaid, childcare assistance, and other government assistance that they receive. It seems as though I'm being punished for my life choices, while their admitted irresponsible behavior is rewarded.
Karen M - 10 years ago
Raising children is becoming increasingly more expensive.(I am not sure if it is because our expectations have changed since I was a child). My parents enrolled us in extracurricular activities and had college goals in mind for us. Living costs have risen but I am not sure for the rest of the cost. I am not a parent so I can only speculate. Parents do need tax breaks and flexibility in the workplace. I feel the flexibility in the workplace given to parents, however, is often taken advantage of ie .Using cells phones unnecessarily during work hours. There is a lot of lost productivity at work because of this. I am not generalizing but am a witness to this at my own place of employment.
Adam - 11 years ago
As a child-free adult, the idea of tax breaks for me is ridiculous. Sure, I don't utilize the public school system, but I feel our nations youth need the best education they can get, so I'll gladly pay that. Taxes aren't a "pay only for what you use" type of system.
Since I have more free time and money (lets face it, kids are expensive), I can spend more time volunteering and donating to my community. Being called a "future freeloader" is laughable, though I pity the person who considers me as one.
Winkle - 11 years ago
Kids when older will eventually pay the social security taxes to the older childless folks, so the childless are kind of "future freeloaders", so to speak.
The childless should therefore not get any "compensatory" tax breaks in the present. Nice try, though :-)
I think there is also a fear component to not having children, but that is not discussed here. The middle class (the ones who kvetch about tax breaks) are getting squeezed -- they've had to abandon their houses, their cars, and now their kids. What's next, I wonder?
Max Lane - 11 years ago
It is unreasonable to expect every person on this planet should want to reproduce. Not having children is a thoughtful choice that anyone should have the freedom to make without judgement. Those who choose not to have children should not be burdened with extra taxes. If someone wants to have children, then they better be able to afford it. No one should be allowed to have children if they cannot foot 100% of the cost of raising them.
John - 11 years ago
What do you call a tax break that everyone gets? A TAX CUT.
Sounds good to me.
Christie - 11 years ago
Individuals without children don't utilize the public school system and leave less of a carbon footprint. They are often highly educated, active in their community, and contribute much to society. They should be rewarded for this, especially in light of the fact that, for example, a high school dropout, and welfare recipient with 6 kids can get tax breaks. There's something wrong with this picture.
Having a children is a privilege but a pandora's box in fact when the first one was born I couldn't help thinking now what am I going to do it wasn't a baby a person. But one things for sure it will be the biggest responsibility you will ever take in life that could possibly end in sorrow. As a mother looking back at 3 adult children in someways I was luck that I had healthy children but children are people that will come about with their own agendas. My youngster at 22 is living a jet setting life overseas theres not a day I don't worry for obvious reasons that haunt me, there is no measure to describe my grief not because she is a free spirit thats leads her life so very different to my own but the potential dangers at hand I'm so sad for this. I never wanted my children to be like me I wanted them to have the confidence & visibility that I never had yet in a selfish way they fulfilled my own void of purpose. No matter what our choices are as a parent or what choices our off-spring theres always a price to pay and it can be a very rough road indeed.
You will get more punish, voters of Paying tax.
Unfair for us. Smart people pay for stupid people. Charity is optional, not a must-do. Beggars.
I've been always living in Vietnam. But i'm a different woman.
Why the heck we pay tax on feeding your child ??? Hell no .
You think having babies is happy so keep on with that. Why do we have 2 pay tax 4 lighting your happiness ?
You get married. You have children. And i have 2 pay tax to FEED YOUR CHILDREN !?
Are American really nuts ?
I am child-free by choice, and take offense that some view me as a "future freeloader." I've worked a full time job since I graduated from college and have social security and taxes taken out of each pay check. What amazes me is that although I have $600-$700 in taxes deducted from each paycheck, my federal tax return for the year is usually around $600, while a couple of my coworkers, who are single (never been married), and have 3-4 children they can't afford, are rewarded each and every year with a $3,000-4,000 tax return. I know this because they freely discuss it every year. This is in addition to the WIC, Medicaid, childcare assistance, and other government assistance that they receive. It seems as though I'm being punished for my life choices, while their admitted irresponsible behavior is rewarded.
Raising children is becoming increasingly more expensive.(I am not sure if it is because our expectations have changed since I was a child). My parents enrolled us in extracurricular activities and had college goals in mind for us. Living costs have risen but I am not sure for the rest of the cost. I am not a parent so I can only speculate. Parents do need tax breaks and flexibility in the workplace. I feel the flexibility in the workplace given to parents, however, is often taken advantage of ie .Using cells phones unnecessarily during work hours. There is a lot of lost productivity at work because of this. I am not generalizing but am a witness to this at my own place of employment.
As a child-free adult, the idea of tax breaks for me is ridiculous. Sure, I don't utilize the public school system, but I feel our nations youth need the best education they can get, so I'll gladly pay that. Taxes aren't a "pay only for what you use" type of system.
Since I have more free time and money (lets face it, kids are expensive), I can spend more time volunteering and donating to my community. Being called a "future freeloader" is laughable, though I pity the person who considers me as one.
Kids when older will eventually pay the social security taxes to the older childless folks, so the childless are kind of "future freeloaders", so to speak.
The childless should therefore not get any "compensatory" tax breaks in the present. Nice try, though :-)
I think there is also a fear component to not having children, but that is not discussed here. The middle class (the ones who kvetch about tax breaks) are getting squeezed -- they've had to abandon their houses, their cars, and now their kids. What's next, I wonder?
It is unreasonable to expect every person on this planet should want to reproduce. Not having children is a thoughtful choice that anyone should have the freedom to make without judgement. Those who choose not to have children should not be burdened with extra taxes. If someone wants to have children, then they better be able to afford it. No one should be allowed to have children if they cannot foot 100% of the cost of raising them.
What do you call a tax break that everyone gets? A TAX CUT.
Sounds good to me.
Individuals without children don't utilize the public school system and leave less of a carbon footprint. They are often highly educated, active in their community, and contribute much to society. They should be rewarded for this, especially in light of the fact that, for example, a high school dropout, and welfare recipient with 6 kids can get tax breaks. There's something wrong with this picture.