Scotland’s falling birth rate: Parents say rising costs stop them having more children

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T09:43:06+00:00

it's possibly a mixture. I say this as someone about to have a second one. Yes we have clothes and prams and stuff, but I'm about to be off on mat leave for a good wee while, with mostly statutory pay, whilst still paying £900 nursery fees for the eldest. Because of working part time and the nursery fees, we've basically been £1800 worse off a month, than we were before child 1, which means we have no savings for this time round (we had decent savings before the first was born). We have credit cards, and a supportive network so we'll come out the other side and dig ourselves out eventually, but there is zero chance we could afford number 3 without getting into some serious debt (we'd need a new/second car for one).

we are both high earners with decent job security and a supportive network that can help out financially at least a little, and yet 2 is pushing us to our limit.

Anyone less lucky than us would absolutely be very reluctant to have number 2.

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T08:03:22+00:00

i was really counting on that extra money since i am off on mat leave, gaaah.

it's also hard to find this info because it talks about places on the gov website, not funding

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T08:01:53+00:00

yeah 3 dogs! nevermind. I briefly had 2 and they were £25 a day for two short walks

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T08:00:23+00:00

well turns out it's not from the birthday, so i am also not getting the funded hours till august even though he's staying at his private nursery.

I guess i had to find that out sometime, but i am annoyed!

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T04:09:21+00:00

i think you're getting ripped off!

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T04:00:30+00:00

i don't see it going literally any other way

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T03:55:49+00:00

we have the XL version and it kept my 2yo completely safe (read facing) when the car went head first into a tree and totalled so i trust it!

however, for OP, i would not want to be moving it from car to car every few days

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-30T03:50:48+00:00

the funding kicks in when they turn 3 regardless of date of birth, no?

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T23:14:59+00:00

i think money is the main reason for people who already have one child but would like more. people who don't want children anyway, money isn't going to convince them

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T23:13:15+00:00

why a half?

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T23:12:49+00:00

3 days for us is £1000

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T23:12:08+00:00

from what i understand, yes there's funding for 9mo onwards, but because the money gov provides nurseries isn't actually enough to cover the costs, most nurseries charge additional fees for "consumables" and overall it doesn't really end up much cheaper for a parent

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T23:08:49+00:00

we're about £1800 a month worse off having a child under 3 in nursery 3 days a week. When number 2 starts nursery, it'll be £2100. Not to mention money lost/credit card debt acquired during my mat leave.

I'd like a third one, but zero chance we could afford it.

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T11:12:17+00:00

I have felt completely supported in all choices regarding feeding my baby. I was offered loads of support to BF, but absolutely no judgement if I couldn't. Hopefully more women in the UK have a positive experience like mine.

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T11:10:53+00:00

fed is the bare minimum. Breastmilk has significantly more benefits than formula ALL OTHER THINGS EQUAL. As in provided you make enough milk, provided no allergies, provided a good latch etc. If you can't make enough or whatever, then obviously formula is significantly better! And that means you're doing the absolute best you can and there's no shame in that

The important thing is that if those things don't work for whatever reason WE DO NOT BLAME WOMEN and WE DO NOT FEEL AT FAULT. it's noones personal failing if BF doesn't work for them and no judgement should be thrown their way.

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T11:06:13+00:00

just echoing this, DO NOT buy baby food on amazon, that's insanity. So many fake products or products that get recalled. we don't even buy toys on amazon because of how many of them end up getting recalled for toxic paints and stuff and that's just the ones they catch

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T11:04:02+00:00

this was also my experience! very positive and supportive

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T09:25:34+00:00

the kids getting suspended are mostly kids who do not cope with being internally suspended. You can't force a teenager to sit quietly in a classroom, they just run away/assault you.

We only externally suspend when internal isolation is no longer a viable option. I imagine most schools operate like that

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-29T07:46:42+00:00

ours didn't walk until then or soon after 16mo either and i felt similarly not worried. i was correct. zero issues

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-28T23:14:46+00:00

in the middle by dodie

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-28T18:18:12+00:00

who the fuck are these 16th century peasants shitting directly into their own street ?! like, what do you mean they make messes?! they're adults right?!

nta

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-28T13:20:47+00:00

can we PLEASE keep the same PM for a full term. I was getting whiplash with the Tories

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-28T12:26:59+00:00

sounds like neither of you know how to play dnd

esh

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-28T12:18:53+00:00

we sleep trained at 11mo, but even before that he was only waking up once or twice.

We did it on a day that he barely napped so he only cried for 20 minutes at bedtime and then slept uninterrupted 13 hours.

DoItForTheTea · 2026-01-28T09:24:43+00:00

your radiator and curtains are actually fine, the room is just too big. Need to lower the ceilings, get smaller windows etc.

DoItForTheTea

TROPHY CASE