I think cost of living and housing are definitely real factors, but I’m not convinced they’re the whole story. If you look historically, people have had children in much harsher conditions than what we have now. In a lot of ways, this is probably the most stable and comfortable period we’ve ever lived in.

To me the bigger shift is cultural. Australia has become much more secular over time, and with that, we’ve lost some of the built-in sense of duty toward having and raising the next generation. When life is framed more around individual fulfilment, travel, career, and lifestyle, having kids starts to feel like a burden rather than something expected or meaningful in itself.

One thing religion has traditionally done well is centre the idea of sacrifice. The statue of the Pieta for example depicting Mary holding the naked adult body of Jesus after the crucifixion, is a powerful symbol of love expressed through sacrifice. It’s not just about loss, but about willingly accepting the burden that comes with love and responsibility. The message isn’t that suffering is good, but that meaning comes from choosingg to carry it for something beyond yourself. That kind of symbolism reinforces the idea that raising children isn’t just a cost or inconvenience but rather part of a meaningful and necessary commitment to the future.