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经济问题--生不生第二胎

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When it comes to expanding a family, there are lots of factors to consider. There's the timing. There's the ideal number of kids, as Rachel just posted.


谈到添丁的问题，有很多因素需要考虑。什么时候生，赛尔芙曼（Rachel Emma Silverman）文章里提到的"几个最好"等等，都需要盘算。



And then there's money. Putting aside all the emotional, health and time-management issues that we've discussed on this blog, money is a top concern in our family as we weigh whether and when to have another child. While my husband and I aren't saving as much as I'd like, we're pretty sure we do want another baby. Our 1-year-old daughter is such a joy that we are willing to again endure those rough first few months with another child. At least for my husband, a former Marine, baby-raising has proven easier and more satisfying than basic training (i.e. running through the mud with a 50-pound pack).


另外还有金钱问题。我们在这个栏目里讨论过的情感、健康和时间管理方面的问题，姑且不谈了吧。在我们决定是否再要一个孩子、何时再要时，金钱是首要考虑因素。我和丈夫存的钱没有我希望的多，但我们非常确定想再要一个孩子。我们一岁的女儿太可爱了，我们愿意再要一个孩子，再次忍受那痛苦的头几个月时间。至少对当过海军的丈夫来说，照顾婴儿比军队的基本训练（也就是负重50磅在稀泥里奔跑）要容易得多，也更有成就感。



As I wrote recently for MarketWatch, finances can have a big impact on parents' plans to expand their family. A 2009 report showed that 44% of women said they wanted to reduce or delay childbearing because of the economy. (Women surveyed had annual household incomes of less than $75,000.) While costs vary regionally, a middle-income family with a child born in 2009 can expect to spend about $222,360 (or $286,050 if factoring in inflation) for food, shelter, and other necessities over the next 17 years, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.


我最近为MarketWatch写了一篇文章，其中就提到家庭财政状况可能会对父母的添丁计划产生重大影响。2009年的一份报告显示，44%的女性说由于经济影响打算减少或推迟生孩子。（参与调查的女性家庭年收入低于7.5万美元。）养孩子的花费因地区而异，但根据农业部的数据，对一个中等收入家庭来说，2009年出生的一个孩子在未来17年需要花费约222,360美元（考虑到通胀因素就是286,050美元）满足吃住等基本生活需求。



But as my mother, Nancy Mantell, an economist who would also like another grandchild, recently told me: 'Finances are important, but I don't think they should be the be-all and end-all.'


但是我的母亲曼特尔（Nancy Mantell）最近告诉我，财政状况很重要，但不应该成为最最重要的考虑因素。她是一位经济学家，也想再要一个外孙或外孙女。



Indeed, as I approach 33, I am concerned that if we wait until our financial situation significantly improves, pregnancy and parenting will become increasingly difficult. I've seen others go through fertility treatments, and know that the process is emotionally and physically grueling, as well as expensive.


确实，在快33岁的年纪，我担心如果我们要等到财政状况大幅改善再要孩子，怀孕和养孩子都会更加困难。我见过其他人接受不孕不育治疗，那个过程简直是对精神和身体的双重折磨，并且费用也还不少。



But the idea of paying for daycare for two young kids at once is daunting, to say the least. Last year the average annual cost of full-time care for a four-year-old in a child-care center started at a low of about $4,000 in Mississippi, and ran to a high of more than $13,000 in Massachusetts, according to a report from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. In the District of Columbia, where my family lives, the cost is about $8,500. The cost of infant care is generally much pricier - in DC the average was about $11,500 in 2009.


但是，不说别的，一想到要同时给两个小孩支付托儿费用，我就忍不住打退堂鼓。据美国国家托儿资源与推荐机构协会（National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies）统计，去年一个四岁小孩在托儿中心全天托管的平均年费起价因地区而异，最低的是密西西比的4000美元左右，最高的是马萨诸塞州的1.3万多美元。在我家所在的哥伦比亚特区，平均花费约为8500美元。婴儿托管费用一般来说会更贵，在哥伦比亚特区，2009年的平均费用约为1.15万美元。



And while costs for other items, such as clothing, won't be as steep for a second child (we are saving Eve's old pajamas, furniture and toys), at some point we would have to reconsider whether it still makes sense for both parents to work. And if not, which parent should stop working, and how will that absence from the workforce affect our lifetime earnings?


第二个孩子其他诸如衣物的花费不会这么大（我们把伊芙的旧睡衣、家具和玩具留下来了），因此我们有时会反思我和丈夫都工作是否有意义。如果没有，谁应该停止工作，少一个人工作会对我们的终身收入会有何影响？



Another consideration is the extent to which families are willing to alter their lifestyle, and savings goals, to make room for spending on another child.


还有一个考虑因素是，夫妻双方能够在多大程度上愿意改变自己的生活方式和储蓄目标，为再要一个孩子的花费做出让步。



'There are certainly a lot of trade-offs, and it's worth explicitly considering them,' investing expert Burton Malkiel recently told me. 'There are the little expenses that people don't even think about. There are ballet lessons. There are violin lessons. [Child-rearing] is a very expensive proposition.'


投资专家马尔科尔（Burton Malkiel）最近告诉我说，肯定需要做很多取舍，值得把它们都想明白；有一些小小的花费是人们根本就不去想的，比如芭蕾课，比如小提琴课。他说，要孩子是一个非常昂贵的想法。



That said, the pleasures of children can be well worth the significant expenses that go along with raising them.


话虽如此，考虑到孩子带来的快乐，抚养过程中的巨额费用可能是完全值得的。



Readers: How much have you changed your life to afford an expanding family? How do you know whether another child is financially out-of-reach? Have any of you delayed child-rearing or expanding your family because of financial concerns?


读者朋友，为了养一个"人丁兴旺"的家，你的生活出现了多大程度的改变？你怎样知道家里财务状况是否能够再供一个孩子？有没有人因为财务方面的考虑而推迟生孩子？



Ruth Mantell


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