Mirjam Möttus: Raising children should not be discussed as a financial risk

In a Vikerradio daily commentary, Mirjam Möttus discusses how having children has become a kind of 'project' in society, discussed mainly in terms of financial burden and psychological stress. In her view, raising children should not be treated as a financial risk.

In recent years, Estonian society has undergone a significant shift in how people talk about having children. In a Vikerradio daily commentary, Mirjam Möttus argues that children are increasingly treated as an economic burden and psychological strain, rather than as a natural continuation of life.

According to Möttus, history has never before seen such deliberation surrounding childbirth and child-rearing. In her view, a child has become a kind of 'project' – something that is planned, evaluated, and measured in financial and emotional resources. Such thinking, however, can be dangerous for both families and society as a whole.

In her commentary, Möttus emphasizes that the costs and difficulties of raising children are indeed real, but their constant emphasis creates an attitude that may discourage people from wanting to have children in the first place. She believes that public discussion about children should be more balanced and include more positive perspectives on the parental role.