In today's high-income societies, children are

According to sociologist, children are economic liability. In a modern society children are an economic liability, not an asset because they have to be fed, dressed, housed, watched after, educated and entertained. As a rule of thumb, economists figure that a family with one child needs 30% more income than a childless couple to maintain the same living standard. The understandable way to keep the household financially afloat is for the mother to go out to work.