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Thirty years ago, when the mainland was pushing for a one-child policy, policymakers were encouraging the next generation of families to adopt a one-child policy, citing the need to curb population growth.
When this policy first emerged, it won the warm support and strong support of the broad masses of the people.
However, time is like an arrow, and the sun and the moon are like a shuttle. As this generation of only children enters adulthood and begins to build a new family of their own, a new concept of fertility is quietly growing in their hearts like spring rain.
"We were once taught to abstain from having children, but now we are being advocated to have more children, which can't help but leave me confused and conflicted. Xiao Zhang, a white-collar young man born in the 90s, said frankly, his brows frowned slightly, and his tone revealed a trace of helplessness, "I have been my own child since I was a child, and my parents have devoted all their efforts to my education, and I have long been accustomed to the lifestyle of an only child."
Now, they expect me to have two or three children, but I think I should do what I can.
What Xiao Zhang depicts is the stark difference in fertility between the two generations, which is undoubtedly one of the important factors contributing to the current declining fertility rate. Younger generations are more focused on quality of life than their parents, and they do not want to see their children face a lack of education and medical resources in the future.
"From kindergarten to elementary, middle and high school, there is a huge amount of money to be invested at every stage, especially in private schools. Zhang Yan's voice gradually became low, as if the heavy pressure behind her made her unable to breathe, "Not to mention that when the child is sick, the cost of seeing a doctor is even more terrifying."
My friends seem to be in the same predicament. Xiao Li, a former athlete and coach, said unabashedly when asked about buying a house: "Today's housing prices are so outrageous! My wife and I tried our best to scrape together a down payment, but the loan payments for the next 20 years almost crushed us.
Add to that the rising mortgage rates, and it's hard to even build enough wealth for the next generation.
Xiao Li sighed, his expression full of helplessness. For young families like them, the high cost of education, health care and housing has gradually become the biggest burden on their lives.
They are like three towering mountains, blocking the path of childbearing, making them seem to fall into endless darkness, and these factors have seriously shaken their confidence and determination to have children.
In the face of such a grim reality, government departments, scholars, experts and the general public are well aware that they must work together to overcome this dilemma. Therefore, the most urgent task at present is to develop a long-term and effective population development strategy to provide comprehensive social support to the younger generation in order to alleviate the enormous pressure on their lives.
"Although our government has introduced a series of policies and subsidies to encourage childbearing, it is clear that they are still insufficient. A staff member of the Population and Family Planning Commission said solemnly, with a hint of guilt in his words, "We urgently need to develop more comprehensive and far-reaching plans to ensure that young people can receive substantial assistance in various fields such as education, health care, and housing." ”
At the same time, experts and scholars in the academic community have also offered suggestions and are eager to find solutions. "The causes of declining fertility are complex and require the joint efforts of researchers from many disciplines.
A senior demographer impassionedly said, "We need to conduct an in-depth analysis from educational, economic, social, psychological and other perspectives to find out the key to the problem, so that we can prescribe the right medicine and come up with practical solutions."
Finally, it's crucial to involve the public at large throughout the process. "It's not just about the future of the country, it's about the quality of life for each of us. A young man born in the 80s said sharply, "We should all actively express our views and needs, establish a good interaction mechanism with the government and experts, and work together to find ways to solve problems."
Only through the close cooperation of the government, experts and the public, and the adoption of all-round and multi-level measures, can we gradually dispel the layers of fog that hinder the road to childbirth and pave the way for the smooth implementation of the fertility policy.
This will undoubtedly be a long and arduous process, which will require the participation and careful care of the whole society.
In the context of the 70s of the last century, most Chinese women were still trapped in the confines of traditional concepts, regarded as a tool for family fertility and an accessory to take care of their husbands and children.
However, with the wheels of the times rolling forward, the advent of the era of knowledge economy has made more and more women break free from the shackles of tradition and bravely pursue a new life of their own independence and freedom.
"I don't want to repeat my mother's fate. Xiao Liu, a thriving female lawyer, did not hesitate to express her opinion when faced with fertility problems, "My mother has devoted all her life to her family, but she has never tasted the joy of self-realization. "
Now that Liu's career is in full swing, having a baby at this time will undoubtedly have a significant impact on her work, so she decided to think about it later.
When Xiao Liu said these words, her eyes were firm and bright, revealing a free and easy temperament that stood alone. Her idea is not unique, according to relevant research shows that modern professional women generally postpone the childbearing age, they pay more attention to the realization of personal values, and are particularly cautious about whether and when to have children.
However, Xiao Liu changed his words, and a helpless smile appeared on his face: "Although the social status of women has been significantly improved, the pressure on being a mother is also increasing day by day.
"We're tired of going back and forth between career and family, and it's no wonder that more and more people are choosing to focus on a particular area. "
"The process of fertility is full of unknown risks, and with the increasing cost of medical care, we simply can't afford to be so stressed. Xiao Zhao, who had just been promoted to a father, was full of emotion, his expression was slightly tired, and faint dark circles could be seen in the depths of his eyes.
"From pregnancy to childbirth to post-care, everything required a lot of capital investment, and the price we paid far exceeded expectations. Xiao Zhao's tone gradually became low, and he even choked up at the end, "What's worse is that if the future child unfortunately suffers from a serious illness, then the situation will be even more difficult."
Xiao Zhao's worries are not groundless. According to a new statistic, the cost of pregnancy check-ups and deliveries alone can range from tens of thousands of yuan to more than 100,000 yuan, and the cost is even more staggering in the case of high-risk pregnancies or other complications.
Recently, a friend of the author suddenly encountered an accident during childbirth and failed to meet the medical insurance reimbursement deadline, and was forced to pay tens of thousands of yuan in medical expenses. Mr. Zhang sighed helplessly, "At that time, his face instantly became gloomy."
What is even more worrying is that if a family member or child unfortunately suffers from a serious illness, it will undoubtedly bring an unbearable burden to the family. My uncle was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year, and although treatment began immediately, the hiring of a long-term caregiver, coupled with the cost of subsequent medications and chemotherapy, depleted the family's entire savings in a short period of time.
Speaking of this, Ms. Li couldn't help but be grief-stricken.
In the face of such high medical costs, young people need to think carefully about whether they are looking forward to childbirth or worrying about it. They fear that if someone gets sick, the whole family will fall into a dual mental and financial predicament, so they are always cautious and difficult to have children when and when to have children.