Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
It’s no secret that families are a big part of Utah culture. But as our state’s and nation’s birth rates decline, many of us are left wondering why.
Writer Lisa Stoddard-Reeves weighed in on the issue in an op-ed published this week, arguing that the problem won’t be solved until we address the elephant in the room.
“In Utah — a state known for strong family values but ranked last in women’s equality — public debates about declining birth rates often follow a predictable script: blame the economy, feminism, changing family values and women for ‘opting out,’” she wrote. “Having volunteered with A Bolder Way Forward and collaborated with the Utah Marriage Commission and other family-focused organizations, I’ve noticed a crucial part of the conversation is missing: men.”
In another op-ed published this week — one that really resonated with you readers — researcher Theodore Samore cautioned against believing everything you read.
“Instead of searching for singular causes of the fertility decline, we should recognize that many different things are happening at once,” he writes. “Anyone offering simple solutions is unlikely to have considered the real complexity of the issue.”
Readers — and social media followers — had a lot to say on the matter, as well.
“I never wanted kids, and chose not to have any,” Denise from Bluffdale shared in response to a Tribune callout. “I am now past childbearing age and have no regrets. I wish there had been more examples of people like me who just feel motherhood isn’t for them, rather than it all being about cost and the political environment (which are absolutely valid reasons). We are out here, even in Utah.”
“[T]he obsession with declining fertility rates is a new conservative propaganda machine,” one follower wrote on a Tribune Instagram post. “I had a graduate degree in economics and economists have known for years that the population replacement rate in the US is lower than the needed 2.1 children per woman. We have always made this up with immigration, which has a wide array of social and economic benefits. Now that the Republican party is trying to force isolationist policies, round up immigrants/poc with ICE, and revoke birthright citizenship, all of a sudden the major news outlets are churning out articles about declining fertility. Make no mistake. This is rooted in racism. Governments want more white babies. They don’t want to make our country attractive places to settle to foreigners and they certainly don’t want women to have the economic freedoms that come with having fewer children.”
“My husband and I do want kids,” Molly in Taylorsville said in response to a Tribune callout. “What’s currently preventing us from having them is mainly cost of pregnancy and childbirth, lack of parental leave, and cost of daycare. I also am concerned about potential abortion restrictions negatively impacting prenatal care, as we have seen in other states like Texas. My husband and I are actually planning to move soon to another, more parent-friendly state that mandates paid family leave and protects abortion access.”
“I don’t want to have kids,” Mia in Salt Lake City said in response to a Tribune callout. “For me, it has nothing to do with finances. I am about to graduate with a degree in a financially stable field and have substantial savings for someone at this point in their life. I believe I can more positively impact the world by spending my time furthering my research career, volunteering to help those in need, and mentoring adolescents. For me, having kids would do nothing to fix the engendered opportunity gaps in our society, protect and heal the environment, or improve the life of the average citizen, all of which I have made central tenets of my life’s mission. Nothing is stopping me from having kids; I just don’t believe that it is my own life’s purpose, and I can do much more of a service to the world by pursuing other paths.”
Amid talk about declining birth rates: I want to hear from you: Do you want to have kids? If so, is anything preventing you from having kids? If not, why not? Share your perspective.
ICYMI
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, gives remarks at the opening of the Utah Senate at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
Utah legislators should change unfair laws — even when it affects their family and friends by Paul Cassell
We all suffer when Utah therapists are forced to choose between their passion and their survival by C Meyer
We can’t afford to be passive about China. As a representative of Utah, I won’t be by Mike Kennedy
From Bagley’s Desk
Adam’s Alibi | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.