Is it possible to raise a child on one income in your country?

34 comments

1. We’re not that christian anymore so stay at home-parents tend to get viewed with disdain and easily labeled as religious nutjobs, hippies, new age sacks of shits or related fringe groups. There are exceptions, but then there always are.

   As for the finances, yeah, completely possible if exceedingly stupid unless you’re already of the 10th income decile. I’ve never quite understood people bringing kids into poverty out of selfishness and principle. A lot of them end up being all sorta damaged, but that comes with the territory.

2. Same situation in Norway, for a comfortable life with a family you usually need two incomes. Does depend on what size income we talk about as well though.

   However, while of course with two incomes you have more income to raise the child, I don’t think it’s the only reason why less people opt for a constellation with one stay-at-home-parent and one full-time-worker. Most people I know, me included, wouldn’t want to be a stay-at-home-parent, although many would like to or do work part-time when they have kids to have some more time for their family. Staying at home with kids for a long time would often mean being very depend on your partner, which is not a good situation if you ever split up or your partner looses their job, gets sick, etc. People in the US often don’t get to choose because child care is not available or very expensive and it’s makes financially more sense for one parent to stay home, which is not much more of a choice than needing two incomes and therefore choosing to work.

3. If both parents were working before birth, one can take up to 2 years of compensated leave for child raising. The amount received calculates based on prior income (salary). Still 2 incomes.

   If only one parent was working before childbirth, the non working one can claim up to 2 years of compensated leave, but the amount received does not calculate based on prior income, but minimum wage. Still 2 incomes.

   If the child only has 1 parent, they have the same rights as above, only 1 income, it will be very hard but it really depends on the income value/household expenses.

   Only one parent also assumes some other form of child care (either hired babysitter or other form of help, relatives) so it’s very debatable and the discussion will evolve into statistics for each country.

4. It’s rare. Mothers usually stay at home for 3 years and then they go back to work.

5. It all depends on how high that one income is. If one parent makes €100.000 a year obviously it’s possible. If they make minimum wage it’s not possible.

6. Well it would definitely be possible but it wouldn’t be so comfortable, no grand summer vactions or eating out alot.

7. As a single mother having raised a son (he’s 20 now), I say that it is possible to raise a son on a single salary. I probably could have fed a stay-at-home-parent in addition, if I had squeezed more. Still, I’m in IT which means I get more than 2x median salary.

8. How do you define possible?

   It’s definitely theoretically possible, especially if you’re knowledgeable about all the things we have for low income families. But living standards are quite high, which creates pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

   Most families choose to have at least ‘one and a half’ income, both for the additional income and because having a (part time) job gives a sense of belonging/usefulness/(intellectual) challenge etc.

9. Italy here.
   Totally possible, especially if you don’t live in a big city.
   Not easy but possible.

10. It’s possible, in fact it’s often exactly the same. I know plenty of people who stay home with their child because childcare costs more than they would earn at their job. If you have more than one child, then of course this applies even more.

11. No, unless you live with your parents or you are a civil service worker.

    Most of the Jobs are concentrated in Barcelona or Madrid. Which least expensive rent is 600. Average salary in Spain is 1200€. So do your numbers.

12. It used to be very common here in Italy,but it’s become less and less so.

    Partly as things are getting more expensive and salary levels haven’t kept pace with that.

    And partly as many people expect to have a lot more these days than they would have in the past.

    If you already own a property,or live with your parents, it’s a lot easier than if that is not the case.

13. Stay at home parents are not really a thing here, but hypothetically speaking it should be doable with a fairly average salary of about €45-50k a year. Unless you had to live in the centre of a big city. Wouldn’t be super comfortable but you’d be able to cover the necessities, including one vacation per year and signing your kid up for activities. Probably wouldnt be able to drive a fancy car or live in an expensive house though. So that’s why both parents work.

14. It’s possible but rare.

    In the case of divorce, the child usually becomes the mother’s responsibility, but the father pays guardianship until the child is 18.

    At least that’s how it happened to someone in my family. But I guess that doesn’t count as one income.

    If you have a child, you will not live on the street, someone will help you, if noone else it will be social welfare. But houses here are mostly owned, not rented, so if someone is in a pickle, they can usually go home to relatives and split the electricity bills etc.

15. Depends on the income. On mine it’s doable, but tight. The lower your income here in the Netherlands, the more you qualify for government support. I think it’s actually harder when you earn just too much to get that, but basically too little for anything else.

16. I think a single parent can raise a child comfortably if he makes average salary.

    The government pays 100€ a month to as child benefits to parents. And i believe 200 for single parents. Also if you have poor income you can get housing benefits and other benefits from the state. The amount is 200-1000€.

    According to a google search. Raising a child in Finland is around 100 000€ (from birth to adulthood) So if you make 40k a year, it will be possible.

17. It’s definitely possible.

    You probably can’t if you work a traditional working class job and want to live in Copenhagen or Aaarhus, but if you make some choices like living in a town, somewhere rural, live in a smaller (cheaper) apartment or even house and not spend too much money on the latest iphones, giant flat-screen TVs and international travel I’d say it’s more than just possible!

    Source, we did live (2 people) on only my income for about a year, I earn somewhat more than an average worker though, but we also live in a house and went traveling and didn’t really try to live frugally…

    I’d argue it’s not necessary that both parents work here, it just makes life a lot easier and gives you more choices on your lifestyle. Being married also gives you some tax benefits in case one parent doesn’t have an income.

    Still it’s not something most people ever want to do!

18. Yeah. There may be some things you lose out on as a child, but that isn’t guaranteed, and it is possible. A classmate of mine was raised on a single income, and she had a pretty normal childhood

19. If the person working is a high income earner sure… Median income tho? I don’t see it being that easy… But that’s taking into account paying for a stay at home parent too… If it’s a single parent it’s probably doable.

20. Definitely possible for people with wage at least 3 times higher than average.

    Although it’s quite uncommon, since most people make less than average wage, so ladies have to go to work as soon as they can(usually after baby have 3 years, or they can have another baby).

    I know women who could literally stay at home(husbands makes like 4 times average wage), but they rather work than be bored at home.

21. In Slovakia if you make about 2x the average wage or 3x minimum wage at least, otherwise no.

22. It’s possible in cities but only with a uite confortable salary, definitly not with an average one (or worst with a minimum one), in the countryside it’s a bit easier.

    I personally only know one couple with a stay at home parents, they are seen as wealthy.

23. My dad was the only one with an income my whole life and we’re definitely richer than the average Belgian family, so yes, it’s perfectly possible.

24. Definitely possible, just not very comfortable.
    This isn’t because the salary is particularly low, but if you want nice things, vacations or hobbies and whatnot it’s easier if both work.

    Also as a man with a good salary it makes me very happy to know my family’s economy doesn’t stand or fall on my shoulders.
    I seriously don’t get why any man wants this.

25. Depends on what you regard as possible.

    My mom raised both me and my sis while being unemployed or studying for long periods of time, and was still paying off debts every month. I’d imagine the Finnish social security helping in such situations has improved since the 90’s, early 00’s as well. My childhood was much poorer than my peers’, I couldn’t have any expensive hobbies, games or pets, and we couldn’t vacation and stuff like that, but I definitely got enough to eat and was raised into a fairly decent human being.

    Public kindergartens were, and are free here.

26. Yes it’s possible. Really depends on how high educated you are. Or / and what your skill level is. Unfortunately there are some one parent households who live around the poverty line. Even though that number is small children should not grow up in poverty.

27. Hungarian here

    It’s possible if one parent has a good income (most likely working in IT). But it’s very uncommon, and not many people can afford it, at least in my region

28. For some additional context, in the US full-time child care under age 5 can be very expensive, which adds an incentive for one parent to stay home at least until the kids are in school. $1500+ per child per month isn’t unusual.

29. It is possible, as I know many many single mothers who have done or are doing exactly that.

    But I have never met a stay at home mom in Estonia. Never ever. Just not a thing. I know people who work part time, both men and women. I know people who quit their jobs and live from their investments. But no-one who is staying at home because of a kid after the parental leave.

    Edit: parental leave is ca 1.5 years paid leave + ca 1.5 years unpaid leave if you want.

30. I’m twenty-one now and my parents raised my on one income. Trying to do it now is barely possible though as wages haven’t changed all that much but real estate has long gone beyond any reasonable point.

31. In my country, it’s hard to raise a child with **two** incomes.

32. lol no. America’d

    D’oh! Just realized this is AskEU

33. I’m a stay at home mom. We were fortunate to have my mother in law watch our first two children for free, so I worked then. But when I had my third child I quit my job (My MIL wanted to go back to school.). We did the math, and to pay for day care would have had me busting my butt to only make about $20 a week, so I quit.

    Now we’re a family of 7 and we are still doing fine on one income. Our bills are paid, our bellies are full, our gas tanks are full, and we have a little extra for fun stuff. When all the kids are old enough to be in school I’ll look for a part time job.

34. For Portugal I would say not really. Of course technically it is, and people do it, but unless you have a very rare actually high paying job, or you have no rent/mortgage to pay, then you would be left with very little.
    You wouldn’t necessarily go hungry if you apply for benefits, but I assume this question aims more at whether that is possible without literally falling into poverty.