A recent article detailed many obvious and irrefutable benefits to having fewer kids: parents who are able to spend more time with each child, less competition for resources among children, more free time for parents, savings of close to a quarter of a million dollars per child (the average cost of raising a child in the United States), and children who are statistically likely to become more independent. Curiously, though, the article concludes like this: “Remember, the argument about one child vs. many children all boils down to personal priorities and preferences.”

But is that true? Shouldn’t it matter to all of us whether the world is overcrowded, whether the environment is degraded, and whether parents are investing enough in each child to help them lead good lives and get along with others? At Having Kids, we believe that parenting decisions are more than personal and that we can work together to create a better world.