The time-cost calculation is based on “whose time is being used,” not on “how hard it is”
Original: eternity4719 · source details
Original author: eternity4719 · Chinese source: · English adaptation: parveen0029. Translation and grade notes ↗
Bibliographic titles are retained in their original language.
Source author's views and grades; not individually verified by this site.
Cost and benefit at a glance
- Check the cost Cost ↓
- There’s no monetary expense — only time is spent. For children under 3, that time is essentially taken up around the clock. The difficulty lies in the fact that…
- Then the source benefit Benefit ↓
- By converting daily childcare time and nighttime interruptions into hours, then multiplying by the caregiver’s hourly wage, you arrive at a number that typically exceeds the cost o…
In plain terms
Count up all the hours spent caring for the child each day, plus every nighttime wake-up call. Then multiply that total by the hourly wage of the person doing the work. The resulting figure is usually far higher than the cost of formula and diapers. That’s why it’s best to discuss how responsibilities will be divided before having a child.
This guide's cartoon · show illustration
Enlarge illustrationOriginal illustration with Chinese lettering; the English dialogue is below. Humour is a reading aid, not evidence.
English dialogue
- Who's counting the money?
- Count the time as well.
Cost: what it takes
There’s no monetary expense — only time is spent. For children under 3, that time is essentially taken up around the clock. The difficulty lies in the fact that this happens daily, not just for a few tough days.
Benefit: what the source reports
By converting daily childcare time and nighttime interruptions into hours, then multiplying by the caregiver’s hourly wage, you arrive at a number that typically exceeds the cost of formula and diapers. Even unpaid tasks like childcare, cooking, and nightly wake-ups should be treated the same way — converted to hours and multiplied by a wage figure to be included in the total cost. The calculation method mirrors that used in Section 10 for household chores. Having a clear division of labor agreed upon beforehand makes it easier to decide whether to have a child.
Conditions, limits and disagreements
The goal isn’t to produce a perfectly accurate figure. Rather, it’s to ensure both partners discuss responsibilities using the same calculation framework prior to having a child, rather than arguing about it afterward.
Original references
Original bibliographic titles and links are preserved; some titles are in Chinese.
作者经验，无直接文献；口径见第 10 节
Medical, legal, financial and policy conditions vary by person, place and time. Policy material primarily concerns mainland China; check the cited document and current local requirements.