Elena, this is Marian from the Conservative Realist. I no longer link to my blog since it's more or less defunct, but I still read you and thought I'd offer some props.
I've disagreed with you a lot on this topic before, but I think you may be on to something here. If you think this is bad you should come out to the Northeast US, where I'm constantly being instructed to wait until we've bought house (so you can't rent property and have kids?), paid off a car (when the train and grocery store are a block away?), taken a few Caribbean cruises (Florida's nice and cheap ;-D), and gone clubbing a plenty (not my idea of fun) before we're "old enough" or "ready" to have children.
People here are so materialistic and picky; have such a laundry list of things to do before kids, that many end up in their late 30's and unsuccessfully trying for their first.
We plan to start trying for kids relatively soon, and while both our families have always emphasized college as important, we are not "holding out for the college funds" or whatnot. That could mean having only 1 kid, or one at 40, with the cost of things today. No, we've decided to bite the bullet and have some children. If we can pay for their college, so be it. If not, they will have loans.
I can think of ONE--only one--person in this region who ever said to me, "Children are gifts from God and a positive thing." Everyone else always thinks they ruin your fun, drain your bank account, strain your marriage, and just aren't worth it in your 20's.
Good post and feel free to quote me if you like.
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