The answer is they’re expensive.

That’s particularly true this time of year, when you’re fighting crowds or scouring online sites for whatever it is the child in your life really, really, really wants. 

But everything about children costs big bucks. Healthcare. Diapers. Clothes. Toys. Sporting stuff. Music lessons. School supplies. Trips to the theme park. 

And that might be why people are procreating less. Which has many people, not just white conservatives, very nervous. Because as the population gets older, it needs more on that end as well – and, like kids, being old is also expensive.

One of the reasons Zohran Mamdani manged to get elected mayor of New York is his proposal for universal child care. The idea comes from talking to people about what would make their lives more affordable, and this is a big idea.

Parents spend $10,000 or more a year paying someone to watch their kids while they work. They wrestle with the idea of one parent – it’s usually, but not always, the mom – staying home because of the cost. 

Which ultimately results in other problems: a lower standard of living because of diminished income, and frustrated and unfulfilled people not able to use their talents to the extent they’d like.

So the idea of universal child care seems like a political winner. At least that’s what New York Gov. Kathy Hochul thinks.

Hochul seems to be clearing a path for Mamdani to fullill his campaign promise. In fact, she’s looking to make it moot – not only would there be universal health care in the city, but in the whole state of New York – from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point.

It would cost a fortune. 

New Mexico recently enacted universal child care. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, it’ll cost the Land of Enchantment $1 billion this fiscal year.

But the state has the money. It gets paid royalties for fossil fuels extracted from its land. This, despite the fact that New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the union. But it’s a boon for struggling families – and certainly a reason to keep your home where it is if you aspire to or have kids.

New York has no fossil fuels. What it does have is wealth. So many of the richest people in the nation live in the metropolitan area. Real estate prices are ridiculously high.

So Hochul is looking for a way to tap into that wealth for what would likely be a $7 billion expense to subsidize child care for every family who needs it.

The thing is doing so would partly pay for itself.

New York is one of the states that is losing population to the Sun Belt. It can’t change the weather, particularly in the Adirondacks, but it can make it more financially attractive to live and work here. And while businesses might grumble about additional taxes, they’ll be partly offset by finding it easier to get and keep workers.

We’ll see how Hochul does. She’s running for re-election next year and might have her eyes on a national profile. Universal child care – letting parents keep about $20 grand a year – would be a good way of letting everyone know that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with kids today.