You&#x27;re also dealing with a labor market that punishes people who <i>actually take</i> their maternity&#x2F;paternity leave, or who <i>actually leave</i> the labor force to raise children, by simply never letting them back into a career-track position ever again.<p>So not only does 180€&#x2F;month not substitute for a second salary, it doesn&#x27;t substitute for the <i>permanent</i> hit to the second wage-earner&#x27;s career caused by raising children.<p>The economic message is clear: raising children is intended to be a low-paid, part-time job done on top of a full-time career for economically non-valuable warm-fuzzies.