The Next Big Idea Daily

Why Starting a Family Feels Impossible to Many

Published: September 23, 2026

Duration: 27:49

Why does starting a family feel out of reach—and sustaining one feel so exhausting? In Inconceivable: The Impossibility of Family in an Age of Uncertainty, journalist Anna Louie Sussman traces falling birth rates to the housing, childcare, healthcare, and economic pressures that make parenthood feel increasingly precarious. Then, in Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours, Wharton economist Corinne Low uses hard data to show how unequal demands at home and work squeeze women’s time, energy, and happiness. Together, the books reveal the hidden systems making family...