The collective choice we face isn’t whether AI will reshape work. It will. The choice is whether we let that reshaping hollow out jobs — or instead build a future where everyone works less and lives better.

But one thing everyone can agree on is that parenting is hard work, no matter its effect on population numbers. If the goal is to make it more realistic and appealing, then any serious plan has to tackle the time squeeze — not just throw money at it.

Now that affordability is back at the center of political discourse, it’s worth asking: what exactly do we mean by it? Most of the time, we talk about affordability in terms of prices and wages. How much do things cost? And how much do they earn? But that leaves out a necessary third dimension: time. A fuller, more complete (...may I say, “3-D”) view of affordability requires this.