A Languedoc breeder writes...

My Significant Other (MSO) tells me about an interesting article on the BBC site, all about how cheap it is to raise a family in France (we have two children and no intention of having any more, thank you very much). Which I suppose it is, but it's hardly a reason for upping sticks and moving to a whole new country, is it? It's a benefit, sure, but not exactly a prime motivator. French governments both Left and Right put la famille high on the agenda, and at the last Conference on the Family, prime minister Dominique de Villepin (who is a prime example of a sexy, silvery grey posh Frenchman - what a lush combination that is, but that's neither here nor there) outlined new incentives to encourage two-child families to move on to a third. Well, anyone who decides to have more children because it's cheap/subsidised/encouraged by the French goverment strikes me as profoundly odd. If you want to read the BBC piece in full, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4856992.stm