But a mother usually can tell when her child is saying one thing and means to say something else.
Every child a city loses, on average, can mean a loss of about $5,000 for the school district, officials say.
I was driven in my career, afraid of what marriage and children might really mean to me.
More surviving children means less incentive to give birth as often.
Each child is a unique individual, and just because they're related doesn't mean they will always get along.
"A child for her could mean your death," Paul said.
In the last decade of the 20th century, fewer children mean a better life and a healthier environment.
The child in the nursery, now two years old, meant everything to her.
If your son means so much to you, how can his child mean so little?
And before welfare reform, at least, an additional child usually meant an increase in a poor urban family's benefits.