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'Child sacrifice' controversy

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Mother of two, and freelance writer for Elle Décor in the United States, Sarah Scott, has come under fire for an article she penned, admitting that she sacrificed having a third child for her dream home.

The article, published on the “The Mix” section of the Elle Décor website details the years of careful saving and planning that Scott and her husband endured to finally afford their piece of heaven.

Although they already have two children, she explains that the luxury home, yearly holiday and state-of-the-art accessories in their lives means that they cannot afford to have a third child. She admits that her “womb literally aches” for another, but as she is a stay-at-home Mom, it would mean going back to full-time work. The article concludes with her acceptance of this sacrifice, admitting that she feels it is worth it.

Shallow and materialistic or practical?

The backlash from readers has been intense. Many women who cannot have children have been critical of her materialistic outlook. Others are just astounded that she seems unaware of the privileges she considers to be a deterrent to having another child. Some readers in the comments have gone as far as to question the editorial decisions at Elle Décor.

The overwhelming anger online has led to the article going viral. So far, the page itself has over 27 000 shares, with the amount of comments rising hourly.

Various news sources, including The UK Daily Mail have attempted to contact Elle Décor for comment, but so far, the publication seems unwilling to comment.

Would you give up a third child for your dream home?


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