Parenting in Cyberia

In Ordinaria, bearing children is considered a great good. Tax breaks are provided to people to encourage them to have children, as if the process of conceiving children is difficult or repellant.

Cyberia differs in two respects.

First, the issue of parenting is considered at least as important as conceiving.

Second, parents are considered guilty until they prove themselves innocent. The way they prove their innocence is by delivering reasonably responsible, trouble-free children to the society by the time the children are eighteen years of age.

Consequently, parents are required to make a substantial damage deposit at the time children are born. Fines for the children's irritating behavior are deducted from the damage deposit from birth to the age of 18. Whatever balance is left is refunded to the parents when the children turn 18, with interest. If the refund is at least 75% of the original deposit, the parents are considered to have done a good job and a bonus is paid. (This corresponds to the tax breaks in Ordinaria, but is considered a privilege that has to be earned rather than just a reward for depositing or receiving sperm while in the condition of wedlock.) On the other hand, if all the money in the deposit fund has been taken by fines for bad behavior, the parents are considered to have been punished enough and no further fine is levied.