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30 Honest Reasons Why People Don’t Want Kids, Tweeted In Response To The News That The US Birth Rate Continues To Plummet
The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the CDC, shared some worrying numbers in a report published on Wednesday this week: the number of babies born in the United States dropped by a whopping 4 percent in 2020, compared to the previous year. It’s part of a trend that has seen the lowest number of births in the country since 1979. In the long-term, this could spell serious issues for the country (or might be beneficial to the planet, depending on your point of view).
And while everyone—from experts to ordinary Americans—appears to have an opinion as to _why_ the birth rates are declining, not all of those reasons apply to everyone equally. So the women of America took to Twitter and explained exactly why they personally aren’t having children and might not want to start a family in the future. They’re refreshingly honest takes on the question.
You’ll find their candid opinions below, so have a read, and let us know what you think, dear Pandas. Remember, this is a sensitive subject with people likely to have very strong opinions both for and against having kids, so let’s all try to keep it civil.
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This should be higher. So accurate, and I think there are many people in similar situations that feel the same.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics., the US total fertility rate remains far below replacement. “The rate has generally been below replacement since 1971 and has consistently been below replacement since 2007,” they explain.
Inaccurate. I'm a married man and I frequently get asked when or why we are not having kids. Since we are unable to have kids, it's really depressing being pestered about it all the time.
If you want kids but have fertility issues, people will commiserate with you. If you simply do not want them, people will shoot you down. Not wanting them for any reasons is perfectly valid but as women, we are made to feel guilty, inadequate and selfish. Thick skin is needed.
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It is exquisitely selfish, and utterly primitive to want to reproduce. Not everyone has that call, and that's okay, better a wanted child then having one forced on you.
I totally agree for the second part. But not much with the first, it can be selfish both having or not having kids (depending on the situations), and a lot of things are primitive, from sex, eating, grieving, ...this doesn't mean these things are always negative (as your comment seems to express).
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I know I would be a terrible mother because I have such little patience and straight up hate the sound of babies crying and laughing. I'll just be the aunt who sees my niece every fortnight or so.
My little sister feels the same way. I have 3 kids and she loves them, but she's glad she can leave after visiting and enjoy her quiet apartment all by herself. She always tells me that my kids are the best birth control ever. There's absolutely nothing wrong with not wanting kids. People try to make my sister feel bad about her choice so I ask them if they really think it would be ideal to have a kid when she straight up knows she'd make a bad mother? I then tell them that they're the same people that would talk badly about her if she had a kid she never wanted and ended up neglecting it. I don't like people picking on my little sister and trying to pressure her into a situation where she is guaranteed to not only fail, but be completely and utterly miserable. I totally support my sister's decision.
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From where I am, I think you're selfless to not havw a baby. Here people for their own selfish reason have a baby, because they want, even if they can't afford their own goddamn life. Here ig a couple doesn't have a baby then one year after their marriage relatives start to question why haven't you had a child yet. At the end, they just wanna have cause everyone said so and they wanna have their own human puppy. Years later, can't make their child's ends meet cause they couldn't make their ends meet either before the child came. This way the child suffers more than the parents, but the parents say that they suffer more and are providing him everything even amidst poverty. What? You decided to bring a child so no f*****g excuses will be entertained.
“Boy, I sure would love to work my ass off to take care of a tiny psychopath that will ruin my sex life and steal all my attention from the friends that I love” - every parent ever
hahaha true, but you can form that psychopath to your own psychoses. that's the cool thing
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Tbis is one of my main reasons. After a long day I want a quiet evening, talking to my partner, having dinner and relaxing. I dont want to be feeding a baby, listening to screaming siblings fighting or dealing with bath and bed time. Same fkr the weekends, i like our quietness.
Sometimes I think people are selfish for wanting children honestly. Have you seen the way people treat their kids? It was the parent who wanted a cute little baby, then the child starts to grow up and the parent can't handle it. The kid didn't ask to be alive and forced to be traumatized and messed up by their inadequate parents who are disappointed you didn't turn out as carbon copies of themselves....Ehem. I think I have some feelings I need to deal with :\
So true. There are plenty of orphaned and otherwise parentless children. Anyone pressuring others to have kids should first care for all those kids in need.
Likewise. I got my tubes tied in my twenties because I knew I didn't want kids and didn't want to keep taking birth control pills.
Totally agree. I just told people I was a hippie and did drugs so dont want children as they might be deformed. Ended conversation in seconds! No one knew a good response.
I am too selfish to want kids and I have no issue telling anyone who asks. After this plandemic I am thankful I don't have kids as I would be terrified for their future
50 yrs. ago when someone asked me why I didn't have kids I told them I always miscarried. Shut them right the heck up. :) P.S. I actually had my tubes tied, that's why I don't have kids.
My mother said I was selfish for not wanting children. Weirdest comment I ever heard - I never worked out her reasoning. Although she did want grandchildren. So who's selfish!
I do think way to many children are brought into this world by parents who do not want them. They are often mistreated, ignored and grow up as incomplete, suffering humans. There are way to many people on this planet for it to be sustainable, so why not leave overpopulating the world to those who actually see children as a joy?
Last year, around 3.6 million babies were born in the United States. Meanwhile, the number of births was found to have fallen across the board, across all ethnicities and origins. What’s more, the birthrate fell in most age groups and failed to go up in any one of them. And while these unborn Americans could be replaced by immigrants from other nations, if we’re talking purely in cold economic terms, that’s another sensitive political discussion that’s been splitting the US in two.
Full disclosure, dear Pandas: this reporter is very pro-people. I come from a fairly large family and I can’t imagine not wanting to have lots and lots of kids (maybe on a ranch somewhere or we could all become amateur detectives in a major city). However, one of my cardinal virtues is the freedom of will. It’s pretty much at the top of my hierarchy of what’s important. So I could never imagine telling somebody that they must or must not have kids, for whatever reasons. It’s down to each and every one of us to decide what we should do for our very own personal reasons.
Let's not forget about inflation on top of those stagnant wages
Godexx forbid we have paid parental leave like nearly every other industrialized nation on earth.
And while the human race has its fair share of problems, from the mundane and irritating to the downright devastating, it’s also full of light. Not to sound too childish, but I like people. So the fact that there are fewer people being born than in previous years means there’s a bit less potential awesomeness and creativity in the world. But, hey, your point of view might be different—and I’m perfectly fine with that.
Yup. We are poor because we had kids - because to nurse them it is impossible to work and then kids get sick, a lot, which means someone has to be home with them - we have minimal sick leave and this makes working and having a child impossible. So one of us is home (me), BUT as a biologist/biochemist who understands evolution I also understand this artificial bottleneck in our population is a genetic opportunity. We're financially poor, deliberately, but banking on generational (non-economic) wealth. There is rich and there is rich, we have a rich life and we also get to go extreme minimal on our taxing the earth (our household is carbon neutral for eg) and we have kids. We'll never be middle class (rich to me), but maybe that's okay, IDK.
While it’s everyone’s individual choice whether to have children, when we zoom out to the macro scale, there are potentially disastrous implications to society. Simply put, society can’t function without people. Without them, you don’t have a strong country: you have fewer innovators and friendly neighbors willing to lend a helping hand. You simply have a mass of land with very few things going on there.
You also have the right to ask them why they are so concerned with what goes on in your crotchal region. Those are the same types of people who are overly concerned with the genitals of said child (not in a pedo way, just 'is it a girl or a boy'). Of course, that invites more conversation. A good 'none of your fu***** business' is an acceptable answer, too. Just be sure to yell it really loudly and make them uncomfortable. I highly suggest Naruto running the other way after yelling it, maybe throw and iced coffee on them for good measure. Maybe they'll think twice or at least spread it around that you're crazy. Fewer questions.
So, dear Readers, what do you think about this difficult topic? What’s your view about the declining birth rate in the US and the reasons people give for not wanting children? Do you think that there should be fewer people on Planet Earth or does the problem lie not in the number of people but in our lifestyles and how we view the environment? Share your thoughts below.
Gotta ask about the text-censorship in this post. One word largely blacked-out, then the same(?) word not blacked out. Is this a human error, or machine error, or just an overall bad idea?
Actually, it WILL maim you permanently. Some get away with small, easy to ignore problems, but that little parasite will leave you with some permanent damage that you will then be routinely ignored or gaslit for. And make no mistake, a fetus may not be a parasite in it's full definition, but it is absolutely parasitic on the host's body.
It's not counterintuitive at all. This relationship is well-known. Education and privilege mean more choice, general, and given real choices in life, women in almost all cultures will choose to have fewer children.
well most parents are doing the "counting on a lot of people to not have kids and make the world a better place in a generation"
Note: this post originally had 47 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
People choosing not to have children fall into two categories. Those who are happily child free, and those who want children but can't due to economic or other outside factors The first is great! People should be able to live their lives as they want, and children deserve to be raised by parents who truly want them. The second is not only heartbreaking for the people involved, but when it is widespread across an entire generation is a serious red flag that society is broken.
How about the fact that in no time in my life did I ever want children. I don't need to explain this, It is my preference and that's it.
As a mom of 4, I look at it like joining the Army. I'm really grateful to the people who've willingly signed up, and appreciate all their efforts and sacrifice, but it's just an occupation I'm totally uninterested in. Being a parent is the same. I totally respect people who just aren't interested in being parents and don't give into societal/familial pressure to do so. It is a really tough job, but I love doing it. I couldn't imagine doing it if I didn't really want to. It would be awful for everyone involved.
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It is perfectly fine if you don't want kids. But kid shamming goes both ways. I have been made fun of for wanting lots of kids just as much as my friend has been made fun of for wanting no kids.
But at the end on the day, women with kids have more positive representation in society and the media than women without kids.
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I live in the UK where we do have paid maternity leave, we have minimum wage requirements and free healthcare and I still don't want kids. There is a long history of mental health issues in my family and I've suffered from clinical depression and I would not wish this on anyone else. Plus I hate kids. I don't like the little germ factories and I certainly don't have the maturity to look after one. I'm just starting menopause now and I'm very glad I don't have to justify why I'm not having kids.
Jackie - respect. You are awesome. Annoying how little support there is for women who choose not to reproduce.
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Imagine being this obsessed with the contents of a uterus that doesn't belong to you.
I don't get why this is such a big deal? I'm glad birthdates are down. There's too many people on this planet. The younger generations are potentially saving our planet by not having kids. I applauded and thank you all for making a wise and selfless choice.
Having or not having kids is not selfless .. it just is
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in italy the birth rate is very low but at least here we have paid maternity leave and giving birth is free, and healthcare is free too (and college isn't putting people in crippling debit). here we have so many elderly people that our state struggles a lot to pay thier retirement, and we aren't a very rich country for the majority so maybe that's why out birth rate is low. also, global warming.
Yeah the dystopian issues are really off putting for me. Not that I'm particularly interested anyways, but any chance of me deciding to have kids is immediately taken out by the fact that I would literally be forcing them into a hellscape. Personally I hate the fact that I was born into a world that has so many overwhelming and depressing issues, but I also know I'm not getting the worst of it so far. So yeah, having kids is out of the question for me. (Semi-related side note: I really hate how some people say things like "the kids are going to save the planet", "the kids are the future" etc etc because it's like...you're still alive and able, so why are you choosing to ignore everything and basically just push the responsibility to the kids?? The only reason kids like Greta Thunberg are becoming activists is because they are seeing the adults not doing enough, and feeling forced. Because they know they will be the ones facing the consequences. That's not something to romanticize.)
It's alright you all. I've had 7 kids. I'm broke, but I'm happy. And at the age of 40 I'm in school on my way to a career as a nurse practitioner. By the time the majority of my kids are out of the house I'll finally be making enough money to support them 😂. So for those of you who don't want kids, just tell them I made up for it for you. 😁
If you don't want kids, don't have them. If you do want kids, go for it. It's YOUR choice.
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4 kids in my family ages 55-62. None of us had kids. Even though we had a typical 60's upbringing with mom at home and dad working, it was a tightly budgeted house because dad was a school teacher and we all know how much the government appreciates and rewards teachers/s. Lots of fights between the kids over having to share everything, including splitting treats. Then there were the parental threats of wait til you have kids of your own. So we didn't. I would also guess that all 4 of us being adopted in infancy may have contributed to an attachment disorder.
Two thoughts on this: first, apparently FIFTY PERCENT of pregnancies are unplanned - and that's just in developed countries where the population is educated to a degree. And secondly, do people ever question WHY they're procreating? 'Continuing the family name' and 'because the bible says we need to' are lame and outdated excuses. Everyone needs to read a book (it's a novel, a thriller) called 10:59 by N. R. Baker - the facts contained in it actually shocked me and made me look at the world in a whole new light. It's brilliant and the message is vital to the continuation of our species and to the planet.
I'm not sure where your first statistic came from and if it's reliable, but It seems strange to me that in places with informations, contraceptions and abortions so many pregnancies are unplanned. I think that I will take a look about the book you suggested, because I'm an atheist and I don't really care about continuing the family name, but I would love to have children in the future (If I have the economical and psychological stability and a reliable partner, these are indispensable).The reasons for my idea is that I always wanted children, and I think that I will become mature enough to be a good mother. I think that growing children in order to make them become respectful and educated citizens can be as useful for the planet and for the society as deciding to not have them. And I don't bother much about the sacrifices a child can take, I appreciate a frugal and simple life.
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Isn't fertility becoming a huge issue now too. Not only are people choosing not to have kids but fewer people are able now bc of less viable sperm and problems w women's reproduction as well. Pollution caused by the wealthy and corporations is killing us and the planet.
What about all the foster kids in the system? Maybe people can adopt those instead of crapping out more carbon copies of themselves. Not everyone wants kids and there are many reasons why many of us chose not to have them. There's no shame in not having them or in adopting.
Do you have ANY idea how expensive it is to adopt? And once you do, it's still going to cost you the same to raise them as it would a bio kid. I would adopt but it's too expensive and there's too much red tape. And I can't afford a big enough house.
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The world has changed dramatically and the birthrate has changed to reflect that good change. A great sign of a society is an increase in the age of first birth. When you live in a place with high disease, war, poverty, etc, you need to have more kids early just to survive. You need more free labor to do whatever the family is doing and there's a higher chance they'll die so you need replacements. On top of that, you may not be able to control when the first kid comes(no contraceptive access, patriarchy, etc) When you have more stability with more safety, you have the option to delay having kids until you are ready for them instead of needing them. You move the average age of first birth from 16 to 32 when you are better prepared to have a child that you want, you halve the birth rate. A nice side effect is you then have less people competing for the same resources instead of more.
Oh dear... From the above, it looks like a lot of the people having kids are going to be right-wing fundies.
I don't want children because I don't want to pass on any of the genetic disorders I have and that I'm a carrier of. I know there is a chance that they might not inherit them but I don't want to risk it. Also I have medical conditions which would make it hard for me to carry a child. I would rather take in a child who NEEDS love and safe home than have my own child
There is a population decline in much of the western world. The biggest consequence will be that at some point, there will not be enough working young people in existence to support the vast numbers of senior citizens expecting to live off a state pension. I'm thinking in the next 20-30 years, we will see a complete collapse of the pension system in many countries.
This is kinda like assuming interest rates should forever be on the increase, as if a decrease is a BAD thing. Fewer people = less pressure on limited resources, reduced adverse impact upon the environment, better quality of life for future generations. This needs to become the international norm for a few centuries, not an exception worthy of panic.
Because in the past generations that faced poverty, it was hard not to have children if you were married. There was social pressure to marry in the first place, and no birth control. Whereas now there is a lot less pressure and many ways to avoid unwanted pregnancy. I doubt that women in Ireland in the 18th century were too keen to have 8 kids either, but what choice did they have.
It's a shame. Most countries in the world have healthcare, maternity leave, sick days. USA is messed up. Though, I have other reasons not to want kids.
It is USA bash but it's not wrong, everything said is correct. USA has pretended to be THE best country on earth for far too long. People all over the world thought that was true. Then came social media and everyone on this planet can see how f****d USA is and they are calling out the bullshittery that was served to them in past. Also having an orange idiot for leader didn't help USA on world stage.
Load More Replies... What comes immediately to my mind (and perhaps belongs in a different thread) is; why so much infertility now? Is inability to become pregnant / or carry a fetus increasing? It is certainly no one's business if your body isn't fully functioning but I do wonder if this anomaly is increasing. I am one of 6 sisters; 41-70, two cannot have children. I have 3 daughters; 41 to 46, two cannot have children. That seems a high percentage.
The medical community has been saying for years that fertility rates are declining. The scientific community has been speculating that it could be a result of pollution, especially plastics chemicals.
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I wish people have fewer children; it's overpopulation in poor countries and overconsumption in rich countries, the environmental devastation inthe entire world.
Why have children when there isn't the time to enjoy them? Working too much ,no real maternity leave . It's just going to be a guilt trip about how you're not present enough.
Another diabolical US situation, once considered the greatest country on Earth by many. It is not that bad in Europe yet (lived in several countries) but we're getting there. Telltale sign: insane property prices in cities. I've seen a 10 to 100 times price increase in 25 years in Prague, depending on the city part. 100 times: ruins that once sold for 300K CZK fetch now, after renovation, 30M CZK. Who can afford this? Well, apparently some can. An average 100m2 house can be anywhere between 5 an 15 M CZK. So those owners will be paying most of their lives - but renting will cost monthly even more.
I applaud people who are self aware enough to know they would not or do not want to make good parents. Money is a factor, but not the only factor. My great grandparents raised my grandparents through the Great Depression and successfully so. I delayed having children, but they were worth the wait. Having children is not about you the parent, it is about the children becoming independent and responsible adults.
When the world is burning and the rich are killing each other over the last dusty bottles of Perrier, I will stand on the hot sands and scream into the boiling ocean "I AM THE LAST OF MY TRIBE. DO YOUR CHILDREN TASTE DELICIOUS, KAREN? DO THEY!?"
What annoys me is countries that don't take care of our planet and then we other ones have to be extra extra careful. And even then we will be screwed if THEY don't change their ways! Infuriating.
No wonder kids worry about stuff when we're educating them. Look at all the stress worries we throw at them
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Bored Pandians are hypocrites. They whine about Disney posts every other week, and then they love anti-child posts.
I have never seen a "why i don't want pets" post
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No one in their right mind would bring kids into this F'd up planet now.
No it isn’t. A narcissist’s dream would be to have kids to blame and hold responsible.
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I- just- I-. I don't know what to say anymore. I think that we truly have the potential to do good and I think the best thing to fix the world is us. It hurts to see how we've given up on ourselves. These posts make me feel like a nuisance to my parents and a nuisance to humanity. I should have avoided this. All I want to do is help, but it seems like the best way to do so is not to have kids. Which I do want.
The vast majority of parents see their children as a blessing not a nuisance. Obviously I don't know your parents, but please don't allow an article like this to skew how you see yourself, your relationship to your parents or the world. Personally I'm the mother of three young children. While I understand why other people might choose differently I am exceptionally grateful to have my children in my life. Parenthood makes my life more difficult in some ways, but exponentially richer in many others. It is my hope that I can raise good humans who will help make the world a better place. It is also my belief that the current generation of young people (gen z) are going to do great things to change the world.
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People choosing not to have children fall into two categories. Those who are happily child free, and those who want children but can't due to economic or other outside factors The first is great! People should be able to live their lives as they want, and children deserve to be raised by parents who truly want them. The second is not only heartbreaking for the people involved, but when it is widespread across an entire generation is a serious red flag that society is broken.
How about the fact that in no time in my life did I ever want children. I don't need to explain this, It is my preference and that's it.
As a mom of 4, I look at it like joining the Army. I'm really grateful to the people who've willingly signed up, and appreciate all their efforts and sacrifice, but it's just an occupation I'm totally uninterested in. Being a parent is the same. I totally respect people who just aren't interested in being parents and don't give into societal/familial pressure to do so. It is a really tough job, but I love doing it. I couldn't imagine doing it if I didn't really want to. It would be awful for everyone involved.
Load More Replies... It is perfectly fine if you don't want kids. But kid shamming goes both ways. I have been made fun of for wanting lots of kids just as much as my friend has been made fun of for wanting no kids.
But at the end on the day, women with kids have more positive representation in society and the media than women without kids.
Load More Replies... I live in the UK where we do have paid maternity leave, we have minimum wage requirements and free healthcare and I still don't want kids. There is a long history of mental health issues in my family and I've suffered from clinical depression and I would not wish this on anyone else. Plus I hate kids. I don't like the little germ factories and I certainly don't have the maturity to look after one. I'm just starting menopause now and I'm very glad I don't have to justify why I'm not having kids.
Jackie - respect. You are awesome. Annoying how little support there is for women who choose not to reproduce.
Load More Replies... Imagine being this obsessed with the contents of a uterus that doesn't belong to you.
I don't get why this is such a big deal? I'm glad birthdates are down. There's too many people on this planet. The younger generations are potentially saving our planet by not having kids. I applauded and thank you all for making a wise and selfless choice.
Having or not having kids is not selfless .. it just is
Load More Replies... in italy the birth rate is very low but at least here we have paid maternity leave and giving birth is free, and healthcare is free too (and college isn't putting people in crippling debit). here we have so many elderly people that our state struggles a lot to pay thier retirement, and we aren't a very rich country for the majority so maybe that's why out birth rate is low. also, global warming.
Yeah the dystopian issues are really off putting for me. Not that I'm particularly interested anyways, but any chance of me deciding to have kids is immediately taken out by the fact that I would literally be forcing them into a hellscape. Personally I hate the fact that I was born into a world that has so many overwhelming and depressing issues, but I also know I'm not getting the worst of it so far. So yeah, having kids is out of the question for me. (Semi-related side note: I really hate how some people say things like "the kids are going to save the planet", "the kids are the future" etc etc because it's like...you're still alive and able, so why are you choosing to ignore everything and basically just push the responsibility to the kids?? The only reason kids like Greta Thunberg are becoming activists is because they are seeing the adults not doing enough, and feeling forced. Because they know they will be the ones facing the consequences. That's not something to romanticize.)
It's alright you all. I've had 7 kids. I'm broke, but I'm happy. And at the age of 40 I'm in school on my way to a career as a nurse practitioner. By the time the majority of my kids are out of the house I'll finally be making enough money to support them 😂. So for those of you who don't want kids, just tell them I made up for it for you. 😁
If you don't want kids, don't have them. If you do want kids, go for it. It's YOUR choice.
Load More Replies... 4 kids in my family ages 55-62. None of us had kids. Even though we had a typical 60's upbringing with mom at home and dad working, it was a tightly budgeted house because dad was a school teacher and we all know how much the government appreciates and rewards teachers/s. Lots of fights between the kids over having to share everything, including splitting treats. Then there were the parental threats of wait til you have kids of your own. So we didn't. I would also guess that all 4 of us being adopted in infancy may have contributed to an attachment disorder.
Two thoughts on this: first, apparently FIFTY PERCENT of pregnancies are unplanned - and that's just in developed countries where the population is educated to a degree. And secondly, do people ever question WHY they're procreating? 'Continuing the family name' and 'because the bible says we need to' are lame and outdated excuses. Everyone needs to read a book (it's a novel, a thriller) called 10:59 by N. R. Baker - the facts contained in it actually shocked me and made me look at the world in a whole new light. It's brilliant and the message is vital to the continuation of our species and to the planet.
I'm not sure where your first statistic came from and if it's reliable, but It seems strange to me that in places with informations, contraceptions and abortions so many pregnancies are unplanned. I think that I will take a look about the book you suggested, because I'm an atheist and I don't really care about continuing the family name, but I would love to have children in the future (If I have the economical and psychological stability and a reliable partner, these are indispensable).The reasons for my idea is that I always wanted children, and I think that I will become mature enough to be a good mother. I think that growing children in order to make them become respectful and educated citizens can be as useful for the planet and for the society as deciding to not have them. And I don't bother much about the sacrifices a child can take, I appreciate a frugal and simple life.
Load More Replies... Isn't fertility becoming a huge issue now too. Not only are people choosing not to have kids but fewer people are able now bc of less viable sperm and problems w women's reproduction as well. Pollution caused by the wealthy and corporations is killing us and the planet.
What about all the foster kids in the system? Maybe people can adopt those instead of crapping out more carbon copies of themselves. Not everyone wants kids and there are many reasons why many of us chose not to have them. There's no shame in not having them or in adopting.
Do you have ANY idea how expensive it is to adopt? And once you do, it's still going to cost you the same to raise them as it would a bio kid. I would adopt but it's too expensive and there's too much red tape. And I can't afford a big enough house.
Load More Replies... The world has changed dramatically and the birthrate has changed to reflect that good change. A great sign of a society is an increase in the age of first birth. When you live in a place with high disease, war, poverty, etc, you need to have more kids early just to survive. You need more free labor to do whatever the family is doing and there's a higher chance they'll die so you need replacements. On top of that, you may not be able to control when the first kid comes(no contraceptive access, patriarchy, etc) When you have more stability with more safety, you have the option to delay having kids until you are ready for them instead of needing them. You move the average age of first birth from 16 to 32 when you are better prepared to have a child that you want, you halve the birth rate. A nice side effect is you then have less people competing for the same resources instead of more.
Oh dear... From the above, it looks like a lot of the people having kids are going to be right-wing fundies.
I don't want children because I don't want to pass on any of the genetic disorders I have and that I'm a carrier of. I know there is a chance that they might not inherit them but I don't want to risk it. Also I have medical conditions which would make it hard for me to carry a child. I would rather take in a child who NEEDS love and safe home than have my own child
There is a population decline in much of the western world. The biggest consequence will be that at some point, there will not be enough working young people in existence to support the vast numbers of senior citizens expecting to live off a state pension. I'm thinking in the next 20-30 years, we will see a complete collapse of the pension system in many countries.
This is kinda like assuming interest rates should forever be on the increase, as if a decrease is a BAD thing. Fewer people = less pressure on limited resources, reduced adverse impact upon the environment, better quality of life for future generations. This needs to become the international norm for a few centuries, not an exception worthy of panic.
Because in the past generations that faced poverty, it was hard not to have children if you were married. There was social pressure to marry in the first place, and no birth control. Whereas now there is a lot less pressure and many ways to avoid unwanted pregnancy. I doubt that women in Ireland in the 18th century were too keen to have 8 kids either, but what choice did they have.
It's a shame. Most countries in the world have healthcare, maternity leave, sick days. USA is messed up. Though, I have other reasons not to want kids.
It is USA bash but it's not wrong, everything said is correct. USA has pretended to be THE best country on earth for far too long. People all over the world thought that was true. Then came social media and everyone on this planet can see how f****d USA is and they are calling out the bullshittery that was served to them in past. Also having an orange idiot for leader didn't help USA on world stage.
Load More Replies... What comes immediately to my mind (and perhaps belongs in a different thread) is; why so much infertility now? Is inability to become pregnant / or carry a fetus increasing? It is certainly no one's business if your body isn't fully functioning but I do wonder if this anomaly is increasing. I am one of 6 sisters; 41-70, two cannot have children. I have 3 daughters; 41 to 46, two cannot have children. That seems a high percentage.
The medical community has been saying for years that fertility rates are declining. The scientific community has been speculating that it could be a result of pollution, especially plastics chemicals.
Load More Replies... I wish people have fewer children; it's overpopulation in poor countries and overconsumption in rich countries, the environmental devastation inthe entire world.
Why have children when there isn't the time to enjoy them? Working too much ,no real maternity leave . It's just going to be a guilt trip about how you're not present enough.
Another diabolical US situation, once considered the greatest country on Earth by many. It is not that bad in Europe yet (lived in several countries) but we're getting there. Telltale sign: insane property prices in cities. I've seen a 10 to 100 times price increase in 25 years in Prague, depending on the city part. 100 times: ruins that once sold for 300K CZK fetch now, after renovation, 30M CZK. Who can afford this? Well, apparently some can. An average 100m2 house can be anywhere between 5 an 15 M CZK. So those owners will be paying most of their lives - but renting will cost monthly even more.
I applaud people who are self aware enough to know they would not or do not want to make good parents. Money is a factor, but not the only factor. My great grandparents raised my grandparents through the Great Depression and successfully so. I delayed having children, but they were worth the wait. Having children is not about you the parent, it is about the children becoming independent and responsible adults.
When the world is burning and the rich are killing each other over the last dusty bottles of Perrier, I will stand on the hot sands and scream into the boiling ocean "I AM THE LAST OF MY TRIBE. DO YOUR CHILDREN TASTE DELICIOUS, KAREN? DO THEY!?"
What annoys me is countries that don't take care of our planet and then we other ones have to be extra extra careful. And even then we will be screwed if THEY don't change their ways! Infuriating.
No wonder kids worry about stuff when we're educating them. Look at all the stress worries we throw at them
Load More Replies... Bored Pandians are hypocrites. They whine about Disney posts every other week, and then they love anti-child posts.
I have never seen a "why i don't want pets" post
Load More Replies... No one in their right mind would bring kids into this F'd up planet now.
No it isn’t. A narcissist’s dream would be to have kids to blame and hold responsible.
Load More Replies... I- just- I-. I don't know what to say anymore. I think that we truly have the potential to do good and I think the best thing to fix the world is us. It hurts to see how we've given up on ourselves. These posts make me feel like a nuisance to my parents and a nuisance to humanity. I should have avoided this. All I want to do is help, but it seems like the best way to do so is not to have kids. Which I do want.
The vast majority of parents see their children as a blessing not a nuisance. Obviously I don't know your parents, but please don't allow an article like this to skew how you see yourself, your relationship to your parents or the world. Personally I'm the mother of three young children. While I understand why other people might choose differently I am exceptionally grateful to have my children in my life. Parenthood makes my life more difficult in some ways, but exponentially richer in many others. It is my hope that I can raise good humans who will help make the world a better place. It is also my belief that the current generation of young people (gen z) are going to do great things to change the world.
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