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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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#1
Gracie Jay 4 years ago
This should be higher. So accurate, and I think there are many people in similar situations that feel the same.
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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.
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.
#11
Valisbourne Spiritforge 4 years ago
Let's not forget about inflation on top of those stagnant wages
#12
Abby Not Normal 4 years ago
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.
#13
Cynthia Bonville 4 years ago
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.
#18
C.S. E. 4 years ago
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.
#19
Arthur Waite 4 years ago
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?
#22
#23
C.S. E. 4 years ago
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.
#25
#28
Ronna Stefan 4 years ago
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.
#30
elStiJneriNO 4 years ago
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"
#31
#38
#40
WildHoneyPie 4 years ago
I was in line to pick up a uniform etc. at a job fair at our local baseball stadium last year. The majority of the jobs were part-time. The man directly in front of me was older and telling his friend how he was raising his grandkids (couldn't help but overhear). I got the impression that he wasn't too happy about that but had no choice. Also he really needed the extra income from this little part-time job with relatively few hours. Then of course the pandemic hit, no baseball! I often think about that man and his family. I hope they are doing okay...
#41
Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago
Some of us just hate children and that’s #1 why we won’t have kids. Plus being too busy and preferring vacations and sex more.
#43
Nia Loves Art 4 years ago
If you don’t want to be judged for not having kids, extend the same courtesy to those who do have them. Having children is not abuse, and the lives of children born today will likely be better than those of 99% of humans who have ever lived. Don’t have children if you don’t want, but don’t be a judgmental asshole while complaining about other people being judgmental assholes.
#47
Bettie-Jean Neal 4 years ago
My reasons why I never had kids - all of the above. And then some hard honesty... 1. they're noisy. 2. they cost a lot of money to raise. 3. I'm selfish and want all my money for ME. 4. they make a lot of messes. 5. they carry a lot of germs. 6. they're just downright annoying - the talking, the crying. 7. I just can't stand to be around them. There, I've said it. Call me a b*tch, but I don't care. I won't even date someone with kids.
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Annamagelic 4 years ago (edited)
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.
John Louis 4 years ago
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.
Jessica Shookhoff 4 years ago
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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RiaDeCaterpillar 4 years ago
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.
Gabby M 4 years ago
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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Annamagelic 4 years ago (edited)
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.
John Louis 4 years ago
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.
Jessica Shookhoff 4 years ago
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... RiaDeCaterpillar 4 years ago
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.
Gabby M 4 years ago
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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