Millennial women are saying no thanks to parenthood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

many "X" gen woman waited until their 40s. I don't think it's a "millennial" thing.

[Anonymous]

[img]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a millennial and chalked up the lack of kids to being in a high-achieving cohort. Maybe half of us have kids? The other half aren't married. I don't many that are childless by choice (as far as I know). My friends both gay and straight that are married by in large have kids usually 2-3. But I myself hit total unexplained secondary infertility at 35 so have 2 kids but am unlikely to have 3.

My husband is in the military and in his friend group we only know 2 childless by choice couples. Most men have 1 if not 2 sets of kids by different women thanks to the damage the many years in war did on their personal lives.

No, it’s not a “high achieving” thing. My sisters who are in sales also say nope to kids. It’s a racket for women right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's behind a paywall.

I just know I'm one of four millennial siblings and the only one to have kids. I supposed there's still time for my siblings to change their minds, but not much as they are approaching 40, and they are all pretty resolved not to have kids.

It's the local paper. Buy a subscription.

But yes, I think people will be facing population collapse in many areas around the world. I don't know what it will look like but I'm scared for my poor kids.

A global population collapse?!? No. There are literally millions of young Africans that will ensure global population keeps growing.

I said areas of population collapse - and yes, even with Africa, there is a predicted longterm downward trend of population for Homo sapiens.

[Anonymous]

Posting here from the Midwest. I have three neighbors with 5 kids a piece, all 10 and under. No religious affiliation at all.

That's not the norm here. 2-3 kids a family is the norm but onlys are quite rare and usually isn't by choice.

Having a number of kids on the coasts or in the big Midwest cities (okay, there's really only one) is very very hard, which is why we moved to a lower COL area with our two kids.

Cost appears to be key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a millennial and chalked up the lack of kids to being in a high-achieving cohort. Maybe half of us have kids? The other half aren't married. I don't many that are childless by choice (as far as I know). My friends both gay and straight that are married by in large have kids usually 2-3. But I myself hit total unexplained secondary infertility at 35 so have 2 kids but am unlikely to have 3.

My husband is in the military and in his friend group we only know 2 childless by choice couples. Most men have 1 if not 2 sets of kids by different women thanks to the damage the many years in war did on their personal lives.

Do you not think other generations had high achieving cohorts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

It is very obvious to me ( Gen x) Women are expected to earn and make a good living AND also be the perfect homemaker/wife/mom. Until men step up women are smart not to fall into the trap.

And stay thin and have enthusiastic sex a min of 4x a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

It is very obvious to me ( Gen x) Women are expected to earn and make a good living AND also be the perfect homemaker/wife/mom. Until men step up women are smart not to fall into the trap.

And stay thin and have enthusiastic sex a min of 4x a week.

That has been the expectation of women/wives/mistresses since time immemorial. That's nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

It is very obvious to me ( Gen x) Women are expected to earn and make a good living AND also be the perfect homemaker/wife/mom. Until men step up women are smart not to fall into the trap.

+1 another Genx woman.

I tell my teen DD to make sure to marry a man who is willing to step up at home because women cannot have it all, and to even achieve something, they need support at home.

I have two kids, but when I was younger, if I had to choose between having kids and having a career, I would choose career because I was never into having kids, though I adore the kids I do have.

Maybe if the people in power start paying attention to the declining birth rates in the next 20 years they will provide more maternity leave, provide more tax credits for kids and childcare, and provide more funding for colleges.

Colleges and childcare are the two biggest expenses.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't recommend kids to any woman who isn't 100 percent set on them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

It is very obvious to me ( Gen x) Women are expected to earn and make a good living AND also be the perfect homemaker/wife/mom. Until men step up women are smart not to fall into the trap.

And stay thin and have enthusiastic sex a min of 4x a week.

That has been the expectation of women/wives/mistresses since time immemorial. That's nothing new.

what is new is that women have to do all of the above. F* that. If women have to be all that and up their game, then so should men.

[Anonymous]

I'm a gen x'r, but most of my friends and coworkers are millennials. What I'm seeing is one and done; I'm not really seeing them not having kids. Out of my best girlfriends, they all got married in the last 6 years or so, and one has had two children and 6 of them are one and done. They mention juggling work and life, as well as expense, regarding why only one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

It is very obvious to me ( Gen x) Women are expected to earn and make a good living AND also be the perfect homemaker/wife/mom. Until men step up women are smart not to fall into the trap.

I could not agree more. I’m Gen X and we do have impossible standards. Good luck if you don’t have grandparents or other relatives living nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a millennial and chalked up the lack of kids to being in a high-achieving cohort. Maybe half of us have kids? The other half aren't married. I don't many that are childless by choice (as far as I know). My friends both gay and straight that are married by in large have kids usually 2-3. But I myself hit total unexplained secondary infertility at 35 so have 2 kids but am unlikely to have 3.

My husband is in the military and in his friend group we only know 2 childless by choice couples. Most men have 1 if not 2 sets of kids by different women thanks to the damage the many years in war did on their personal lives.

Do you not think other generations had high achieving cohorts?

I'm saying my friend group isn't representative of the whole US. So I have a skewed dataset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a millennial and chalked up the lack of kids to being in a high-achieving cohort. Maybe half of us have kids? The other half aren't married. I don't many that are childless by choice (as far as I know). My friends both gay and straight that are married by in large have kids usually 2-3. But I myself hit total unexplained secondary infertility at 35 so have 2 kids but am unlikely to have 3.

My husband is in the military and in his friend group we only know 2 childless by choice couples. Most men have 1 if not 2 sets of kids by different women thanks to the damage the many years in war did on their personal lives.

No, it’s not a “high achieving” thing. My sisters who are in sales also say nope to kids. It’s a racket for women right now.

As far as I know, I don't have friends saying no to kids. Just ones that aren't married. But I'm saying my sample is not representative of the US. Friends have plenty of wealth, some picked more stressful jobs and other choose less stressful jobs that paid well. But money isn't a factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting WAPO article -
"Millennials aren't having kids"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/03/millennials-only-children/
I love seeing the data on this. It really follows closely what I see in my personal life among my friends. What do you think are the reasons? I don't think it will turn around, millennial are rapidly approaching 40 or are already there.

It is very obvious to me ( Gen x) Women are expected to earn and make a good living AND also be the perfect homemaker/wife/mom. Until men step up women are smart not to fall into the trap.

And stay thin and have enthusiastic sex a min of 4x a week.

That has been the expectation of women/wives/mistresses since time immemorial. That's nothing new.

what is new is that women have to do all of the above. F* that. If women have to be all that and up their game, then so should men.

Many men actually do. It wouldn’t be any better if the man were stepping up but his female partner was dropping the ball.