Why are white people all around the world not having kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Since you mention it, Persians aren't having kids. They've had the most epic drop in fertility of any people ever, and it is thought that possibly more than 20% of their population is infertile.

"It is thought"? By whom?

Also, the reason the fertility drop is epic is because the fertility rate was previously so high.

By people who study the issue:
http://www.meforum.org/5000/strategic-implications-iran-std

Is there a source that isn't a think tank belonging to Daniel Pipes?

[Anonymous]

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I am 30 and know maybe 3 people who had a child at age 30 in this area. One had incredible financial support from family (bought them a house) and the other had to move from the city to the burbs into a family-owned condo. The third couple got pregnant on accident and the child had severe needs. They had to move way out into MD and the wife had to quit her job. They are barely getting by.

People means people. Not people in the DCUM demographic. People. All people.

We are talking about people in this area. It is expensive. Who cares what people in BFE do?

Thread title is "people all around the world". It includes people here, who have a low-but-not-zero number of kids, versus the people who have many kids.

Learn to read. The quoted poster I was responding to said "There are plenty of 30-year-olds in the DC area who have children."

There are plenty of people RIGHT HERE IN THE DC AREA who are not in the DCUM demographic.

"People in the DC area" does not mean "me, my friends, and my friends' friends".

You're reaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am 30 and know maybe 3 people who had a child at age 30 in this area. One had incredible financial support from family (bought them a house) and the other had to move from the city to the burbs into a family-owned condo. The third couple got pregnant on accident and the child had severe needs. They had to move way out into MD and the wife had to quit her job. They are barely getting by.

People means people. Not people in the DCUM demographic. People. All people.

We are talking about people in this area. It is expensive. Who cares what people in BFE do?

Thread title is "people all around the world". It includes people here, who have a low-but-not-zero number of kids, versus the people who have many kids.

Learn to read. The quoted poster I was responding to said "There are plenty of 30-year-olds in the DC area who have children."

There are plenty of people RIGHT HERE IN THE DC AREA who are not in the DCUM demographic.

"People in the DC area" does not mean "me, my friends, and my friends' friends".

You're reaching.

Why do you say that?

[Anonymous]

Well I know plenty of 30-31 year olds who had a child. Myself included. Now that was 6 years ago so maybe it's true that there are less 30 yr olds with kids now in this area...
One couple stayed in DC. The rest live in surrounding suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Since you mention it, Persians aren't having kids. They've had the most epic drop in fertility of any people ever, and it is thought that possibly more than 20% of their population is infertile.

"It is thought"? By whom?

Also, the reason the fertility drop is epic is because the fertility rate was previously so high.

NP. Actually, consanguinity is thought to be the reason why as many as 20% of Iranian couples cannot conceive. See, e.g., http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/17/the-islamic-republic-of-baby-making/

[Anonymous]

Short answer: Because we don't have to.

We have birth control and abortion, so we are not slaves to our reproductive organs. And we don't need kids to work the farm or take care of us in our old age.

Given the choice, many of us say "no thanks."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: And we don't need kids to work the farm or take care of us in our old age.

Yeah, we'll see about that. Don't count on it would be my advice.

Most likely the old-age care system will be broken (in the financial and every other sense) by the time the stinking boomers get through with it.

Those of us with kids at least have a backup long-term care solution in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: And we don't need kids to work the farm or take care of us in our old age.

Yeah, we'll see about that. Don't count on it would be my advice.

Most likely the old-age care system will be broken (in the financial and every other sense) by the time the stinking boomers get through with it.

Those of us with kids at least have a backup long-term care solution in place.

No- immigrants children and other less educated lower SES people will be taking care of them in their old age.

Frankly I'm grateful that you (general) have recognized that you don't want to have children and are acting accordingly. The world needs less of the "raised by caregivers to entitled spoiled uncaring parents". I'm glad my kids won't have to interact with more of that ilk. Let those of us with not just the financial, but the emotional means handle the reproduction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why are white people all around the world not having kids?

The premise is ridiculous, but I'll play.

Why am I not having kids?

1) Don't want to.
2) Can't afford to.
3) I like living in DC and can't afford to live here and give a child a proper rearing.
3) I like my life and career and don't want to change anything.
4) I don't want to give anyone else (i.e. a woman) an opportunity to ruin my life for 18+ years.

I knew some couples who felt this way. All wanted to wait until they were 35 plus. 2 couples were able to have children [1 twins, 1 single] with IVF. Another could not. Each case would have have been easier for conception/pregnancy if the start point was between 30 and 35. Many families white and AA families I know have only 1 child . Some white and AA were single moms. Whether from USA, Europe, or Africa many decide to have only 1 or 2 children based on careers and when they have the first child. Some people who have a child in their early twenties only have 1 or 2. There can be health issues unrelated to fertility/conception like Rh incompatibility.

[Anonymous]

I had my first in my late 20s...and my second in my late 30s. You're right, you never do know what will happen. My pregnancy in my late 20s was a nightmare that left me with health issues that took a long time to figure out (hashimoto's thyroiditis). I finally felt ready to TTC when our first was 4 and I was 33....then nothing happened. 3.5 years of unexplained secondary infertility later, we finally added our second when I was 37.

Health issues can happen to moms of all ages, but they are statistically more likely (as is the chance of infertility) as you get into your mid-late 30s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Many educated women just don't see the advantages of having children. Maybe if men stepped up it would be a different story.

Pick better mates. The real answer is men are tired of getting fleeced by courts in divorce and child support proceedings.

How incredibly sexist. I make just as much money as my husband, while he "fleeces" me by stealing the extra 10-15 hours a week I spent on household management that he gets to use however he wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really like kids, but I've never had the desire to have more than 1 or 2 of them. they're expensive and time-consuming, and I find that by having only one, I can still maintain some vestige of my own interests and personality.

I always suspect that some people who have a large number of kids are just not very bright, or aren't organized enough to figure out the whole birth control thing.

IME, they have nothing better to do with their lives than parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I knew some couples who felt this way. All wanted to wait until they were 35 plus. 2 couples were able to have children [1 twins, 1 single] with IVF. Another could not. Each case would have have been easier for conception/pregnancy if the start point was between 30 and 35. Many families white and AA families I know have only 1 child . Some white and AA were single moms. Whether from USA, Europe, or Africa many decide to have only 1 or 2 children based on careers and when they have the first child. Some people who have a child in their early twenties only have 1 or 2. There can be health issues unrelated to fertility/conception like Rh incompatibility.

And here are my anecdotes: everybody I know who tried to conceive between 35 and 40 did so easily.

You cannot possibly know whether it would have been easier for the conception/pregnancy if the couple had started earlier. On the population level, it might have been easier. But population statistics do not say anything about the individual person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll play. We both enjoy working, have no maternity leave, daycare is outrageous and we can't afford for one of us to stay home.

And multiply that scenario times every middle class family in America. If I could pop out a 5 year old I would happily do so.

Pop out a five year old? Huh?

To avoid daycare costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are all of you putting so much pressure on yourselves re: college? I mean, yes it's expensive, yes I'd love to be able to pay my kid's tuition, but it's not the end of the world to me if I can't. I sure as hell wouldn't let future college tuition limit family size. That's just nuts.

That's one of the two reasons we stopped at two kids. My parents paid for my college education and I wanted to do the same for my kids. Do you want your kids to have a lower standard of living that you did growing up???