Growing share of childless adults in U.S. don’t expect to ever have children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think about, purely from a financial perspective, I am doing way, way worse than my friends who did not have kids (chosen not to or just couldn't because of biology, relationships, circumstances, etc).

It is an interesting thing to see right now since I'm in the thick of it, but US society doesn't encourage having children. If anything, there are economic disincentives built into the economy. No paid leave after having a child, an expensive childcare framework that is regulated to high hell by the government (for safety reasons, is unquestionably a good thing) with no financial support of the government (which people endless dispute as to whether it is shitty or not). Tax benefits are minimal. College savings programs aren't deductible federally and student loan interest is subject to income limits that drive people out of being able to take the deductions. Factor in the caps on SALT deductions (local property taxes pay for schools and surprise, the federal government DOESN'T want to encourage this I guess) and well...here we are.

+1. Couldn't agree more.

Can we talk about this? Because this time a million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I'm a childfree woman in my early 40s. What is shallow about making the decision not to have children? You're aware there is more to life than being a parent, right? I spend time with my family and friends and love being an auntie and godmother. I love having the freedom to travel and be actively involved in volunteer opportunities. If you want kids, great, but there's no reason to insult those of us who choose a different path in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I'm a childfree woman in my early 40s. What is shallow about making the decision not to have children? You're aware there is more to life than being a parent, right? I spend time with my family and friends and love being an auntie and godmother. I love having the freedom to travel and be actively involved in volunteer opportunities. If you want kids, great, but there's no reason to insult those of us who choose a different path in life.

Honestly with some of these people you get the feeling it's all they have. They've given up every other part of life for parenthood and if they can't tell themselves that it's the only choice that matters, and that good people all make that choice, then it calls their whole existence into question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I'm a childfree woman in my early 40s. What is shallow about making the decision not to have children? You're aware there is more to life than being a parent, right? I spend time with my family and friends and love being an auntie and godmother. I love having the freedom to travel and be actively involved in volunteer opportunities. If you want kids, great, but there's no reason to insult those of us who choose a different path in life.

Honestly with some of these people you get the feeling it's all they have. They've given up every other part of life for parenthood and if they can't tell themselves that it's the only choice that matters, and that good people all make that choice, then it calls their whole existence into question.

+ a million. I am a parent myself but don't fool myself for one second thinking that I've done something great or momentous by reproducing or raising nice kids. In many ways this feels like the easy way out of actually having to do something meaningful for the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think about, purely from a financial perspective, I am doing way, way worse than my friends who did not have kids (chosen not to or just couldn't because of biology, relationships, circumstances, etc).

It is an interesting thing to see right now since I'm in the thick of it, but US society doesn't encourage having children. If anything, there are economic disincentives built into the economy. No paid leave after having a child, an expensive childcare framework that is regulated to high hell by the government (for safety reasons, is unquestionably a good thing) with no financial support of the government (which people endless dispute as to whether it is shitty or not). Tax benefits are minimal. College savings programs aren't deductible federally and student loan interest is subject to income limits that drive people out of being able to take the deductions. Factor in the caps on SALT deductions (local property taxes pay for schools and surprise, the federal government DOESN'T want to encourage this I guess) and well...here we are.

+1. Couldn't agree more.

Can we talk about this? Because this time a million.

I think this is fine because it's a bad idea to financially incentivize having children. The world is overpopulated, and we can solve labor problems through immigration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think about, purely from a financial perspective, I am doing way, way worse than my friends who did not have kids (chosen not to or just couldn't because of biology, relationships, circumstances, etc).

It is an interesting thing to see right now since I'm in the thick of it, but US society doesn't encourage having children. If anything, there are economic disincentives built into the economy. No paid leave after having a child, an expensive childcare framework that is regulated to high hell by the government (for safety reasons, is unquestionably a good thing) with no financial support of the government (which people endless dispute as to whether it is shitty or not). Tax benefits are minimal. College savings programs aren't deductible federally and student loan interest is subject to income limits that drive people out of being able to take the deductions. Factor in the caps on SALT deductions (local property taxes pay for schools and surprise, the federal government DOESN'T want to encourage this I guess) and well...here we are.

+1. Couldn't agree more.

Can we talk about this? Because this time a million.

I think this is fine because it's a bad idea to financially incentivize having children. The world is overpopulated, and we can solve labor problems through immigration.

Actually, that's not happening because immigration is politically unpopular. Part of the labor market issue (beyond the deaths associated with covid) is that immigration slowed to a trickle during Trump. No workers and here we are...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I'm a childfree woman in my early 40s. What is shallow about making the decision not to have children? You're aware there is more to life than being a parent, right? I spend time with my family and friends and love being an auntie and godmother. I love having the freedom to travel and be actively involved in volunteer opportunities. If you want kids, great, but there's no reason to insult those of us who choose a different path in life.

Honestly with some of these people you get the feeling it's all they have. They've given up every other part of life for parenthood and if they can't tell themselves that it's the only choice that matters, and that good people all make that choice, then it calls their whole existence into question.

+ a million. I am a parent myself but don't fool myself for one second thinking that I've done something great or momentous by reproducing or raising nice kids. In many ways this feels like the easy way out of actually having to do something meaningful for the world.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would rather people who don’t want all the responsibilities of having children not have them than whine and complain about how it’s not rainbows and unicorns.

+1000 lol

I don't understand why people get upset by people thinking about it realizing they don't really want to to the job and opting out.. seems like a wise and mature decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I'm a childfree woman in my early 40s. What is shallow about making the decision not to have children? You're aware there is more to life than being a parent, right? I spend time with my family and friends and love being an auntie and godmother. I love having the freedom to travel and be actively involved in volunteer opportunities. If you want kids, great, but there's no reason to insult those of us who choose a different path in life.

Honestly with some of these people you get the feeling it's all they have. They've given up every other part of life for parenthood and if they can't tell themselves that it's the only choice that matters, and that good people all make that choice, then it calls their whole existence into question.

've always thought people who make ridiculous replies like original pp are not very happy and actually insecure about their choice to be a parent.imagining the other group as miserable makes them feel less insecure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 older siblings are childless. 38 and 44. The holidays they spend watching Netflix and surfing Reddit. I am sad for them.

I feel the same way honestly. It’s a shallow way to live. I mean I don’t think people should be parents if they don’t want to be, and I’m certainly sympathetic about those who had problems getting pregnant or don’t have a partner and can’t go it alone. It’s not in the cards for everyone. But these people spend all day on frivolous pursuits. They haven’t grown up. They dote on their cats/dogs as though they are people. I don’t think it’s a healthy way for everyone to live.

I'm a childfree woman in my early 40s. What is shallow about making the decision not to have children? You're aware there is more to life than being a parent, right? I spend time with my family and friends and love being an auntie and godmother. I love having the freedom to travel and be actively involved in volunteer opportunities. If you want kids, great, but there's no reason to insult those of us who choose a different path in life.

Oh my god, yes. There's nothing like hearing "you're selfish because you didn't have kids" as if bringing a human life into the world that had no say as to whether they wanted to exist or not because YOU wanted them to exist isn't literally the most selfish thing you could possibly do.

[Anonymous]

In Germany at one point wanted to give big tax credit to German married citizens with college degrees to have kids.

[Anonymous]

You can tell just by reading this supposed mother (and father) forum that a large % of posters are childless and pretending to be parents. A couple of unhinged spinsters just exposed themselves in a random entertainment thread. I feel sorry for them. Motherhood and heirs changes you in profound ways they will NEVER understand.

[Anonymous]

Lol. Posting so proudly that you don’t want children. Posting so proudly on a site called DC Urban MOM. Weirdos. When I was childless I didn’t search out parent boards to read and post. Strange bunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol. Posting so proudly that you don’t want children. Posting so proudly on a site called DC Urban MOM. Weirdos. When I was childless I didn’t search out parent boards to read and post. Strange bunch.

+1. Idle and unhappy.

[Anonymous]

People do want children shouldn’t have children. This shouldn’t be controversial.