Millennial women are saying no thanks to parenthood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mormons are overwhelmingly politically conservative but have the highest rate of mental illness in the country.

https://www.abc4.com/news/utah-has-the-highest-rate-of-mental-health-illness-in-the-u-s/amp/

No, that’s not true. LDS folks just access mental health resources better and more than others.

Please provide backup for this statement.

LDS has a list of approved LDS therapists. The church will pay for it or subsidize therapy.

[Anonymous]

My DDs, DS, and SS probably won’t have kids although they all say they would want to under better circumstances. The world is just such a dumpster fire though.

I’m just planning to support my kids in leading rich lives without children of their own. Some of that involves reminding them to maintain strong social networks. Friends, a faith community perhaps. An aunt recently died alone at 87 with no friends and only me, my mom, and a nephew as personal contacts in her phone book. Everyone else was someone paid to interact with her. As she aged, she let friendships wither. We are unsure how to proceed with a service to memorialize her.

[Anonymous]

The baby maker in our family (me) is also the higher paid spouse. So one and done it was. The recession hit millennials right as they were getting out of grad school and college, not a coincidence. We got totally screwed. We did buy our first homes with super low interest rates though.

I wish we had been able to afford a second child back in 2012, but we were dual gs-12s and austerity policies meant no raises for years. Childcare for two was out of reach, there was no maternity leave, and no telework. Younger millennials may have had more choices but we really didn’t. I could have another now, but I’m 40 and my first is in middle school. No way. Planning for college now.

[Anonymous]

Brats. The me generation.

[Anonymous]

Nobody needs to be a parent.

Unless they TRULY want to be, better not to be.

Does it make you a "better" person? Hell yes.
It' makes you more well rounded, less selfish, more responsible and stronger. Does it matter? Hell no. You don't need a family to be happy and you don't need kids to make you whole. You have to want kids because it's a nightmare otherwise.

Also, I'm not sure why we need 10 billion human beings alive on earth? So we have fewer people, so what? Seriously, I think those alive would be WAY happier as a result.

[Anonymous]

Conservatives wants submissive women. Look how they talk about women, like things

[Anonymous]

Why? Conservatives Boomers are leaving a more fuked up world for their future generations because those old fks don't believe in climate change and don't believe in helping the people with more social programs, more funds for public school, mental health, approachable healthcare.

Houses are too high, people are waiting to have kids later and not soon. Thank you booomers

[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.

Not my wife. She’s a SAHM who is an excellent mother to our children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We'll see what they think of their decision in 40 years when they end up in a nursing home with no kids or family to visit.

Agreed. Favorite quote from a mom of 4 - “I want someone to watch me die.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cost of raising a child today is much higher than 30-40 years ago in inflation adjusted dollars. For child care thru college it could be twice as much.

So is paying for college today vs 30-40 yrs ago yet people are still sending their kids to college.

I mean, I didn’t even think about this when we chose to have kids. Expense yes, and were we “ready”, but not a comparison of child care costs generationally.

[Anonymous]

They're one and done, sounds like sadness and regret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The baby maker in our family (me) is also the higher paid spouse. So one and done it was. The recession hit millennials right as they were getting out of grad school and college, not a coincidence. We got totally screwed. We did buy our first homes with super low interest rates though.

I wish we had been able to afford a second child back in 2012, but we were dual gs-12s and austerity policies meant no raises for years. Childcare for two was out of reach, there was no maternity leave, and no telework. Younger millennials may have had more choices but we really didn’t. I could have another now, but I’m 40 and my first is in middle school. No way. Planning for college now.

Assuming you mean the recession in the early 2000s, there was a similar length recession in the early 1990s which affected a lot of we Gen Xers’ job prospects when we graduated college. And the recessions of the early 2000s and late 2000s hit when many of us were deciding whether to have a child and/or more children. Again I am Gen X and most of my peers had their children born in that decade. So I don’t think the answer is nearly as simple as you are making out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The baby maker in our family (me) is also the higher paid spouse. So one and done it was. The recession hit millennials right as they were getting out of grad school and college, not a coincidence. We got totally screwed. We did buy our first homes with super low interest rates though.

I wish we had been able to afford a second child back in 2012, but we were dual gs-12s and austerity policies meant no raises for years. Childcare for two was out of reach, there was no maternity leave, and no telework. Younger millennials may have had more choices but we really didn’t. I could have another now, but I’m 40 and my first is in middle school. No way. Planning for college now.

Assuming you mean the recession in the early 2000s, there was a similar length recession in the early 1990s which affected a lot of we Gen Xers’ job prospects when we graduated college. And the recessions of the early 2000s and late 2000s hit when many of us were deciding whether to have a child and/or more children. Again I am Gen X and most of my peers had their children born in that decade. So I don’t think the answer is nearly as simple as you are making out.

Sounds like they made an educated choice. So many times we’ve heard “only have children you can afford,” but then we do that, we’re called selfish? Can’t have it both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The baby maker in our family (me) is also the higher paid spouse. So one and done it was. The recession hit millennials right as they were getting out of grad school and college, not a coincidence. We got totally screwed. We did buy our first homes with super low interest rates though.

I wish we had been able to afford a second child back in 2012, but we were dual gs-12s and austerity policies meant no raises for years. Childcare for two was out of reach, there was no maternity leave, and no telework. Younger millennials may have had more choices but we really didn’t. I could have another now, but I’m 40 and my first is in middle school. No way. Planning for college now.

Assuming you mean the recession in the early 2000s, there was a similar length recession in the early 1990s which affected a lot of we Gen Xers’ job prospects when we graduated college. And the recessions of the early 2000s and late 2000s hit when many of us were deciding whether to have a child and/or more children. Again I am Gen X and most of my peers had their children born in that decade. So I don’t think the answer is nearly as simple as you are making out.

+1. I think the problem is worse in expensive cities. My millenial sister left this area for a lower COL area because she knew she wanted multiple kids and couldn't afford them here. She lives outside of Charlotte.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody needs to be a parent.

Unless they TRULY want to be, better not to be.

Does it make you a "better" person? Hell yes.
It' makes you more well rounded, less selfish, more responsible and stronger. Does it matter? Hell no. You don't need a family to be happy and you don't need kids to make you whole. You have to want kids because it's a nightmare otherwise.

Also, I'm not sure why we need 10 billion human beings alive on earth? So we have fewer people, so what? Seriously, I think those alive would be WAY happier as a result.

This may have been true for you, but it sure isn’t true for every parent - many are selfish addicted neglectful abusive etc. and hurt their kids more than help them. Many such parents have raised monsters who preyed on society in one way or another.

Conversely there are a great many people who never have children yet somehow managed to be very well rounded, selfless, strong and responsible. Many great contributors to human culture and scientific advancement have been childless people.

Please stop with the whole narrative that breeding, a basic biological function of nearly every living organism, confers moral superiority. It does not.