Because they have created a world where people cannot afford to switch the heating on or fill up their cars. Let alone raise a child.
They’re not? I feel like everybody but me has a kid.
The idea that people should have more children for the good of the country is borderline fascism.
Having less children is one thing we can do to address climate change that doesn’t require miraculous new scientific discoveries or social upheaval.
We will get over the temporary problem of having an elderly population, it is a drastically better option than that propose by the ‘it will level off at eleven billion’ brigade. Or, worse, the ‘population reduction is racist’ one.
**Edit**: as there’s some hostility to my use of the word ‘fascism’ here, I will remind you that staying home, providing a well kept home for their husbands and having children, plural, was the expected role of women in Nazi Germany. The ‘Law for the Encouragement of Marriage’ created rewards for having large families.
The Nazi policy on population was to expand quickly, so that Germany would have more men to serve as soldiers and in the workforce so that a larger German population would be able to expand into the ‘living ~~breathing~~ room’ they would eventually acquire.
It is a key aspect of fascism that individual interest be put aside for the good of the nation.
**Edit Again**: Since this still remains a controversial use of a word.
>Women’s rights suffered a setback under the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini, with fascist ideology dictating procreation as a woman’s duty.[10] A series of laws tried to force Italian women back to their roles of wives and mothers.
That’s two examples of fascist governments that reduced or attempted to reduce women’s roles to having and caring for children. You can find a third in Spain under Franco, It is a common trait of fascist governments that women’s primary role is expected to be as mothers.
Why would I bring a child into the world when I can’t guarantee them a safe and happy life?
—
Plus there’s plenty of unwanted kids out there. If I’m ever in a position where I can look after a child then I’ll adopt a rescue.
They are too expensive and the cost of living makes it very very hard.
Sadly horrible world to bring children into. Climate change, unaffordable housing/rent and corporate greed makes me incredibly sad.
Well one of the factors is that young adults have to move to cities for work and opportunity, where a large proportion of their income is extracted by rent seekers.
Most of the people around my age who stayed in my hometown, had kids and got married before they turned 30.
[deleted]
I’m still at level one of this stage, trying to get a gf
NHS cuts resulted in misdiagnosis of endometriosis for IBS for 10 years and it ravaged my ovaries.
Anyone else?😅
I’ve met kids. They’re fucking horrendous. No thanks mate, that ain’t for me.
The world is already awful and it’s only going to get worse very quickly. I’m in my late 30s and I think I’ll probably live to see shit *really* hit the fan. You’d have to be a complete idiot or a selfish idiot to bring a child into this world. To create a life that has to deal with this stuff is one of the most cruel things a person can legally do.
My guess is people aren’t bothered. I’m 36 and not bothered. Though I get tired of all my mates going oh chap once you have a kid it all changes and it’s the best thing ever.
I’m like fuck off. I’m really not bothered. I’m happy for you but everyone doesn’t need to have kids.
There seem to be a lot of people still having kids, maternity wards are packed, midwives are overstretched, schools are packed and some kids can’t even find places.
Not enough money + horrible world to bring them in
Because we have somehow managed to create a society that almost aggressively works against people having children.
What, you mean the people that have been continuously berated about not having kids they can’t afford? Why are those people not having kids? Goodness, that’s a tricky one and no mistake….
I eat 2 meals a day and that’s only because I didn’t pay some of my bills.
Because we cannot fucking afford it.
End of discussion.
Tim Westwood had a kid.
At least that’s what I heard earlier today.
Hahahahaha. Because we don’t want to produce more wage slaves for the elite to exploit. Oh, and we are running out of resources, and the resources we do need to maintain this pyramid scheme will kill us and the planet.
Because it’s too expensive. Would’ve loved kids; never been in a position financially to have them.
We don’t have the time, the job security, the stability or the money. They will live with you into their 40s. It costs the same per hour for childcare as the average job pays.
Because we’ve hit the carrying capacity of our environment in our country from artificial means (capitalism and shitty government). Which means that people will stop having children because there are less resources to go around, which the population will drop until it reaches a new equilibrium.
I’m 30 and childless with my and my partner family asking sometimes:
-it’s expensive, childcare costs are insane in the UK
-we are unable to give our children the same opportunities as we had as children, it makes you feel like a failure
-it’s a massive hassle and complete change of lifestyle, as the society is more and more individualistic there’s less appetite for that
-Last but not least- in our case we’d need better care from the NHS, pregnancy ain’t a joke and serious medical care is needed, but we cannot see it happening and only saw health service deteriorate over the years
Probably because we’re all going to fucking die in 20-30 years because of our own actions and bringing kids into this world will be fucking demented suicide
Regarding the cost of living, I was wondering about this in relation to past generations. To what I can tell, the late 1940s & 1950s were still extremely lean years yet we still experienced a surge in the number of births.
My partner & I spent most of our 20s studying or training, only to spend several more years into our 30s earning entry level salaries whilst building careers in our profession. We never really had a chance to start saving for a deposit until past age 30, leaving an ever-narrowing window to have children. At this rate I don’t think we’ll have kids at all.
It is quite funny that only the other year the right wing press were bemoaning benefits, including child benefit being too high. Now, they moan about ‘the great replacement’ and all that nonsense.
Make your mind up guys! Either give people more income, or quit moaning about the consequences.
Choice between living an alright life with no kids.
Or a life counting the pennies and stressed for many many years.
I’m ok thanks x
1) I don’t like them.
2) They cost too much effort/time/money.
3) I like doing what I want, when I want.
4) It means I do more for the environment than anyone with kids could ever do.
There are some seriously spicy, and edgy replies here. I question how many people replying are actually in a position where they are able to consider having kids.
For me – in my early thirties, living in london on a good salary, it’s priorities. I’ve always been against having kids whilst living in a flat, not just because of the noise for neighbours, but also I want to buy a house. We’ve saved for three years, I want the best possible environment to raise kids in without worrying about being trapped in a flat financially.
I think this is definitely the defining factor for us, cost of living. Things are way more expensive relatively compared to our parents, so at least for me – I wouldn’t want to have kids until I’m financially secure enough to do so. (I know I’m fortunate In that regard)
My girlfriend and I both have mental health issues and don’t want to risk passing it onto a child, plus I don’t want to have to wait till I’m in my 50’s to be able to have a non family holiday like my parents did.
Very simple. People cant afford it. Most nursery’s charge £250+ per week to take care of your child while you work and we don’t have the same access to affordable or council housing as our parents and grandparents had.
My parents bought their council house for 17k. They then sold it a few years later for 70k.
They used that money to buy a 5 bedroom house for 100k.
Bring back those sort of economics and there will be another baby boom.
“If you can’t afford them, don’t have kids.”
“Ok.”
“Why isn’t anyone having kids?!”
I just hate them. They’re annoying, smelly, stressful and expensive. Don’t see much joy or reward and just spend 18+ years waiting for them to fuck off.
Also, the world is a more miserable place by the day. Wouldn’t feel right forcing someone else to live in it when I’m already terrified for my own future.
Because I live in an era and country where I get to make the choice to not have kids. I’ve never wanted them and I am so grateful that I get to live a childfree life. I love all of my niblings down to my bones, and I am happy to be part of the village that has a hand in their development but having kids is not a choice I would make.
Hmmmm I can have 3 holidays a year, loads of time for hobbies, invest money and retire early.
Or I can have a kid and have my partner stop working / go part time or pay nearly my mortgage in child care while we struggle through to provide for the child before pushing it into a world that will probably have a 11 pound minimum wage and a starter house costing 300k or somet daft.
Wow hard choice
Just don’t want to.
I know that for some people it’s a financial issue, and that’s really sad for them, but there are also people (like my husband and I) who could become multi-millionaires tomorrow and still just wouldn’t want to have kids. And thankfully we live in an era when we have the choice.
We have MP vote against free school dinner so I don’t really think they care about people have or not have kids.
Got better shit to do with my time than raise a kid.
Also, they are expensive.
Why the fuck would I voluntarily sign up to looking after another human being and paying for all their shit for two decades? It’s an insane idea.
Rephrase that question to “Why are people having kids?” I genuinely want to know lol
As a general sweeping statement “we need kids for the economic well-being of the country” seems a reasonable enough proposition.
On an individual basis it’s horrifying. “You should create wage slaves so they can pay for your care later in life.”
No thanks, I’ll just use all the money I don’t spend on kids to minimise my burden on the state. That and the parental leave we don’t take.
I also don’t think the UK or the world is a better place than it was at the time of the great recession, that’s 15 years with no improvement. That doesn’t convince me it will be better in another 15 as my potential kids grow up.
Everyday perfectly reasonable desires are getting out of reach of many people.
Mental health is declining. Physical health is declining.
Automation will take over vast swathes of jobs, I’ve not seen much to suggest anyone is concerned about what the workers do then.
Food quality is getting worse.
Politics is lurching to the right.
Almost all public sector services are in decline.
Many situations could be helped with higher tax but most can’t afford more tax. The people won’t vote in someone who will raise taxes on those that can afford it.
Too expensive. Too time consuming. No support. Pregnancy and childbirth are still dangerous and painful, not to mention having lasting effect on the body.
Make it safer, more affordable, and offer more support, people may consider it.
Daycare in France costs about €80 a month with food. In Poland £90. In Norway it is capped at €300. In my area of Cumbria daycare would cost about £1100 pounds a month. Need I say more?
Because I’m 31 and at no point in my life have I thought “you know what would improve my life right now? Having something that costs a literal fortune that deprives my sleep, ruins my routine and means I have to stretch the limits of what my boss will let me get away with”.
46 comments
Because they have created a world where people cannot afford to switch the heating on or fill up their cars. Let alone raise a child.
They’re not? I feel like everybody but me has a kid.
The idea that people should have more children for the good of the country is borderline fascism.
Having less children is one thing we can do to address climate change that doesn’t require miraculous new scientific discoveries or social upheaval.
We will get over the temporary problem of having an elderly population, it is a drastically better option than that propose by the ‘it will level off at eleven billion’ brigade. Or, worse, the ‘population reduction is racist’ one.
**Edit**: as there’s some hostility to my use of the word ‘fascism’ here, I will remind you that staying home, providing a well kept home for their husbands and having children, plural, was the expected role of women in Nazi Germany. The ‘Law for the Encouragement of Marriage’ created rewards for having large families.
The Nazi policy on population was to expand quickly, so that Germany would have more men to serve as soldiers and in the workforce so that a larger German population would be able to expand into the ‘living ~~breathing~~ room’ they would eventually acquire.
It is a key aspect of fascism that individual interest be put aside for the good of the nation.
**Edit Again**: Since this still remains a controversial use of a word.
>Women’s rights suffered a setback under the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini, with fascist ideology dictating procreation as a woman’s duty.[10] A series of laws tried to force Italian women back to their roles of wives and mothers.
That’s two examples of fascist governments that reduced or attempted to reduce women’s roles to having and caring for children. You can find a third in Spain under Franco, It is a common trait of fascist governments that women’s primary role is expected to be as mothers.
Why would I bring a child into the world when I can’t guarantee them a safe and happy life?
—
Plus there’s plenty of unwanted kids out there. If I’m ever in a position where I can look after a child then I’ll adopt a rescue.
They are too expensive and the cost of living makes it very very hard.
Sadly horrible world to bring children into. Climate change, unaffordable housing/rent and corporate greed makes me incredibly sad.
Well one of the factors is that young adults have to move to cities for work and opportunity, where a large proportion of their income is extracted by rent seekers.
Most of the people around my age who stayed in my hometown, had kids and got married before they turned 30.
[deleted]
I’m still at level one of this stage, trying to get a gf
NHS cuts resulted in misdiagnosis of endometriosis for IBS for 10 years and it ravaged my ovaries.
Anyone else?😅
I’ve met kids. They’re fucking horrendous. No thanks mate, that ain’t for me.
The world is already awful and it’s only going to get worse very quickly. I’m in my late 30s and I think I’ll probably live to see shit *really* hit the fan. You’d have to be a complete idiot or a selfish idiot to bring a child into this world. To create a life that has to deal with this stuff is one of the most cruel things a person can legally do.
My guess is people aren’t bothered. I’m 36 and not bothered. Though I get tired of all my mates going oh chap once you have a kid it all changes and it’s the best thing ever.
I’m like fuck off. I’m really not bothered. I’m happy for you but everyone doesn’t need to have kids.
There seem to be a lot of people still having kids, maternity wards are packed, midwives are overstretched, schools are packed and some kids can’t even find places.
Not enough money + horrible world to bring them in
Because we have somehow managed to create a society that almost aggressively works against people having children.
What, you mean the people that have been continuously berated about not having kids they can’t afford? Why are those people not having kids? Goodness, that’s a tricky one and no mistake….
I eat 2 meals a day and that’s only because I didn’t pay some of my bills.
Because we cannot fucking afford it.
End of discussion.
Tim Westwood had a kid.
At least that’s what I heard earlier today.
Hahahahaha. Because we don’t want to produce more wage slaves for the elite to exploit. Oh, and we are running out of resources, and the resources we do need to maintain this pyramid scheme will kill us and the planet.
Because it’s too expensive. Would’ve loved kids; never been in a position financially to have them.
We don’t have the time, the job security, the stability or the money. They will live with you into their 40s. It costs the same per hour for childcare as the average job pays.
Because we’ve hit the carrying capacity of our environment in our country from artificial means (capitalism and shitty government). Which means that people will stop having children because there are less resources to go around, which the population will drop until it reaches a new equilibrium.
I’m 30 and childless with my and my partner family asking sometimes:
-it’s expensive, childcare costs are insane in the UK
-we are unable to give our children the same opportunities as we had as children, it makes you feel like a failure
-it’s a massive hassle and complete change of lifestyle, as the society is more and more individualistic there’s less appetite for that
-Last but not least- in our case we’d need better care from the NHS, pregnancy ain’t a joke and serious medical care is needed, but we cannot see it happening and only saw health service deteriorate over the years
Probably because we’re all going to fucking die in 20-30 years because of our own actions and bringing kids into this world will be fucking demented suicide
Regarding the cost of living, I was wondering about this in relation to past generations. To what I can tell, the late 1940s & 1950s were still extremely lean years yet we still experienced a surge in the number of births.
My partner & I spent most of our 20s studying or training, only to spend several more years into our 30s earning entry level salaries whilst building careers in our profession. We never really had a chance to start saving for a deposit until past age 30, leaving an ever-narrowing window to have children. At this rate I don’t think we’ll have kids at all.
It is quite funny that only the other year the right wing press were bemoaning benefits, including child benefit being too high. Now, they moan about ‘the great replacement’ and all that nonsense.
Make your mind up guys! Either give people more income, or quit moaning about the consequences.
Choice between living an alright life with no kids.
Or a life counting the pennies and stressed for many many years.
I’m ok thanks x
1) I don’t like them.
2) They cost too much effort/time/money.
3) I like doing what I want, when I want.
4) It means I do more for the environment than anyone with kids could ever do.
There are some seriously spicy, and edgy replies here. I question how many people replying are actually in a position where they are able to consider having kids.
For me – in my early thirties, living in london on a good salary, it’s priorities. I’ve always been against having kids whilst living in a flat, not just because of the noise for neighbours, but also I want to buy a house. We’ve saved for three years, I want the best possible environment to raise kids in without worrying about being trapped in a flat financially.
I think this is definitely the defining factor for us, cost of living. Things are way more expensive relatively compared to our parents, so at least for me – I wouldn’t want to have kids until I’m financially secure enough to do so. (I know I’m fortunate In that regard)
My girlfriend and I both have mental health issues and don’t want to risk passing it onto a child, plus I don’t want to have to wait till I’m in my 50’s to be able to have a non family holiday like my parents did.
Very simple. People cant afford it. Most nursery’s charge £250+ per week to take care of your child while you work and we don’t have the same access to affordable or council housing as our parents and grandparents had.
My parents bought their council house for 17k. They then sold it a few years later for 70k.
They used that money to buy a 5 bedroom house for 100k.
Bring back those sort of economics and there will be another baby boom.
“If you can’t afford them, don’t have kids.”
“Ok.”
“Why isn’t anyone having kids?!”
I just hate them. They’re annoying, smelly, stressful and expensive. Don’t see much joy or reward and just spend 18+ years waiting for them to fuck off.
Also, the world is a more miserable place by the day. Wouldn’t feel right forcing someone else to live in it when I’m already terrified for my own future.
Because I live in an era and country where I get to make the choice to not have kids. I’ve never wanted them and I am so grateful that I get to live a childfree life. I love all of my niblings down to my bones, and I am happy to be part of the village that has a hand in their development but having kids is not a choice I would make.
Hmmmm I can have 3 holidays a year, loads of time for hobbies, invest money and retire early.
Or I can have a kid and have my partner stop working / go part time or pay nearly my mortgage in child care while we struggle through to provide for the child before pushing it into a world that will probably have a 11 pound minimum wage and a starter house costing 300k or somet daft.
Wow hard choice
Just don’t want to.
I know that for some people it’s a financial issue, and that’s really sad for them, but there are also people (like my husband and I) who could become multi-millionaires tomorrow and still just wouldn’t want to have kids. And thankfully we live in an era when we have the choice.
We have MP vote against free school dinner so I don’t really think they care about people have or not have kids.
Got better shit to do with my time than raise a kid.
Also, they are expensive.
Why the fuck would I voluntarily sign up to looking after another human being and paying for all their shit for two decades? It’s an insane idea.
Rephrase that question to “Why are people having kids?” I genuinely want to know lol
As a general sweeping statement “we need kids for the economic well-being of the country” seems a reasonable enough proposition.
On an individual basis it’s horrifying. “You should create wage slaves so they can pay for your care later in life.”
No thanks, I’ll just use all the money I don’t spend on kids to minimise my burden on the state. That and the parental leave we don’t take.
I also don’t think the UK or the world is a better place than it was at the time of the great recession, that’s 15 years with no improvement. That doesn’t convince me it will be better in another 15 as my potential kids grow up.
The NHS has been going downhill for a long time.
Climate change isn’t improving, it’s getting worse.
The wealth gap is increasing.
Everyday essentials are increasingly expensive.
Everyday perfectly reasonable desires are getting out of reach of many people.
Mental health is declining. Physical health is declining.
Automation will take over vast swathes of jobs, I’ve not seen much to suggest anyone is concerned about what the workers do then.
Food quality is getting worse.
Politics is lurching to the right.
Almost all public sector services are in decline.
Many situations could be helped with higher tax but most can’t afford more tax. The people won’t vote in someone who will raise taxes on those that can afford it.
Too expensive. Too time consuming. No support. Pregnancy and childbirth are still dangerous and painful, not to mention having lasting effect on the body.
Make it safer, more affordable, and offer more support, people may consider it.
Daycare in France costs about €80 a month with food. In Poland £90. In Norway it is capped at €300. In my area of Cumbria daycare would cost about £1100 pounds a month. Need I say more?
Because I’m 31 and at no point in my life have I thought “you know what would improve my life right now? Having something that costs a literal fortune that deprives my sleep, ruins my routine and means I have to stretch the limits of what my boss will let me get away with”.