New headlines (sorry, not, Vance you’re fighting a losing battle). “Seattle area ranks No. 1 for child-free couples with dogs or cats.” For those who can’t get the link here it is in a nutshell. “And as it turns out, Seattle is the nation's capital for young married couples with no kids but with a dog or cat. In the Seattle metro area, 13.5% of the 18- to 49-year-olds are married people with a dog or cat but no kids. That ranks No. 1 among the 50 largest U.S. metro areas. The item was a long one and Mr. Vance needs to hear the term is NOT childless but childFREE!
I am one (first) of seven (yes, my dad was a Catholic convert) but after so many kids and grandkids (I have 1 daughter) mom told me the anytime a new kid comes along she says if they don’t have fur and a tail she’s not interested.
The article in the Times did say that the number of childfree couple is rising but there are sites promoting the childfree movement. Even the Oprah Daily (I had no idea there was such a rag) had an item. [oprahdaily.com]
An item in the LA Times, Opinion: I chose to be child free. (The correct response is ‘Congratulations!’ ), mentioned: Even though 44% of adults surveyed in 2021 said they are unlikely to have children, society pushes baby-making, still viewing motherhood as a woman’s primary role. Some people even feel moral outrage toward those who choose to be child free, according to a 2017 study. The pope called us selfish and Elon Musk went as far as suggesting we lose our right to vote. The Supreme Court eliminated the federal right to abortion while some states are limiting access to certain forms of birth control, all but forcing some women to have children.
The pressure to procreate comes from so many directions I’m considering pitching a “Walking Dead” spinoff where the child free are the living and everyone else are zombies trying to turn us. But it’s a comedy so no one dies, except on the inside.
As someone raised by an Afghan Muslim father and a white Christian mother, I can tell you firsthand the desire for grandchildren transcends culture and religion. By not giving them, I am the honorary brown sheep of the family. When my husband and I reached three years of marriage and had nothing to show for it but happiness, his parents even staged an intervention.
My mom-friends often confide in me the inequities of motherhood — how the childcare duties fall mostly on them and their bodies have shifted to the side and down. They lament the loss of time for personal, career or creative pursuits of their own. So, when I told one friend in an uncertain whisper that I wasn’t planning to have children, I was shocked by her reaction: “Telling people you don’t want kids is like telling people you’re vegan. It’s not about your healthy choices. It’s about making other people feel bad about their choices.” And then she prayed I’d change my mind because having kids is the best.
I promise she’s not a monster. She’s a zombie, and that’s just what zombies do.”
[seattletimes.com]
Some, who know me, know how dedicated to the science of population demographics. This is a movement we desperately need as our exponentially increasing numbers are literally destroying us and this fact is clearly seen in the loss of species, climate change and politics.
The #1 most common reason women are foregoing having children is they cannot afford to have them. Between the obvious up front medical costs you have housing cost increases, food, child care, even diapers cost a small fortune these days. Republicans want women to have children but they want to cut people's salaries and medical care (both access and affordability refuse to help families with these costs. So they have come up with what they consider a solution.... Force women to have children they cannot afford and then let them starve...
This has been an issue from the very beginning. During the hunter gatherer times indigenous people understood the limit to their numbers and practiced infanticide to stabilize their numbers. Now we blame politicians.
It's definitely a method of control that has nothing to do with sacred embryos. People with no other choices will accept any crumb given them and they figure theres a lot farther they can push the working class ... including a child labor force. They've already lowered restrictions in a number of states so kids can work more and longer hours from a younger age. P25 aims to remove those restrictions altogether
Both my grown children are married and have not had children. My son and his wife have two dogs who are my grandfurbabies! I have fun with them when I go visit. Both my son and my daughter in law have made the decision to not have children and I'm happy for them, it's their life and they do what they know is best for them.
My daughter and her husband haven't had any children. He does have a son from a previous relationship and so far my daughter is good with that. Her step son and her have a good relationship, they play, joke, and talk to one another, no weird feelings between the two. I'm happy with it, he's a cute kid and enjoy spending time with him too! Whatever they decide, I'll be happy for them! My daughter already has two kitties who are my grandfurbabies too, I spoil them so whenever I go visit they start to cry and just want to be with me! I take them treats and food to eat, as I do with my grand puppies.
Well at least you don't have a stepmom porn thing going on in the family.... probably not a lot of other families in Texas can say the same.
@Lizard_of_Ahaz My daughter's brother in law has been bugging me to have some kind of affair behind everyone's back! He's so hot but he's not worth losing respect from the family, especially from my daughter! Lol!!!
I would never shame someone for making a decision that was truly their choice but I agree that the societal pressures are great - as great as that to get married. I'm glad to see the younger generations combating both of those pressures.
I'm not anti-children and I love being a mother. As a single parent I raised one bio child and four whose parents, for differing reasons, couldn't do it themselves. I had no trouble with any of them and they've brought me tremendous joy and satisfaction. Only one of them has had a child and I would be greatly surprised if two of them ever did.
That said, I would gander that at least half of the parents I know should never have become parents at all, and that people who've populated according to tradition, religion, etc., have done more damage to the world with their frustration and resentment than we'll be able to rectify in the next 100 years. People who don't have the inclination, stamina, or lifestyle to raise children shouldn't ... and should be able to say so without criticizing those who do.
I've never regretted not having had kids, and my older sister is the same, but my other two siblings did have kids, for whatever reasons. I have never questioned or judged them for it, tho I'm pretty sure they have me...
@TomMcGiverin I'm glad you've never regretted it, and I hope your sibs can eventually see your satisfaction with your life as a reason to back off of their opinions. Men have a bit more latitude with changing their minds but at a certain point they should see it as an unreasonable expectation.
michelle666gar When I first joined ZPG (Zero Population Growth) we were the only one I knew of that had activities for ages pre-school to college level. One of the female board members was from a wealthy part of the city and often spoke to middle class women about their choice of reducing their fertility rates (this woman wanted to have a large family but when she and her husband learned of ZPG they limited it to the 2 sons they already had). This woman went on to earn an award fro national in giving out an average of an activity a day for over a year. Many of the middle and upper class women said they agreed but, in doing so, it would mean the lower classes and immigrants (which has been shown to be true) would be gaining in population and influence. This sounds racist but there are reasoned based arguments for reducing all our numbers.
Unfortunately, taking away the abortion option simply means more people become parents that are unfit or unable to support those kids. The anti-abortionists complain that when the population goes down we lose chances for more Einsteins (geniuses) to come among us and our tax base goes down. I sent a letter to one politician who complained of the later and reminded him this country had the highest population ever yet we still have major financial problems. Of course no reply. All this hyperbole gives a heightened meaning to grasping at straws.
What about Texas? People are very proud of their Lone Star State or say country. They think it is a country with own militia army and they can defeat the UN.
The Bush dynasty sycophants have named the newest shiny building in the Austin Capitol Complex after George HW Bush, they named the Houston airport after him and as soon as the GW Bush is dead in Dallas, they will freaking name the Dallas airport after him.... just like they do it in 3rd world countries.
@St-Sinner Texass!!!
@michelle666gar Thank you. I'm from Dallass Texass.
@michelle666gar I was going to kick Texass many years ago but he did not stick around.
If no one had kids we would not be here. I have 2 grown daughters so don't worry about kids too much. If I do get visitors that have kids I cannot wait until they are gone. No playing, running or jumping in the house and if you send them outside they are probably throwing rocks or something. My mother used to remind me that I was a child once but some people say I act like an old man. Been acting that way for a long time now. My ex had a friend with a child who had a screwdriver and we had expensive furniture. You could not make him put it down. They came over once and I could see that boy's hand moving around with that screwdriver and he was setting on our couch. I sent screwdriver boy out on the porch. He cried. His mom said she would be responsible but what would we get if the kid poked that couch? Maybe an "I'm sorry."
We constantly hear of extremes. Have a lot of kids or none. We need a balance and it is said 2 for replacement and 1 for ones future (perhaps). Now it is said (truth) that the best thing one can do for the environment is to have no kids. The population of Japan (and China) have dropped precipitously and yet, in Japan, homes have become more affordable and food more plentiful. The economy is still thriving and the only thing that is growing is energy consumption due to the use of robots. I did a post with the Overpopulation Program on this item.