Posted on 02/20/2017 7:32:15 PM PST by Morgana
According to government statistics, an increasing number of women from the millennial generation are opting out when it comes to having babies. Instead, it appears theyre finding an alternative more to their liking.
Why the trend for young couples becoming child-free? And what have they found to fill the void?
Theres an important distinction to be made between a childless couple that has no control whether or not they hear the pitter patter of little feet in their home, versus others who refer to themselves child-free. The latter is an intentional lifestyle choice not to have children.
There is a trend today of young adults making the choice to go child-free, substituting bottles and diapers with leashes, pet food and pooper scoopers. Yes, a growing number are choosing dogs and cats over children.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and reported by Quartz, document this is more than just a casual observation. CDC numbers show there has been a considerable decline of babies born to women between the ages of 15 and 29. It is paired with an enormous increase in ownership of small dogs among millennial women.
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University said, Pets are becoming a replacement for children. Her research on the the entitlement generation has been published in a book called Generation Me.
Professor Twenge isnt the only expert providing evidence of puppy parenthood. Nathan Richter with Wakefield Research explains that first-time parents prepare for their impending bundle of joy by reading books and consuming other available research. Thats how millennials are approaching pet ownership, he says.
Many Americans have made parenting a central focus and mission of their lives, so naturally they struggle with understanding the motivation behind willingly passing up one of lifes greatest blessings.
Sadly, a bulk of the evidence points to the narcissistic reputation of the millennial generation.
Thirty-year-old Sara Foster told the New York Post, Its just less work and, honestly, I have more time to go out.
Kristen Wile, senior editor of Charlotte Magazine, penned her journey from wanting to be a stay-at-home mom by the time she was 30 to now choosing pets over babies. They give us a greater purpose without making our lives mainly about theirs. I was stunned by her self-centered transparency.
Who needs children when research has shown that certain hormones that increase when we cuddle children also increase when we cuddle our pets, read an online post on Pet Health & Safety.
Evidence of this growing trend is popping up in American society. The multiple Lucky Dog Bark & Brew locations in North Carolina provide not only a bar but also animal boarding, complete with a play area for large and small dogs. What arent allowed? Children.
Writing for creators.com, Dennis Prager believes that throughout civilization there had been three social realities driving the birth of children: a lack of contraception, the economic necessity for children to care for parents in old age, and religion. Prager points out that contraception has changed the way couples approach the act of sex; plus government entities like social security and welfare now care for senior citizens so children dont have to. Finally, religion is a shadow of what it has been in the past the one propelling force behind the values demanding children.
Couples should not feel forced or compelled to have children by those around them, just as parents with large families should be spared snide or biting remarks.
Perhaps those who have experienced the joys and blessings of children can by example, demonstrate reasons why young couples should carefully consider all their options. Just as animal lovers might show families without pets that shedding coats, marred wood floors and little piles dotting the back yard are small prices to pay for the joy animals bring.
>>This part is true, what they dont get is someone being there for you.<<
Women have been brainwashed into giving away sex first and seeing where the relationship goes afterwards. Now the typical young man is 1) getting sex. 2) wary of marriage due to divorce rape and 3) financially less able to raise a family than his father or grandfather at a similar age.
So the men have less ability to raise a family, run the risk of financial ruin/heartache and don’t need marriage for sex.
Sadly, setting morality/sin aside, it’s the rational way to behave.
The Left wanted a generation that would be children forever so that they could play Mommy and Daddy and assume control.
I don’t want a family. Don’t want a pet either; I’m allergic to cats and dogs.
I have lots of kids and lots of pets. It’s a crazy combination ;)
Well, with 3 GK’s I’m one under mathematical replacement, but they’re dynamite GK’s you know? And they’ve got cousins. So I don’t know. I’m not in the mood for calculations. All together they look like a formidable contingent. God only knows what they’re in for.
No woman with a yappy little weezyl dog for me!
Well, trying to have kids and I’m that generation.
Just need a wife first...
While some in the millennial generation are narcissists, you’re a fool if you think that’s the only driving force behind this.
Short version: its unaffordable. Especially for millenials.
I’m just slightly too old to be a millennial but I’m in the same boat. I’m more than halfway to 6 figures, we owe no money on car payments, wife works a little part time, and we borrowed less than double my yearly salary to buy our house.
We are barely making it. We are paycheck to paycheck. The next big house repair item will finish us, and we are letting the small stuff go because we have to.
Yes, it really is that bad nowadays. Don’t kid yourself, the younger generation has a considerably lower standard of living than those that came before with no real chance of changing it, even for the motivated hard workers.
Basically we are paying all of our money to take care of the bastard children of the irresponsible. I make more money today than I’ve ever made and am simultaneously more broke than I’ve been since high school.
A lot of millenials are in this same spot and those that are hard workers are saying “you know, I work too hard to have nothing.” So they cut expenses like marriage and children out, or they slough off into easier jobs, because hey, why work like a dog at a high paying job to end up with nothing to show for it?
For some forsaking marriage and kids is narcissism. For far too many, it’s the result of a rational analysis of the situation followed by a rational decision to forego these things. And I don’t blame them a bit for it.
That too.
Want kids. No wife and no woman in my life I can trust to be a wife and mother.
Can’t afford it either. Unemployment stinks when you’re not willing to go on welfare forever.
Sadly I'm seeing this more and more all the time. The millennial gen and the ones before and after it aren't much better. It seems like Gen X has this attitude that since they grew up with computers and xboxes they're smarter than any gen before it. Having those skills is of course a good thing but it doesn't translate into wisdom or intelligence. Everyone retains what they learn at a young age better than learning it later in life.
I honestly think they are much less informed and rarely know anything about what is going on in the world outside their little lives and possibly their town or neighborhood. Again; that doesn't translate into wisdom or intelligence. More like ignorance.
I have heard gen Z is supposed to be far more conservative. I hope so and I hope they don't adopt some of the bad attitudes of their senior peers along the way.
It was so much easier in the past, where one could earn enough to make a living and the other be able to care for the kids. A society where to make ends meet requires people dropping their infant children off with strangers all day is not a decent one imo. Our society/economy is not family-friendly. When you lose manufacturing base, have to compete with multitude of immigrants, elites becoming greedier, companies no longer wanting to train but requiring degrees, people put off having kids cause they don’t become stable enough to have them financially until later in life than used to be, by then they’ve gotten “comfortable” and don’t want to rock the boat. This is just a guess as to some of the reasons.
You’re tracking really well, actually. You’re hitting many of the causes.
It is, of course, a multi faceted problem with complex underlying causes, but what you’ve mentioned are significant parts of it.
Superb comment! Bravo!!
The Millennials better not be counting on welfare, Medicare and social security to take care of them in their old age.
I am pretty sure that they will all be broke and history by the time they are old.
In the future:
Women will have small dogs.
Men will have sex robots.
Over-population will no longer be a concern.
Rather Islam inherits the earth.
These nuts put them on Christmas cards now; very sad, and very creepy.
My town recently opened its first “bark park”; the childless Americans walk their “kids” there while a 1/2 mile south the foreign replacement children have a new soccer field.
I believe that is the biggest issue; young people today watched the economic implosion 10 years ago, watched people lose their jobs, homes, etc. - and they want no part of it. To deal with the economic instability, they’ve adopted the Western European solution: commit to nothing (homes, families, etc.).
This trend IMHO is having the largest impact on the housing market; our government’s response it to traffic others here to buy the existing home stock as ageing Americans “attrite out”...
Selfishness is not the only reason for childlessness. That said, if it is a choice and both partners agree, then why would anyone knock them for making that decision?
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