Posted on 10/04/2006 9:39:29 AM PDT by qam1
The fears that deter young couples from starting a family have been revealed in a report published today. The study, carried out by the Future Foundation into the reasons why Britain's birth rate has tumbled since the end of the 1960s baby boom, found financial pressures were the greatest inhibition.
It found that two-thirds of a sample of childless adults under the age of 45 said they were delaying having children until they could save enough to afford them. Half were postponing having a family until they could move to a bigger home.
The foundation said this fear was well founded because the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 was now more than £122,000. "To a generation of potential parents inundated with debt, financial pressures will continue to be an inhibitor," it said.
However, other fears could be considered to be more self-centred. Around 50% of childless men and 40% of childless women said they were not ready to make the lifestyle changes necessary to accommodate the needs of young children.
Twenty and thirtysomethings were participating in twice as many leisure activities as 25 years ago and appeared reluctant to give them up.
The researchers found that 61% of new fathers and 56% of new mothers became less satisfied with their leisure time in the year after their first child was born.
.....
But only 7% did not want to have children because they thought they would not be a good parent.
"The findings reveal that having children is now thought of as a lifestyle choice rather than an inevitable life stage," the foundation said.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
And the cost of educating children/and or college is ovewhelming.
However, with that said, I want lots of kids.
I hear about the gap between the haves and the have-nots. But the have-nots often have larger families (whether or not they can afford to raise them).
One of the things that keeps them from not having.
Yes, I'm sure these folks will enjoy their "leisure time" as infirmed seniors at the mercy of the NHS.
I am probably getting married next summer (basically unofficially engaged until we get through pre-engagement counseling), and frankly, I don't want kids for awhile. We both want to wait a bit. I personally would like to wait until I am 30, six years away. While I think having kids would be a rewarding experience, we won't have the money to have them immediately.
I am also a bit selfish. I want some years to be just us. I don't want kids immediately since I want to enjoy my wife and I bein the only ons in the house for the first couple years. I mean, for crying out loud, once we have kids, that is basically a 20-year commitment. Heavens, by the time the kids would be gone, I would be 50!!
That is almost enough to make me want NO kids whatsoever. But, the joy that comes from seeing them grow up has to be worth losing all that time to yourself.
"the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 was now more than £122,000"
Over the next 10 years I plan to not have children at the rate of one per year. Hereby saving a total of £1.2 million which I'll use to fund a retirement of drunken debauchery. Mwahahaha!
Me, neither. After they're out of diapers and off formula, where are all these extra costs? In my experience, it's not really any more expensive to feed 4 people than it is to feed 2.
If I didn't opt for $8000 a year extra for private school, my kids would cost me very little, beyond what I'm saving for college.
Up to a year is my favorite age ... after that, they can run away from me :-).
My Daughter was born in the middle of my first year of law school. I was already in debt up to my ears. We had no medical insurance. I clearly could not afford her. Still, we managed and 8 years after I graduated from law school, I paid off all my debt, and by then had a Son as well. People are selfish when their leisure time is more important than a family. I wonder what leisure time they are talking about. I'll bet it is not playing catch with their Son or tennis with their kids, or taking the kids to the swimming pool. Those things were more fun than anything that I remember.
Ouch!
Or perhaps they'll be invited to exercise their "right to die."
That one's at work.
We "can't afford" our kids, either ... at least if you believe the statistics about how you need 1,000 sqft of house per family member, all that.
I like being with my family. We run, hike, go swimming, read books, watch movies, cook, and all that "leisure" stuff.
Glad to see that my suspicion has been confirmed. I am not naive enough to think that there is no, or very little, cost. However, I agree that eductional costs and health care costs can bet to be very high. Maybe that is what they included in their numbers.
It appears parents are delaying children not so much as a lifestyle choice, but because a rational analysis of the time and money needed to raise them properly shows that they are not yet ready.
I know that in my case, even with the most optimistic and aggresive plans I don't think I'll have the financial stability and security needed for kids before I'm 30 (and we'll see about the maturity :-p). I don't have the heart to add up how much my parents spent on me over my lifetime.
I can't imagine where these numbers come from. Since it's a Great Britain article, they can't be including health care. And the taxes aren't figured in either, most likely. They must be including costs like day care from six weeks on, private schooling, private college tuition. (none of which are necessary, BTW.) That's all I can think of.
We look forward to our weekends. Our leisure time consists of yard work, going to the park, popping popcorn and watching movies, running errands, getting ice cream...everything together. We LIKE each other!
If you are very poor children don't cost near as much.
I was 32 when I had my daughter (first child) I was 55 when she married and left home. It doesn't matter how old you are. I will tell you that my kids are the best, most wonderful happenings in my life. Whatever I gave to them I got back ten times. Do it, you really won't regret it.
Now that my 9 kids are all grown up and moved out of the house (my baby got a job and moved to her own apartment!) I have so much leisure time on my hands that I got a full time job.
The 17 grandkids (and counting) are a nice side effect.
When I got married eight years ago, I did NOT want kids, and if I had to, just one. About a year into the marriage, the biological clock started ticking and the maternal desire began. It got stronger and stronger as time went by. We were holding off because my husband wanted to get our debt under control. By that time, it was torture to not "try to get pg". I had to wait another year and then we started trying. I con'd almost immediately; and was blest with the most beautiful, affectionate child I could ever imagine having. What a gift from God.
I pray your journey is a happy one, and God bless!!!
I agree. Anything can be enjoyable if you're with the people you love.
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