Posted on 05/22/2007 10:36:38 AM PDT by qam1
It is not the desire to further careers but money worries and the search for Mr Right which are holding women back from having children, according to a poll out today.
Many are also having too much fun, although a significant number admit to stressing about their fertility, it found.
The study of 1,800 child-free women, for Grazia magazine, reveals that having children is lowest on the list of life priorities for 45 per cent of 28- to 32-year-olds.
More than half (51 per cent) of those aged 24 to 27 and a third of 28- to 32-year-olds say they cannot afford to get on the "family ladder" because they are not financially stable or do not own their own home.
More than a quarter (28 per cent) of those aged 24 to 32 and a quarter of those aged 33 to 40 say they are having too much fun to think about children.
A further 13 per cent of thirtysomethings say they feel too much like a child themselves to have one yet.
The top reason women in the 33 to 40 age group give for not having children is because a third have not met Mr Right (20 per cent of those aged 28 to 30 and 26 per cent of those aged 41 to 49).
Asked why they haven't had children, just 16 per cent of the women say it is because of their career.
When ranking their life priorities, only 6 per cent put career first while 52 per cent say relationships are most important and 35 per cent say friends and family.
More than eight in 10 (84 per cent) say they will not have children in the wrong relationship just to become a mother.
Three quarters (76 per cent) will never use a sperm donor and 79 per cent will not have a baby with a friend, the poll found.
But most younger women will leave a partner who does not ever want children (56 per cent of 24 to 27-year-olds and 57 per cent of 28 to 32-year-olds).
Nine out of 10 (90 per cent) of the over-40s say they will stick with their man even if children are not on the agenda.
While 35 per cent of the 41 to 49-year-olds questioned were married, 28 per cent still feel too immature to have children.
On fertility, 62 per cent of those aged 24 to 27 admit they stress about it.
One in 10 (11 per cent) of 41 to 49-year-olds have already been told they are infertile but 74 per cent in the age group say they will not be bothered if told they can never have children.
Grazia editor Jane Bruton says: "Everyone assumes that women who don't have children are selfish and career obsessed, but our exclusive survey shows nothing could be further from the truth.
"Getting on the family ladder is simply becoming too expensive. If you don't own your own home or feel financially stable because of excessive debt then you aren't going to feel equipped to have a child.
"On top of this, women are waiting longer to meet the right man to father their children and are simply not prepared to compromise."
You do realize that Al Gore is a VOLs fan.
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.
As a new mother at 34, I find all these perpetually-delayed-family stories depressing!
“More than eight in 10 (84 per cent) say they will not have children in the wrong relationship just to become a mother.
“Three quarters (76 per cent) will never use a sperm donor and 79 per cent will not have a baby with a friend, the poll found.”
I think we should be happy that so many have these viewpoints. I know all the woman-bashing high&mighty men will be here to tell us how women are so selfish NOT to have babies, but is it really “moral” to JUST HAVE A BABY! There’s more to it than just getting some sperm and giving birth. Unless they want us to provide more babies for the adoption centers.
OTOH, let’s also note, this is an AUSSIE article.
He's also, (reportedly mind you), human. I can't help that an asshat like Gore still sees the awesomeness that is UT football! LOL :-)
Psssst, but also remember he lost his home state in the Presidential Election. Thanks to the great state of Tennessee....that boat got sunk!!!! GO VOLS!!
Why? What’s wrong with having high standards?
Low standards = knocked up = kid born into bad family = probable divorce.
Why is it selfish to expect good things of a man?
Nothing wrong with that.
The actual problem is quite different: a lot of women have been taught that Men are all dumb and crude and that all the problems of the world are caused by men, and if women were in charge there wouldn't be any wars, and men are too stupid to stop and ask for directions, and all the sitcoms feature stupid men who rely on the women to save the day, and on, and on, and on ...
Men and women can and should contribute equally to a marriage. I've known a lot of (divorced) women who feel that they should make all the decisions because, after all, women are smarter than men.
This is toxic.
If women wants to hold out for Mr. Right more power to her. But what she is essentially saying is that she deserves (is entitled to) the best.
This lack of humility to accept a persons frailties and inperfections will eventually lead to trouble. The man will get get fed up with this “Queen” attitude by the woman.
Just my opinion,
We waited too long to have our kids. My wife turned 40 and the risk for downs syndrome goes through the roof after 40 so we only had two kids. I really wanted three.
Don’t wait; get to it before you’re too old. Have lots too.
The new system is this. We don’t have any kids and the government just brings in millions from Mexico to make up the difference. For libs this is the preferred way because of the way they vote( 80% Dem) and the fact they don’t know America’s history.
In the old days many Mexicans became Republicans but with today’s ultra liberal school system I would expect 90% to become life long socialist.
My school is activity teaching liberal ides in kindergarten and it is a “good” school.
Nope — those strictures pretty much apply to the males and the females, if it’s a decent relationship.
Yeah, I’d like to have lots, but the more we have the less likely we’ll be able to send them to private (conservative) school! ;) Well, I probably won’t let that hold me back...
I don't believe this at all. In my town, native workers were thrown out of work by the dozens (hundreds?) from the two meat processing plants here. I've heard from many other posters that this happened in their town , too : Workers discarded en masse from textile plants, meat processing plants, etc, in favor of illegal aliens .There were plenty of native workers in all these fields and others, but that didn't save them from mass firings all over the south and midwest. I suspect the same is true of the IT workers thrown aside for Indian HB1 workers, or nurses and even doctors let go and then replaced by Third World medical personnel, etc-it wasn't that there weren't enough native born employees-the employers just didn't want them.
It's not the lack of population that was ever the problem; it's that employers think imported workers are cheaper and more docile, PLUS their status means they have no rights that can be enforced in a court of law-you can hire and fire them at will , they won't complain about OSHA or other safety violations to which they're subjected,etc. But you are right about illegals being allowed in to allow politicians to gain ever more power as they'll vote for whoever promises them the most goodies.
Why do some people think they are supposed to get married and have kids? Where did that ever come from? I never had the desire to get married OR much less....have kids. Why am I supposed to turn my life into being a slave? Where is that written?
Is Neyland Stadium the place where people drive up in boats and have tailgate parties right there on the river or am I thinking of someplace else?
Yup that’s us, they call it the Volunteer Navy. I’ve never got to go to a game in that manner, but methinks the tailgating(stern-gating?) would be quite fun.
“Why do some people think they are supposed to get married and have kids?”
Your kidding right?
Ask you mom why she did it. It looks like she forgot to tell you.
Can you homeschool? It takes sacrifices but if you can arrange for one parent to stay home with the kids it’s a wonderful thing for families. Doesn’t cost much more to homeschool 6 than 2, either, since curriculumn can be reused.
We only discussed education at my house. We are Catholic so we were only taught how sex is sin. That’s about all I remember.....no talk of marriage or kids that’s for sure. My mother got married at 21 to get out of her house.
Your opinion implies that having high expectations of people is an “attitude” (i.e., bad).
More people should have that attitude.
It’s all about guilt-free sex.
I’ve never gone to a 1A game. My youngest brother went to U-Mass and had season tickets for the Minutemen (1AA) so I went to quite a few of their games.
The only 1A team around is BC and for what the tickets cost I can see the Patriots and we definitely like to tailgait.
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