Why fewer people are planning to have kids | About That
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- Опубліковано 27 лют 2024
- Research suggests a significant shift over the last two decades in the number of North American adults who are planning on having kids. Andrew Chang explores three main reasons for the generational change.
CORRECTION (March 6, 2024): A previous version of this video misspelled Marina Adshade's name at 2:00. The misspelling has been blurred.
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Can't even afford rent, how would raising a kid work out either.
exactly...
Top that off with a bleak looking economic future for the dwindling middle class, everything is always getting more expensive, inflation, lack of affordable housing, etc. I would rather just barely focus on myself then bring another human life into this world.
you are a responsible person, You known have children is different from having pets
it isn't to the zoomer generation@@MrRemiTube
it's all about me me me@@Arcamea
When both parents are working 10+ hours and can hardly afford a 1 bedroom how is this a surprise?
It all comes down to the oversupply of labor and the stable demand for expensive housing.
Ya Trudeau's Canada is a complete hell.
@@PaulAllen-rm1inbut the economy was bad since happer age. Both PM just can't fix things. The first one have a failed action plan, the later one refuse to acknowledge the ship is sinking.
@@jamiezhou5049 You cant even spell properly lol
@@PaulAllen-rm1in seems you score big from Canada action plan
The problem isn't being able to afford kids, its being able to afford a place to live and groceries
And that's if you're lucky to have more or less healthy kids.
Ask yourself why things are so expensive. Don’t just regurgitate what you’ve been told, do some digging, see if everywhere else is suffering the same. I mean EVERYWHERE, not just the places who live and think like we do.
Then ask yourself again why things are so unaffordable here, and do your best to affect change.
This. I do have 3 kids, but it's meant raising them in a 2 bedroom basement apartment so far. Sure, groceries cost more - but the main thing we need is physical space to live and it's eye-wateringly expensive.
Having raised two kids I have to say that small children seem to thrive when they have their parents time and attention. That's a lot harder to accomplish today when you have to work two jobs .
Bingo!
Get a better job
Humans are an animal. Animals under stress will not reproduce. Stressors in our lives: employment, housing, medical, social, other. To get a good job requires education, education requires money and takes away from your working years. Housing has doubled in cost, average Canadian home is 700k? By the time someone can afford this, they are too old for kids. The biological clock goes wonky at 35 and dies some time around 40.
Government knows how to engineer a population boom. They did this in the 1950s on purpose. They built tonnes of cheap starter homes and provided jobs that one person could support a family with. Today, even with two people working, you can't buy a house, nor support a family.
facts man! i completely agree. Its all planned, how could it not be. And the insulting part is they make these news videos as if it wasnt all planned to further brainwash.
I've been saying that for years. We are surended by tension, political, enviroment, finance... and we're suppose to "pull it together"? It's on our shoulders? And if we don't have kids, the consequences are not cutter, we will need nurses in the future, builders, farmers, etc.
Very well said
100% this. Who wants to raise a new generation of slaves? The illusion of a society and a civic life has been eroded at an increasingly noticeable rate. Capitalist logic is taking over more and more of every aspect of life and people are in survival mode.
Exactly right.
Can't afford a house, so why would I have kids...
Many women of my generation also grew up watching the women in their lives working full-time, and then coming home to do 80-100% of the household chores, cooking and child rearing. Today's women are more likely to value their time, and want partners who are more emotionally intelligent. In my area it has become the norm for women to be looking for partners willing to do 40-50% of those chores, and will either refuse to date or separate from men who are not willing to share the home burdens.
haha cleaning and cooking is a burden.. you eat no? prefer to live in filth? You have to do that stuff without a "partner" and you still have to work as well.. so where are you finding this extra time to "value"..
@@jaespinnazdo you have children? Because the burden of cooking and cleaning increases exponentially with children. The laundry alone is never ending. Kids get dirty, they spill things, they get sick, they wet the bed and on it goes. I used to have to do 13 loads of laundry per week to keep up with 3 active children and a husband with a blue collar job. The children are grown up now and I do about 3 loads per week. Cooking for two is a lot quicker and easier than for a family of five. My husband and I pick up after ourselves. There aren’t toys, books, school and craft projects all over the place anymore. Household chores for a single person or a couple are the minor leagues compared to raising a family.
@@jaespinnaz Holy crap... tell me you are completely clueless to the reality of motherhood without telling me!!!
According to your logic, STAHM would actually be easier than being a single woman who works??! 🙄🤦♀
Also still doesn't explain why the male partner should not be expected to do his fair share of daily house chores.
You don't need emotional intelligence, just intelligence to be a parent. It doesn't take emotional intelligence to run a vacuum, do the dishes or mow the lawn. It's a commitment but it's not that hard. Kids don't want the best things they just want your time. It is the greatest experience you will ever have. Nothing in life is equivalent to it. It's not bad thing to choose not to have kids either. It's not for everyone.
This reflects on men too. I'm not willing to date or marry a women who wants to work full time in an office and in response I will earn enough money to be the sole bread winner. If she wants to work part time (two days) sure but somoene has to take care of the kids and the house. Modern feminism makes that seem oppressive but in reality thats the best option for a household and stable children.
How can people have kids when they can't even afford anything with explosive cost of everything.
People get paid by the government to have kids. Every month, parents receive over $600 per a child. It's called the CCB. I think a lot of Canadian people of fertile age don't know that having kids will actually increase your income.
Having kids is not a necessity, it's a luxury.
@@wbay3848 They are able to because China and the West are propping them up with funding and food for their mineral resources, if the funding stopped they would starve.
@@wbay3848in africa kids are source of income as they can be put to work in the fields
MSM will probably continue to be surprised by this for the next 5-10 years
Wages are stagnant and Housing is extortionate. Not a big mystery to me.
I am a public school teacher, I don't travel, I cook my own meals - and I live paycheck to paycheck without kids. Sooooo no kids for me! My insurance plan doesn't cover anything, half paycheck goes to taxes... At this point, it's not a choice.
You need to have wealthy parents to subsidize new families nowadays.
all part of the plan of the rockerfellers , gates eta.
Learn from history.
The statistics actually show that the more money and education people have the less children that they have. There are deeper issues behind why people are not having children.
yup you need to be from a rich family or be poor and somehow still doesn't care and have kids so you can claim subsidies from your hard working neighbours.
@@cindycheung6062
How about families just need to lower their expenses, get out of debt and be wise with their money? It's absolutely possible to live off of one income and raise children today... Without living off the govt and tax payers.
Job security is too fragile in Canada and cost of living too high. It is scary to think of having kids in this day and age. Too much uncertainty for us millennials.
not really, maybe you just made bad choices?
Not really
I am afraid to even get a pet since there is so much risk of being homeless.
i don't know about job security, there are plenty of jobs around that aren't going away. the problem is, most of these jobs don't pay enough to survive.
minimum wage used to be enough to afford basics if you work full- time; now we have a separate "living wage" which is much higher than minimum wage, and even that's not enough unless you're in a household where two people are working full-time at this "living wage".
also, millennials and younger generations are not the only ones with this problem; plenty of Gen Xers struggle to get by as well.
@@flopes11 You right I should have bought a house instead being in elementary school
I did not hear about the divorce rate. I would imagine women don't want kids now, because she will end up being a single mother living in poverty for decades.
If they are in poverty, they chose the looser, else they are getting easy money for child and spousal support. Rules are stacked against men.
My father left my mother after I was born, we lived in a rent until a was 10, I don't want children, I don't want to be like my mother.
@@eszterfodor1136 You have every right to your body and choices in your life.
they'll be fine gov't takes my money to provide them with child benefits for each child not to mention all the extra programs available exclusively for their gender also at my expense.
@@jaespinnaz Don't worry, the women will raise the kids, for the gov't to then take them as soldiers, only to end up as cannon fodder. Money well spent?
One thing I'm surprised was never even mentioned was the psychological factor. Childhood experiences have a huge impact on how we think about and value family life or not.
Personally, my family and social experiences in childhood were often full of drama, anguish, feeling minimized, hearing my parents argue with each other non-stop at each other's throats, being abused by my older siblings, neglected by my dad, abused by schoolmates, insulted by teachers, etc. etc. It turned me into a hermit and misanthrope, and I have no desire to put any child through that, nor do I crave the social environment of a family anymore. I'm willing to be I'm not the only one who feels this way.
When you have kids, no more peace and quiet in the home.
This.
You're not the only one who feels that way. I too had an unnecessarily dramatic childhood, and since becoming an adult and getting away from my parents, I have no desire to go back to that.
I didn't get to have a childhood cuz of the dipshit things my parents were doing. Now at 28 I feel at peace knowing its alright, can finally start living the life I want.
@MHKing03 I am so sorry that you had an awful childhood. I hope that your adult life is better.
As a single father to a 18 yr old son , having kids out of marriage is not advisable.
Well, at least you still have your son, mate.
Indeed
What's the outside marriage clause for? How does being married change things being you're the man and would still be the primary providers in either instance ?
Tell that to the men who get divorced and lose everything.
@@1anre 2 incomes = material security for the child. Plus the emotional benefits of being raised by 2 parents. It's a brave comment from the OP because most single parents don't like to admit how difficult it is and how badly single parenthood affects their own kids, first and foremost.
The socialising part is interesting to me, because we actually socialise LESS; there is no "hanging out on the side of the street, talking with neighboors" anymore. We have to schedule it. It takes time and energy to socialise, even for the kids, you have to "be part of the basketball team" not "shooting 3 points in front of your friend driveway". Everyting is so different from when WE were growing up, it's frankly intimidating.
I agree. We've lost how to "just be" and enjoy the world around us without having every moment of our lives scheduled.
Society is suffering, we live in a sick society.
A lonely existence is the normal Canadian experience now 😢
@@libertyoverbondagenot just in Canada, but worldwide
Im 55 with 3 children that i wanted. My youngest child has special needs, now thats an entire different ball game, one that nobody can prepare for. At 55 im still taking care of her. So when thinking of having kids,ask yourself could i cope with a special needs child? If the answer is no, then forget about it.
That’s a huge consideration for me.
This is absolutely right. Love, time, and dedication aside-the financial implications of it. On top of housing and rising costs.
Thats a very valid point.
exactly. You have to REALLY want kids and be able to accept whatever you get...not just a disability but also a child whose personality is one that you don't connect with. It is less of an issue when you have multiple kids but when it is just one or two it can really take a toll on your life. Modern medicine and technology has meant severely disabled people live much longer as well...that is a reality we did not have 100 years ago. Having kids is a gamble and more than ever educated people are aware of that. But it always used to be material...kids were free labour for the farm and a necessity. Now they are optional 'pets' basically...someone to share love and life with but with so many downsides, it is too big a risk for something that is not an outright necessity.
Less likely to happen the younger you have kids ! But I understand your thoughts
Just getting an apartment with an extra 2 bedrooms is the biggest hurdle tbh....
I used to live in HK when a family share a bedroom, so maybe it's time to also change our perceptions about everyone has their own room too. Not saying we should automatically lower our living standard .. but the same standard isn't realistic.
@@eeyore345 Yeah we could live in the coffin style suites like in HK....
@@eeyore345 When I visited family in HK in 1994, my cousins (family of 6... mom, dad, 3 daughters, grandma) were living in a one bedroom apartment smaller than my parent's master bedroom + washroom in Vancouver, it was incomprehensible to my 13 year old brain. We live in luxury in Canada.
We have a family of 6 in a 2 bedroom townhouse plus pregnant with baby #5. We live on a single income and my husbands education (from subsaharan Africa) did not transfer. We live simply compared to lots of millennials, but elaborately compared to the majority if humans globally and historically.
@@jennprescott2757 Not sure that's going to pan out well once they become teenagers...
Children are a luxury, not a necessity !! Those who can't afford kids, seem to be the ones who have the most.
For an individual, maybe. As a species, they're absolutely necessary.
@@dmtaboo_truth7052 There are 8 billion of our species. It's not like we're endangered.
@@fulanichild3138 Well my people are now only a small percentage of that, and quickly dwindling.
@@dmtaboo_truth7052The earth can use less humans tbh. You don’t see other species like lions on every corner of the earth like you see humans.
@@dmtaboo_truth7052 I feel like this is a trap, but I'm going to run with it. Who are your people?
No children - no problems. This is my personal experience. I am 48.
And just to let you know,And the Holy Word of God called our Holy Bibles said, " Children are gift from God and the fruit of the womb is a reward. " ( from the Sacred Book of Psalm chapter 127 : verse 3 ). And also,considering and knowing that me and my family are dedicated,devoted and committed Baptist Evangelical Christians that possessed or owned three daughters and one son.And we just love them,@olenahommel8649!!!
People want kids but cant because of artificialy skyrocket cost of living and housing!
It's not just poor people not having kids. In fact, it's mainly middle and upper middle class couples.
Some, but most ppl just relized it's overrated.
I don’t even like kids so this isn’t an issue for me
The root cause of all of the skyrocketing cost of living is feminism.
@@user-ld6wo4rv8hI’m not sure it’s entirely fair to say that is the root cause but it certainly is a major contributor. When it was not “normal” for woman and men to work jobs paid more and many things, like housing, was less expensive.
That lady that didn't know what people can't afford kids doesn't seem to be in touch with the vast majority of struggling parents.
She's a typical CBC type.
@@kikastra... Nope. Just a middle class Canadian. Prettty normal. A lot of Canadians make good money and own property (almost 70% of Canadian families own vs rent) and do quite well as a result. A lot of people I know have kids and are managing just fine.
@@Karlswebbnah
@@Karlswebb Yes, I'm one of them. But I'm not naive and think that EVERYONE has what I have. And I can see with my own eyes that less and less people can achieve that in this country now and Trudeau and his followers can't see any problems whatsoever, because of attitudes like yours: "I'm doing fine so what's the problem?". Like I said, typical CBC viewer.
@@KarlswebbPlease tell me you’re joking 🤦♂️
Who would want to bring a child into slavery?
True
Well I wouldn't say slavery... but in Canada we are entering a sort of landlord - serfdom type thing. It's hell here, it's exploitation but it's not slavery.
@@ameliavv1019 At least Canada is a nice place to live. Edit: But it's stating to get pretty dystopian in some ways as well.
@@PistonAvatarGuy Canada is not a good place to live. There is no where affordable to live and our governments line the pockets of corporations. It's all monopolies up here and we pay more for literally everythng. it's a shell of the country I grew up in
I never wanted a bunch of kids since I was a kid. That hasn't changed much.
My mortgage is $3,800 a month and healthcare is $800 a month, that's A LOT. I can't imagine having to pay for daycare, I'd be out on the street in a heartbeat. Plus, I don't want to become a single mom, which is also another increasing gamble. I've seen my grandma go through it. She married a religious family man, had 4 kids, and then he became an alcoholic, cheated, and was gone from the home for YEARS. My mom used to literally eat out of a dumpster down the street and had only one pair of underpants she had to constantly wash because of the poverty my grandpa put them into. Another thing is also the government. You can save all you want to feel secure, but there's nothing stopping them from printing another $33 trillion in debt to drive your food and housing costs even higher. You can't rely on stability anymore, even if you own assets.
its the rotshchild banking cartell why government prints so much money.
I work 60hrs a week and my wife works 40hrs.. we both have decent jobs and can barely save money for a down payment on a house. Luckily we can still afford rent and groceries for now so I’m grateful but kids are out of the question.
Because we can't afford to feed ourselves. Thats the story.
I remember $40 in groceries for the month now it's $100 too much
The last person that told me that they were afraid of "starving", if they had too many children, was morbidly obese.
I always wanted to be a mother. Right now with uncertainty of the state of the world, I cannot be having kids.
Do you think it was convenient for people to have kids 500 years ago? What about 1000 years ago?
Agreed! Will nit give my kids over to this wickyd world
I’m in my twenties and single mom to baby and I’ve been discriminated against by my landlord because I have a baby.
You will be judged all your life, this will not go away. Get a thick skin. Talking from experience.
I'm sorry to hear about your struggles. I hope you and your baby find happiness and stability soon.
Not saying this is right but from a business standpoint, I could understand it depending on your apartment. Babies crying eventually becomes toddler running around non-stop and both can be pretty disturbing to neighbours if you live in a house or apartment with poor sound proofing. I used to live in a basement and the couple upstairs had 2 toddlers who were always running and jumping - it was hell. We didn’t last 6 months in that place and literally every year the landlord has to find new tenants because people just won’t stay. I told myself if I ever became a landlord I’m not renting my upstairs to anyone with kids.
Wait, what?! How are you being discriminated against? The landlord has no right or say in your personal life, and this is coming from somebody who is a landlord.
You will get through it. Try to keep a feeding schedule so that the baby doesn't have to cry when hungry. This will reduce complaints from other tenants. I went through single parenting and now my child will start college this year. I got help from my family and from my child's father. I shopped in affordable stores and thrift stores. I used baby sitters so that I could go to work. It was difficult but it can be done. Maybe you will get married and not have to do it without a partner
Seriously haven't you realized how difficult things is right now you can barely take care of yourself why would you want to bring a child into this
Wanted kids, wanted a family. Got a phd so I could provide for them. Thirty years of hustling and never got a job I considered sufficiently stable. Moved internationally three times to build my career. Never long enough in one place to have a partner.
After all of that, I have juuuust enough to retire someday, but missed out on so much of what I wanted.
Yes, I'm bitter as hell
If you are a guy you still could have a wife and family. Although I wouldn't, today's times are expensive and raising kids more so.
It's basically either retire single, career, and well off, or have a family now a days.
Family and kids would drain your retirement fund.
I have a home, I have an extra room, I have a partner, but I still don't feel supported by the system. Who wants to provie the bare minimum to his child to be? Who want's to have "just one child, because we can't affort a second one". That's not a way to start a familly.
Its okay to have just one. I did. The big expense was daycare. I was a single parent so I worked...but some couples take the stay-at-home path for the first few years. Usually mom does childcare at home while the dad supports financially. Or mom works part time and uses babysitters so she can work. Nowadays, mom can earn online at home too. She doesn't have to literally stay in the house, she takes baby to the park, to play dates with other moms, to pediatrician appointments, to the supermarket, the mall, the kids section in the library, etc. I used to even take my little one to the pet store to see the little animals. The stroller and crib were beautiful but second hand and some of the clothes too, not all. It can be done.
Try Sweden Norway or Finland 👍🏻 better support systems for families
God supports families and provides for them. The question is does anyone trust Him anymore? No, people are looking for support from other people and the system.
Psalm 37:25 KJV - I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
It’s also important to know that social trends play a major role in what people decide to do. If everyone around you has kids, you are more likely to have them. There was a study that showed that if a women’s sister or friend had a child, she is 2-3x more likely to have a child herself.
The exposure to children is also less, thus making the idea of having a family and children less of a plan for many.
Technically this can be an ever ending argument
It's the money. I could not care less who has kids around me.
Since periods can sync there are probably other ways humans sync.
True. And can’t underestimate the immense propaganda surrounding not having children.
Two of my sisters have kids, I feel like pressure has been taken off my shoulders as my parents already have grandkids haha
This comment section is very telling. Meanwhile boomers are still shaming our generation for being lazy. We are tired, overworked and too stressed out to have kids. I don't want a kid to have this kind of life.
I concluded that I do not want kids when I was in my mid teens. I will be 26 this summer and my decision still stands. Sometimes you just know.
If my 22 & 24 year old sons and younger children don't want to have children I understand and don't expect grandchildren.
That’s quite strange and unnatural feeling
Good on you, not putting pressure on them like so many parents do-having children is a huge, life-altering decision, not something to be chosen lightly. I feel the same way about my son (only 2.5 at the moment)-his life is his life, and kids or no kids, doesn’t matter to me. I just want him to figure out a life for himself one day that is as happy and healthy as it can be 😊 that would be my greatest joy
who are you to decide what is a "natural " feeling @@MrRocca
Stop judging others for what they want in life.
just by observing societal norms?@@isabellacarter2863
Reason 1: corporate scumbags. Reason 2: corporate scumbags. Reason 3: take a wild guess
Politicians who drop down and bend over for corporate scumbags?
greed is destroying everything
I'm 32, and my wife is 30. we just had a kid in Vancouver.
With the rising cost of mortgage and inflation, we cannot afford overselfs. We are looking at the future which is soo bleak in North America.
You live in the most expensive city in Canada. It's not a north america proboem, a you problem hun. 🎉
Same boat in burnaby bro. Good luck to us
It's not bleak in Edmonton at all. I have seven kids and we are doing just fine. Most of our friends have 3 or 4. Try moving, Vancouver is insanely expensive.
@@yanik.ottenbreit You mean the most socialist city in Canada
@jenfoster128 why would anyone have seven kids in this day and age? you must be a climate change denier.
And if you need to care for elders or other non-children family members, forget about any prospect of having children of your own.
I didn't "want" kids in my late 20's. I'm 41 now and have a 11 month infant. If had a time machine to tell my younger self all the things that have happened since I wouldn't believe it. People change. Circumstances change. And sometimes those changes are unexpected and happen extremely fast.
As you get older there are fewer major milestones, experiences and surprises in life. Kids let you experience an unknown universe that you never knew existed. It's hard to describe.
But if you don't believe you're ready... it probably won't be an experience that's enjoyable. So refraining from having kids is the right decision for that person.
A child can be successful in life with little life experience, but so as long a sense of curiosity, resilience and strong work ethic is instilled in them. You don't need money to impart those values to a child.
All true words. but people can't mentally deal with the idea of not providing their children the same living standards they have now. It hurts the pride of a parent.
Spoken like a person who can afford one.
I am 44 with a 9 month old. Honestly best thing I have ever done.
Not easy, but not as hard or expensive as I was lead to believe.
I didn’t buy any clothes. I got secondhand from friends and family. I could have bought clothes, but why? We have clothes including snow suits until he’s 4. I pay it forward giving clothing to other families. We have cloth diapers, so save on that. Second hand toys or I buy used. I make baby food with frozen veggies, so that not pricey or time consuming. People jokingly call my baby bougie baby, because most of what he has is high end, but nothing is brand new.
Childcare is the killer but luckily I have a job with odd hours and the flexibility to bring him to work as needed that we don’t need childcare. Lots of people have grandparents or family to rely on.
It will get more expensive as he gets older, but there’s ways around a lot of it without sending him out to climb trees.
The biggest thing is being in the right mental space.
This doesn’t have kids unless you can afford them, based on what? Who’s budget? It’s time to get creative.
@@mysterym9341 not everyone wants to have a family of four crammed in a 1br condo, if people can't afford a lifestyle they want for their kids, they won't have them.
Sounds awful to raise some sprog.
I'm surprised only 17% was "Financial reasons" most people I talk to. Even the ones that just don't want kids don't want them cause of financial reasons.
100% , it's the main reason for declining birthrates of the native populations.
Not wanting to have kids should be a normal thing, not something for which people look at you sideways.
It's definitely abnormal.
Children have been overscheduled for at least 30 years. It started when my friends had kids in the 90s and it was a never-ending one-upmanship for birthday parties, leagues they could join, activities and sports they simply HAD to enroll in, and of course, all those activities required children to be driven everywhere. I'm glad people are actually thinking about this now -- if more people as much thought into having a kid as they did when they bought their car, society would be a lot better off.
I couldn't agree more. Until fairly recently, it was assumed that one would have kids. It would be "abnormal" not to. All of the discussions around having or not kids tells me that people are getting wiser in this regard. Just the fact that we have a choice is a good thing.
children are not only a drain financially but psychologically and to yourself respect
First two, yeah. How do children drain self-respect?
@@williamjacobs by having them
😂😂😂@@isabellacarter2863
we can't even afford a cat, kids?
Right, I wanted a dog but now I just see it as an extra bill. Pet rent is 30/mo + food
Pets are luxuries yet are about as expensive as having children. Not much return on investment.
Having a kid in this world is cruel.
best comment on this video!
Do you consider your parents cruel for having you?
@@DAMfoxygrampa Yes. I wish I was never born.
@@silverwing4048 Well boy oh boy do I have a solution for you
The sky high cost of living coupled with an insane housing market is the main deciding factor for Canada's fertility rate (or the lack thereof).
But it's okay because mass immigration will fix the country's fertility problem, obviously .....
Mass immigration is now causing problems so big that the oligarchic regime can't sweep them under the rug anymore.
Are you happy?
Are you healthy?
Are you physically able to be active?
Do you want a partner?
Is your partner a decent person?
Are things going well with your partner?
Are you financially secured?
Can you afford food?
Can you afford housing?
Can you afford miscellaneous expenses?
Can you afford healthcare (if applicable)?
In the event of divorce (either from commonlaw or wedlock), are you still financially secured?
Do you agree with society's current trends and ideologies?
Do you have hope for the future state of the world (economics, environment, etc.)?
Do you feel ready to take on a huge new responsibility?
Okay, now you can consider having kids.
Time to start the second, and even longer checklist as to whether or not you should even have them...
Why does anybody want to have kids? They cause nothing but trouble. No more peace and quiet in the home. They are expensive as hell to care for. When you have kids, it's like your life is put on hold for the next 18 to 20 years. What if your kids are 40 years old and still living at home. Now, there's a horror show.
Definitely. I never had kids and I dont feel like I missed out on anything except alot of work and problems.
Sperm count has halved since the 70s. This isn't going to be a choice for much longer.
For Canada; there is also lack of healthcare. Why would anyone wants to bring a kid into a place that is lacking very basic stuff?
you mean the free health care provided to every citizen?
Long wait times... but it's certainly available.
Yes. And basic education. Even if I wanted to have a kid (and I don't), I wouldn't be able to send them to school in my area because the schools are full here. There is a sign from the local school board outside the condo project they're building next to my place that says basically "you can move here, but your kids can't come to our school".
@@flopes11 Free healthcare =/= good. Especially in a corrupt country like that.
the healthcare was free before Canada was corrupt. And the top ranked health care systems in the world are in Europe and free so......@@steffimaier7297
yep some of us simply don't wanna burden us with extra responsibilities. its not about money. its more about living life just for myself.
Im childless and very fulfilled in life, i have a fur baby ❤
Too many wrong people have kids, its sad.
They expect you to work as if you didn't have children and to raise children as if you didn't have to work. The least parenting can be incorporated into the efforts we have to do this days to have a decent life the less of an appealing of an option having children is to us. We are expected to achieve everything individually while previous generations relied more on community and extended family; It's just not possible to have everything.
I won't even think about it until I own a home. I'm probably making more (inflation-adjusted) than my parents did combined when they had me and I'm still renting a studio apartment in Toronto in my mid-30s. Luckily my rent is controlled so I'm able to invest a ton, but I'll be buying my first home 15 years older than my parents did. This is nuts.
Why is it controlled? How did you get a controlled rent appartment?
Wonder if anyone still remembers the phrase from World Economic Forum in 2016. "You'll own nothing and be happy"......
@@andromeda_25 and they CAUSED the problems to come in as saviors!
And if they were really worried about the ever increasing population problem, wouldn't they be more focused on the high birth rates in developing countries, and not the first world countries whose birth rate is around replacement rate or lower? Yeah...something about this doesn't add up....
$60k in 2015 you could easily support a family with 1 income. Now in 2024, you need a salary of $100k. Even more if, you include daycare since both parents will be working.
Nobody looks at the insane amount of work hours people have to put in just to survive. They don't have the leftover funds and time and energy for dating and then having children. They are already exhausted, and they don't even have kids yet. Then the rules also changed on how we raise those kids. Gone are the days of sending the kids outside to play while mom cleaned the house and cooked dinner. Now mom has to cook and clean with the kids under toe and take them to the park and outside to play and there aren't enough hours in the day thus a generation of ipad kids.
They are gone because? Says who?
@@solmariuce5303 try it, see how quickly you get a call from family and children services that your children under 12 are running around unsupervised. All it takes is one phone call from a grouchy neighbor who doesn't like kids.
That's right. Life is not like you see on those silly Hollywood sitcoms.
I just don't trust people. Society has become dangerous and untrustworthy. I'd rather be alone than open myself up to the sinister drama of dating life.
I feel the same. No wife means no drama. No kids means no problems and no headaches.
FR
Keep in mind too that many young adults are still relying on their parents for financial help or even still living with them, and many may have made the judgment of they don't want to be saddled with the same responsibilities their parents were saddled with when they had them. They used to say it would just be an 18 year commitment, but now that's far from the truth.
I am 25 years old and still live with my so-called parents, who turned 60 this year, and my sister has Down syndrome. The mother will have to take care of my sister for the rest of her life, and my sister will never be able to move out or take care of herself.
Your "so-called parents"? "The mother"?
Money. The biggest reason is money.
If young people are living paycheck to paycheck because rents are at an all time high, jobs are laying off like crazy and student debt is gonna follow them to retirement age, then even considering having kids is madness.
Older folks are so concern about the lack of births but don't stop and think, really THINK, about the conditions young folks are facing now in comparison to them that allowed them back in the day to have 3 or more kids relatively easily.
"This generation values their leisure time, their free time." No, this generation doesn't have leisure time or free time. They are too busy working as many hours possible to not be homeless.
any responsible person won't want kids. only those people who don't care how the kids will be will have kids.
👍
According to Bonnie Steinbock and Ron McClamrock, prospective parents have a moral obligation to consider the lives their children are likely to have. They should not have children if their lives will be sufficiently awful. This is based on the idea that existence itself can be an injury, which is the basis for a new tort known as "wrongful life".
Some people would be great parents and just don't want children. According to BetterHelp, studies show that 27% of adults in the United States choose not to have children. Some reasons people choose not to have children include:
Medical reasons
Financial situation
Lack of a partner
Age
State of the world
Some characteristics of responsible people include:
Being reliable, dependable, and trustworthy
Understanding the importance of meeting their obligations and living up to their promises
Being proactive in identifying and addressing problems
Taking steps to ensure that they do not cause harm or inconvenience to others
Treating others fairly
Honoring their commitments
Being environmentally aware
Managing their own emotions
Trying to discern that of others they are dealing with
Responding calmly
It is now considered "responsible" to live with parents as an adult, just play video games and never grow up.
@@believestthouthis7 I'm a Adult still living with my so called parents I'm 25 and I have wanted to move out for a long time but the money issue.
The world is going to end up facing the problem that Japan and China are facing where they don’t have enough people to replace the aging workforce. My wife’s and I personally cannot afford to have a child right now even if we wanted to. All the stressors of affordability are already weighing down on us. Now we have to deal with job cuts in our sectors where we are unsure of our job security now. How can we justify raising a child when we can barely afford to keep things afloat now?
Jobs are never truly secure, it's just an illusion
There is just no way for the economy to get bigger and stronger each year. To encourage population growth just to do so is absolute madness. Eventually, we have to pay the piper. We all need to live within our means which, I believe, includes scaling back the economy to a reasonable state with flat population growth.
And the work culture is terrible in the big cities over there. Not only do you not have money, you don't have the time if you want to keep your job.
@@Confelicity_
The birth rate around the world has never been lower. The economy is set to crash and so is the real estate market.
I’m a 23 year old singer father and have a daughter, just knowing how difficult it is, how hard it is to even try and keep family United with a stubborn women on top of the high prices of rent, inflation. It’s very difficult and I’m trying my best to parent my daughter the best I can so she can grow up a normal regular adult in society. A lot of things stopped at my life that other ages would still be doing, I know I can’t afford to go out have dates meet new people for relationships since I choose to be with my daughter most importantly. This is with one child and sadly my daughter will be a single child, atleast from me don’t know about mom. I can’t even think of having another child. I’m going through therapy to keep my mind stable and focus on becoming a better person and parent, I realize I am going to need to fight harder than many people out there at such a young age.
Kids are pretty resilient man
Just give them positive attention, be stern, set boundaries.
But your number on most important goal is to raise a human that will be liked by other humans
If you achieve that, she will have the support system she needs beyond you
That means being stern when you need to, and shaping up rampant behaviour. It means not letting her get sunk into iPhone and social media
For you, don't think glass-half-empty. Your life didn't stop when she arrived. Never think that. Your life only just began when she was born.
Dates and parties and concerts and whatever are all meaningless ecstasy shots
A child will repay a pound of attention with a ton of joy. If nothing else they can distract you from all the suck of life like nothing else.
Lastly, be careful with therapy my friend. Sometimes therapists can lead you to convincing yourself to embody the diagnosis rather than solve it
Times might be tough, but setting a goal and trudging thru it is the best medicine. Your daughter by your side is a bonus ❤
1) People are more career driven -> Your job provides for you, not your family or kids. Makes sense.
2) Close friends -> Well friends do respect your boundaries, as family and kids don’t.
3) Financial -> Choosing to raise kids means giving up on living your life and having a retirement fund. Counting on your family to fund your retirement is asking for broken relationships.
Basically, you need to have money and free time to raise a family. Time for the government to bribe its citizens to have children and a big bribe preferably.
Kids are a massive gamble
So is not having kids.
@@Tomyum19 I would much rather regret not having kids than regret having kids
@@Tomyum19It is easy (and arrogant) to feel justified in creating a new life and gambling with the outcome, when you won’t be the one paying the price for that new existence. When you have a child you are rolling the dice with another person's life, another person's future. How do you justify gambling with another human life?
@@txlyons2937 How are you gambling with another persons life?
In Canada, having a dog is a luc
Boomers tanked the economy so bad, we literally can’t have kids.
A survey of research on happiness came out some years ago. It showed that studies disagreed on almost every aspect of happiness except one---across nearly all of the studies people without children reported feeling happier than those with children. I think people are getting wiser and more thoughtful and realistic, and realizing that marriage and family are not the only paths to a happy and fulfilling life.
Housing costs are high, so is rent. Groceries, gas, and even owning a car are all expensive. The only constant is my paycheck. I'll have to postpone having a baby until I can find a way to manage. I'm just one paycheck away from homelessness.
I can’t afford to eat at McDonalds anymore let alone raise a child
KIDS???!!! You can't even afford to have a pet dog anymore. This economy is absurd and pointless for common folk.
I continue to question why in these last 3 years impoverished people still decided to have babies knowing their financial situation was crumbling.
😂 to me, the most important thing to fulfill life is being accepted by cats.😂😂
It's like the movie Children of Men, only voluntary... this is depressing as all hell...
I can barely live on my income. It cost 10 times my income if i were to have one!
Having children has to be THE most optimistic statement ever in this day and age.
Bringing a child into this crumbling environment. That alone feels like seeing someone off on a suicide mission. "Bye, have fun with the collapsing environment, all chemicals we've thrown into the world you'll inherit. Buckle up for water and other resource wars. Etc."
On top of this, having a child just means one has opted to deposit another resource glutton on the planet, that could possibly suck those resources for 80 - 100 years.
It possible that many say they don't want to have children out these fears, or simply out of a lack of "desire to keep your genes going." Some say it's selfish to have kids. Some say it's selfish not to have kids.
Then there are those sick religion that strongly encourage their followers to have many children to spread their faith. ☹️
Considering the state of the world rn, I do believe people who keep having kids are very selfish. Their offspring didn't choose to come here and deal with a severe lack of resources once they hit their teenage years, it's absolute lunacy to keep this going. I'm 28 and always wanted to be a mom but not anymore, can't even afford a place of my own. Then you add the severe droughts looming over my country in the next years and yes, I feel confident in my decision of not bringing another human to suffer with me.
@eurekamreum5458 🤗 It is tough. You're examples are exactly what I'm thinking of. I just felt many years ago that there were already too many people on the planet and opted to not have children.
It was never a huge drive of mine to have children but still, I made sure to NOT have any.
as a woman, if I would have kids, whether it's with or without a partner, I would have to raise them alone. I don't want to work 16 hours a day. no thanks.
Because people are being more responsible.
The first year of kids is pretty tough on the wallet.
It gets easier as time goes on. After a year or so there basically eating the same food you are.
And depending how determined you are, by year 3 they're out of diapers.
After that it's not too bad.
Well, it’s not too bad until they start preschool and various classes + constantly outgrowing their clothes. I’ve got two and I don’t see how it’s going to get any easier within time.
I disagree. You can get all necessary baby items for free or dirt cheap, and by breastfeeding and using washable diapers it's also dirt cheap. Also free pregnancy followup and delivery vs the US where the hospital bills are insane.
Exactly, it's like all people have swallowed this lie that having kids must be expensive, when it's all about being creative with financial decisions...@@Sekhmet19aspie
One of the situations you might have are these. 1) Son asks, "Dad, can you buy me a car?" You reply, "Son, I can't afford to buy you a car. There's the family car. You borrow it anytime you want." Then son says, "Jimmy's dad bought him a car." 2) Son asks, "Dad, can you buy me a laptop?" You reply, "Son, I can't afford to buy you a laptop. There's the family computer. You can use it anytime you want." Then son says, "Tommy's dad bought him a brand new laptop." Maybe it's better just not to have kids.
@bmoshareholderappleshareho855
Based on your logic if you can't buy your kid everything in the world, it's better just not to have them ? Lol
Life is already hard for rich people.
Bringing a child to this world to make you company in poverty is ignorance, selfishness or both
The survey is flawed. Different source and different age groups
How do you know your prospective child would want to be brought into this world? It's not a particularly nice place, ongoing wars, genocide. Climate change, morally, you could say the carbon footprint is too great. You could adopt down the road once you can afford a house, be a late adoptive mom like Diane Keaton.
There are always wars going on somewhere. I get not having kids because of affordability, but i'm puzzled by the doom and gloom about the state of the world. This is going to be seen in hindsight as a time of global stability. We're not living in the great depression, or the world wars, or the cold war (where nuclear armageddon could have easily broken out over a misunderstanding). The worse thing happening now is that there's a war going on somewhere (like always), and the climate will be warmer in the future than it is now.
@@Zoetheratu wrote all that to say what?
Antinatalism will always win
We are carbon based life forms. There's your "footprint".
Love this! Great breakdown of facts! I have 2 kids and a happy marriage. Not always rosy as it is stressful raising young kids and working full time so I understand some of the points covered in this video. But we love our kids very much and we would do it all over again if we could ❤❤
The cost of living has skyrocketed. There are no houses, no rentals, how are we supposed to start families?? The governments solution- bring in more immigrants, forget about helping our own citizens.
Im not Canadian
But as a woman in the us, I will not be having kids as long as women are forced to carry them.
I feel like I already raised myself so I have zero interest in raising anyone else.
"Fewer people" in Western countries are having babies. Not "fewer people" in Africa, India, Arab countries. They are reproducing at high rates.
Good. There are too many people in this world already. Remember, it's not about quantity, it's about quality.
I would have had kids 9 years ago if I could have afforded it. I was only able to buy a small house in great need of repair 2 years ago. My spouse and I simply could not afford to and we both are middle income, university STEMM field educated and have been working in our careers for 13 years. We are aggressive savers, and notoriously frugal. Now we have to see if fertility is going to hold out in our ages for while we're trying now that we can finally afford children.
The average stem wage in Canada is 63k so that's close to 130k income. Either you chose your career poorly or you are not as frugal as you claim. I bought a house in Ontario for 500k 2 years after college making less than what minimum wages is now.
@@flopes11 For someone in "STEMM", the idea that you're invoking "less than minimum wage now" after one of the worst inflation and cost of living hikes we've seen in generations says a LOT about your unwillingness to approach pretty much ANY argument in good faith. It also says A LOT you fail to disclose WHEN that was, or WHERE. I'm sure anyone could roll up to a bumpkin town in rural Manitoba and buy property and a house, but since most employers refuse to employ out of their geographical locations, that's not realistic, so frankly, cut the crap.
My spouse was teaching in a university developing courses, running labs, and leading research on bariatric studies for cell markers. They made roughly $54k a year before tax despite having a masters degree.
All the labs developing vaccines prior to covid were paying $16/hr, only a dollar higher than minimum wage AND required you be working on your masters.
The house we bought was selling for $60k over it's pre-covid value less than a year prior. We got a notice of tax assessment less than 4 months after possession notifying us that the value had increased by another $30k and our taxes would be increased to reflect that. Just about every single house we put a bid in on was selling for close to $50k over, full cash payment, no house inspection or conditions.
Maybe use your brain and realize that not everything is about you, and just because other people's experiences YEARS after you had yours aren't automatically less than just because they don't fit your bias. Our unwillingness to exceed the 30% threshold for our income was a barrier because we elected to not be house broke, or lose our house when the VERY predictable ballooning inflation jacked up the mortgage rates.
It's called not being a fool with your money.
@@thatsrealroughbud...2394 as someone living in a rural bumpkin town in Manitoba I’m mildly offended lol 😂
@@flopes11 being close to a support system (friends and family) is extremely important for parents. Saying someone should just move would remove them from said support system. While it may solve one problem it creates a new problem.
I'm not telling anyone to move, I'm saying if I can do it in Ontario (second most expensive province), you can do it anywhere in Canada@@lilyc649
Im 41 and have a 2 year old...worst decision of my life. Everything you love to do ends...
What made you think you needed one ?
Thats sad. I wish u the best.
You think of your precious child as the "worst decision of your life"? It's a good thing that that isn't God's view.
Psalm 27:10 KJV - When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
Your first comparison said 2024 was age groups 18-34 and the 2023 was age groups 18-40. So 2023 included additional age groups.
And your 2022 and 2001 comparisons were also different age groups: 15-49 and 20-34. So your statements are misleading. Did you not notice that?
Everything society shows me about kids makes raising them inherently unappealing. Parents are the ones doing the heaviest lifting there.
I have had to make peace with the fact I won't get to have a home, I wont get to make my own family, I don't know what I am working and living for. I can't afford anything but survival
The way you're framing your life suggests that you feel like you have no control. If I were you I'd consider the things that you do have control over and focus on those because when you feel like you have no control in your life it's stressful and a large step towards depression.
@@DAMfoxygrampa Lmao surprising how forcing whole generations into poverty does that. You can huff your hopium all you want, but eventually the rose tinted glasses will fall off when you lose your job and end up like the rest of us bud.
@@VioletStorm2288 You are one toxic individual
@@DAMfoxygrampa Whatever floats your boat, just don't comfort yourself to the point you can't accept reality. You will have to grow mental strength to endure the next few decades of collapse, if you can survive.
@@VioletStorm2288
Jesus is taking His people out of here and then after that is the "great tribulation". You can actually just choose to leave instead.
Titus 2:13 KJV - Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Matthew 24:21 KJV - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
People can barely afford a house, college, car, college loans, auto insurance, etc. Then our government has the nerve to ask why is the birth rate is low
My sister and her husband both work and still can't afford to raise their kid. They work at a mine and lumber mill so they are not unskilled.
I have 18 aunts and uncles; but they all come from a time when you had to have 10-12 kids because of how high the infant mortality was and because a sinking ship or a house fire would wipe out a whole family. That's just part of what happens when Canada/Newfoundland became more developed and now people have to get used to immigration and settlers coming in and taking specialist positions because there literally isn't enough people otherwise to look after the elderly.
Climate change, NotZ's, war, money. Take your pick about why not to have a kid. The better question is why should I make one instead of adopting? My family has been heavily involved in foster care and that might colour my opinion on ever wanting to have kids.
I did my best but I couldn't make the world a better place and I don't want to leave it that way for my niece and nephew.
Choosing not to have kids is the best thing anyone can do for the planet, and all existing life on earth. Our population jumped by 5 billion within the last hundred years. Anyone who's paying attention can see how big of a problem overpopulation is.
Overpopulation is a myth.
I'm a 41 year old woman get my period every 28 days... i want children but never can afford them. I'm alone no family to help me. I'm struggling to pay for rent and food. I can barely afford to feed my self. I wish as a woman a relative could have left me an inheritance but the people in my family who died left me nothing... im the only female child in my maternal line so the maternal lineage ends with me.
I hope u find peace.
I was lucky I had a son at 17 back in the early 2000’s. I ended up a single mom and back then you could survive off one decent income. I never had any more but I’m so thankful I had him when I did. Life has gotten about 3x more expensive since then. No idea how single moms are doing it now.
You can't have kids now unless you are rich or well off.
It's just not feasible in Canada.
A macdonald's burger meal costs roughly $9 per person.
Can you imagine 2 adults and 2 kids?
That's roughly $35 for one fast food family meal.
This was a good video, specially the part about sources of fulfillment in life.