Americans Are Having Fewer Babies. They Told Us Why.

[brooklynite]

New York Times

Americans are having fewer babies. At first, researchers thought the declining fertility rate was because of the recession, but it kept falling even as the economy recovered. Now it has reached a record low for the second consecutive year.
Because the fertility rate subtly shapes many major issues of the day — including immigration, education, housing, the labor supply, the social safety net and support for working families — there’s a lot of concern about why today’s young adults aren’t having as many children. So we asked them.

Wanting more leisure time and personal freedom; not having a partner yet; not being able to afford child-care costs — these were the top reasons young adults gave for not wanting or not being sure they wanted children, according to a new survey conducted by Morning Consult for The New York Times.

Why Young Adults Are Having Fewer Children Than Their Ideal Number
For the people who said they had or expected to have fewer children than they considered ideal, here’s the share that cited each of these reasons as a factor.

Child care is too expensive 64%
Want more time for the children I have 54
Worried about the economy 49
Can’t afford more children 44
Waited because of financial instability 43
Want more leisure time 42
Not enough paid family leave 39
No paid family leave 38
Worried about global instability 37
Struggle with work-life balance 36
Worried about domestic politics 36
Met a partner too late 34
Worried about climate change 33
Responsible for other family care 29
Worried about population growth 27
Prioritized my education and career 23
Split from my partner 22
Partner doesn't want children 19
Don't think I'm a good parent 13

By The New York Times | Source: Morning Consult survey of 1,858 men and women ages 20 to 45

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Know what? If the sentiment is that more babies should be born, I have some suggestions.

If a woman is unmarried and wants a child without the "benefit" of marriage, support her choice.

If a child is born to a unmarried woman, then don't label this child as 'bastard" or "illegitimate".

If a woman has an unplanned pregnancy, don't treat her as promiscuous or label her as "knocked up".

If a woman is unmarried and living with her family, her family shouldn't shun her but welcome the new baby and expand the family. And the family should defend her and the baby against criticism from the rest of the family, their church, and the rest of society.


Any baby born out of wedlock should be welcomed and the church community share in its care until the mother gets secure financially and employment-wise.

[RobinA]

10. Frankly,

I see too many people with too many children. I have a family member who had more children than he could afford. As a result, the kids are not prepared for life in the real world and the parents aren't prepared for retirement. A whole passel of children who cannot earn a living. Sad.

[Renew Deal]

2. A lot of financial reasons at the top of that list

And a lot of those are not issues in other modern countries.

[Hekate]

3. Bingo

[lagomorph777]

7. ...and NYT deliberately shuffled the list in their preamble to make people look selfish.

They put "want more leisure time" first in their summary; in the actual ranking it's #6. The real top reasons are all about lack of resources and social support. In other words, our disastrous drift rightward.

[Ohiogal]

8. I don't think

every single person on this Earth is cut out to be a parent. And I have 3 grown sons so I think I know what I'm talking about!

Having kids is a HUGE sacrifice. Kiss your 8 hours of sleep, leisure time, and money good bye. If you're a mother, your career will most likely suffer. Lots of hard work, stress and worry, too.

I love my kids more than life itself, but I would never, NEVER criticize people who don't want to have kids. It's a personal choice. I support all choice. And I don't see the low birth rate as a problem, either, as some journalists are presenting it.

[lagomorph777]

9. I agree with that too (I am a non-parent).

There are many good reasons to not have kids, one of the best is that the last thing this planet needs is even more people.

[smirkymonkey]

11. Thanks Ohiogal!

I am one of those people who has always known that I have never wanted children. I love my nieces and nephews, and my friends' children, but I can only take them in small doses. I don't dislike children, but I have never been particularly maternal and I am very introverted so I need my space, peace and quiet. I have always known that and known that I would probably not be a very good parent. I am very much in my head and as much as I don't like to admit it, probably pretty selfish as well.

I seem to have endless patience for dogs and have no problem putting their needs before mine, but for some reason, I just don't seem to have the same instinct with children. I was the oldest of four and my parents both worked and weren't around much so I was expected to take care of my siblings and keep the house clean, etc. I resented it deeply so maybe that had something to do with it. My step-mother was also very abusive toward me and even though I believe I would never be like her, I was always afraid that I could end up treating someone else the way she treated me. I would never, ever want to subject a child to that.

I think people should do what is best for them. But most of all, I believe people should think long and hard about what kind of parent they would be and not take the decision lightly. Some people really aren't cut out to be parents and the children are the ones who suffer. I have seen it too many times.

[MineralMan]

12. Overpopulation was the reason for my decision not

to reproduce. I made it in 1965, the same year I became an atheist. It was also the same year that I went to Selma, Alabama to see Dr. King and listen to a speech he made in Montgomery. It was the year of my awakening.

I was true to my pledge not to reproduce, and married partners who shared that concept.

[Ohiogal]

4. In all honesty

If I were part of a young couple today .... and knowing what I know now .... I don't know if I'd want to have children, either.

We have about the most anti-child, anti-family policies in the entire world here in the US among developed countries, despite what the conservatives will yammer about them being pro family and pro life. NO guaranteed or affordable health care ....NO paid parental leave ..... NO help paying for child care ..... paying for college is a huge worry ..... parents bogged down paying off their own college loans for years and years .....All these things are fixable, yet Republicans vehemently oppose each and every one.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. +1000

I cannot recommend what you said more. Right on the nose!

[gratuitous]

5. Richard Anderson at Balloon Juice had a post on this very article

https://www.balloon-juice.com/2018/07/06/kids-are-expensive/

TL, DR version: "Daycare required payment in full for the upcoming month by the 28th of the current month every single month. We were paying effectively college tuition in cash every month." This at a time in life (20s, maybe 30s) when a couple's earning power is just getting going.

Anderson's post is not terribly long, but it lays out a lot of good information.

[brooklynite]

13. MEANWHILE.....

Americans, In Theory, Think Larger Families Are Ideal

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Despite declining U.S. birth rates since the 2007-2009 recession, Americans' views on ideal family size are moving in the other direction. Currently, 41% of U.S. adults think that families of three or more children is ideal. That is up from 38% in 2013 and 34% in 2011, and is the highest Gallup has seen on this measure since 1997 -- although it is well below the 77% high point in 1945.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/236696/americans-theory-think-larger-families-ideal.aspx

[smirkymonkey]

14. I don't understand how people can afford to have more than one or two children.

The expense is crippling, especially if both parents work and you have to pay for day care. Never mind if you want to send them to college and give them a decent upbringing.

Also, I just see how much my siblings spend on their kids and how much work it is and it just blows my mind. I have to give them credit for being good parents, but I find it overwhelming. I suppose it is a good thing that I never decided to have them.