Child-free: More women choosing not to have kids | On Balance

The U.S. birthrate is down 13% over the past 20 years, as more women are choosing not to have children. Liberty Vittert, features editor of the Harvard Data Science Review, examines fertility by state, changing career choices, and the birthrate’s impact on the economy.

#children #birthrate #economy

"On Balance with Leland Vittert" takes a critical look at some of the day's hottest subjects. Weekdays at 7p/6C.

NewsNation is your source for fact-based, unbiased news for all America.

[oceania]

i don’t give a damn about the tax system . i’m not bringing kids into this world

[miriamwells]

It’s not just economics - it’s all the wars, poverty, insecurity etc. Many have looked around and decided it’s not a good world to bring kids into.

[dudettex]

My god people, kids aren't brought into this world as a backup plan for your old age loneliness! It's like holding someone hostage by their DNA. If this is the reason you want kids, don't! I was told my whole life I would change my mind and I never did. "But you'll be lonely and die alone". There are 8 billion individuals on this planet! Go find your people, your ride or dies. My heart is full of love for the people I have and I don't have to guilt them to spend time with me because of genetics.

[haveaseatmarj]

Its also important to note finding the "right" partner to have a "family" with, such a major factor

[theMermaidRhonda]

How about helping women with the cost of childbirth, daycare, medical costs of raising a child? Once a child is born, the cost is insane. When people don't make enough to live on, how do you expect them to bring even more humans into their family? Stop claiming the party of "family values" gives a crap about women and children. Women are not walking incubators, nor are we broodmares. Stop reducing women to nothing more than baby machines. Children are not an obligation, they are a choice.

[fulanichild]

As a female senior citizen, the decision to not have children was the best decision of my life. Zero regrets.

[Europa]

The thing about dying alone is nonsense. Both my parents died in the early morning hours, in comas and all alone. Also, I worked as a weekend receptionist at a nursing home and the majority of residents got zero visits from their adult children.

[manarcabrera]

One of my son’s and my granddaughter don’t want to have children. It’s their choice.

[josiemchannel]

I'm glad I never brought a child into this mess

[mikoda]

The future isn't promising, especially in this economy. Naturally I'm childfree, but I am childfree also because this world is definitely a world I do not want to force (birth) nonconsenting people into.

[GG-tgub]

I'm 48 and never wanted kids. No regrets. People on here talking about dying alone and who's going to take care of you are clueless. When I was in my 20s I worked at an assisted living facility and let you assure you, there were lots of parents there who's kids never visited them. If you end up alone, it's not because you didn't have kids. Nurture your friendships throughout life and you will always have someone to talk to. Toxic people end up alone. I'm not going to waste my youth just to incubate a human who may or may not be around for me in my old age.

[deeporter]

Being childfree suits me just fine. I'm 68, married for 33 years. I have no regrets at all about my choice, as a matter of fact I have always felt confident about it. Being an introvert is my nature and I prefer a quite life filled with my hobbies, my cozy home in the woods and my partner. I have never felt societal pressure to have kids. Some of the most miserable, malcontent people I know are the ones who had kids before really being prepared for them.

[Europa]

Student debt is crippling a lot of people of child bearing age. The cost of housing, abysmally poor support for working parents in the U.S. including wage destroying daycare costs, are probably a few reasons people are not having kids. This is before you even get to the personal reasons, freedom gone, sleep deprivation and having to raise and support children until they are in their mid-20's and out of college.

[triggered]

Lol, I’m a childless woman in my early 30’s and as I’ve become more aware of how badly this pisses the Right off, the more secure and happy I am with my decision. 😂Let these breeders have another child for every child they think the rest of us should be having. None of their damn business what we choose to do with our lives. We’re not broodmares.

[msladya]

Nobody wants to bring kids into this hell hole.

[LazrCat]

Not everyone can or should have kids. And yeah, the vast majority of immigrants just want to make a better life for themselves, I don't see why we can't let them stay and contribute. Seems like the best solution to me.

[alyssaoliver]

Over 143million orphans on Earth, according to Oxfam. No need to breed.Too many is too many.

[savagesweetheart]

I'd rather use that $380, 000 for something else than a child

[kellycowley]

It's far better to regret not having kids then to regret having them. If you are on the fence about it then please don't have kids (until you know for certain at least).

[lavendersprig]

Kids are a lot of work and women go through excruciating hell to have them . None of this is a picnic .