Posted on 08/04/2013 8:34:51 AM PDT by Kip Russell
One evening when she was 14 years old, Laura Scott was washing dishes in the kitchen with her mother when she decided she didn't want to have a child. At 26, Scott got married and waited for her mind to change. "It never happened," she says. "And I realized I was going to be fine." Now 50, Scott is more than fine: she's fulfilled. And she's not alone. The birthrate in the U.S. is the lowest in recorded American history. From 2007 to 2011, the most recent year for which there's data, the fertility rate declined 9%. A 2010 Pew Research report showed that childlessness has risen across all racial and ethnic groups, adding up to about 1 in 5 American women who end their childbearing years maternity-free, compared with 1 in 10 in the 1970s.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
...and when I say your lifestyle, it is general, not specific.
Well, if I'm going to be perfectly honest, at least part of the reason I don't want children could possibly be described as selfishness. I was recently speaking with someone at work, and the subject of which countries we'd each been to came up. I mentioned that I'd been to Canada, Iceland, Germany, France, Italy, England, Scotland, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Cayman Islands, and was about to go to South Africa.
To which she said, "You must not have any kids". I grinned.
Being childless (or, if you want to use the latest fad word, "childfree") allows me to take frequent vacations and buy the latest toys, and still save substantial amounts of money...and that's the way I like it.
Now, as for "disobedience"...that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Who exactly am I being disobedient towards?
I'd say that's more a function of them being leftists than anything else.
Being childless and happy is fine. Whatever works for you. However, cultures and societies need to embrace growth of families in order to survive.
Rabbits don’t care for their offspring much emotionally. In Evolutionary Ecology, it is called low-investment, single-parenting, and it exists as a way to maximize offspring production, along with fleeing from danger, promiscuity, earlier sexualization of young, and selfishness/lack of loyalty.
It is all part of the r-selected reproductive strategy, which is designed to exploit resource gluts by hedonistically producing as many offspring as possible, as fast as possible, to out-reproduce everyone else.
Here, the intellectual ability to enjoy the promiscuity, and reduce parental investment to zero with birth control and abortion is going to gradually eliminate any Liberal who can actually plan ahead and use birth control. In a hundred years, most Liberals will basically be Rachael Jeantel, since that is all this new selective pressure will leave behind.
Liberals hate to think that all that they stand for is just a bunch of urges which emerge to exploit our present resource glut, but that is all the entire ideology is.
They are the rabbit people in our species.
I tend to agree with earlier posters that maybe it's a blessing that the terminally self-centered don't want kids. But it is sad that some of these people are nominally intelligent and otherwise productive - while the nonproductive and unintelligent seem to be exuberantly fertile. The formula for the end of our society, n'est-ce pas?
Between the gays and the selfish non-parents, a lot of dead branches on those family trees.
There have always been people who don’t want to have kids. Unfortunately, most did not figure it out until they had a few.
To yourself and all of those generations of predecessors who made you. All those parents and grandparents who sacrificed to bring you about wasted their time when it came to your turn.
Really happy for you that you travelled a lot. So did I, but the Marine Corps covered the travelling expenses and I still managed to have several worthy descendants anyway.
So...by not having children, I'm disobeying a command I gave to myself. It's odd, I don't recall giving myself such an order...any idea exactly when I do so?
and all of those generations of predecessors who made you.
I also seemed to have missed the part where my great-great-great-great grandfather commanded every one of his great-great-great-great grandchildren, "Hey! I need some great-great-great-great-great grandkids. Get crackin'!"
My parents are still around, mind you...and they don't have the slightest problem with the fact that I don't have kids...so your premise that my predecessors (of which my parents certainly qualify) wasted their time seems flawed at best.
Really happy for you that you travelled a lot. So did I, but the Marine Corps covered the travelling expenses
Thank you for your service. Having a received a medical discharge from the Army shortly after volunteering, I've had to cover my expenses myself.
I still managed to have several worthy descendants anyway.
Good for you! (and no, that's not sarcasm) To each their own, yes?
if not having children means killing numerous babies in the womb, you are definitely disobeying God
Given that I've never killed babies in the womb (let alone numerous ones), I still don't know of anyone I've disobeyed.
I can't speak for your parents, but I would be severely disappointed if any of my children chose not to have kids/didn't want to be a Marine.
Well, lucky for you, Kip, that MY family is taking up the slack. WHO will replace the conservative voters that YOU’RE not raising? Me, of course.
I’m one of 7 children, my parents have at least 20 grand children some great grand children, and we’re all conservative voters. I have 9 kids and one grand child so far.
You’re welcome. Send me a postcard! ;-)
BUMP!
My wife & I are sixtysomething with no children. Just happened that way. We are both only children, just happened that way, too. But about fifteen years ago we were at our unit’s Family Day (we are both retired Army Reserve warrant officers, just happened that way) where soldiers & family members gather & socialize.
One soldier’s wife who at the time had two very expensive teenage daughters (each wanting new clothes & a car just to start college with) asked us if we had children. We said no. Asked us if we had siblings. We said no, neither of us.
“How could you do that to your mothers!!?” she hissed, and stormed off.
Isn’t it nice to know that no matter what you do that someone, somewhere is going to think you’re wrong?
;^)
Bump....
At least, that's the story ... but in practice, the people who believe children are too much trouble often believe birth control is too much trouble, as well. Why else would "emergency contraception" suddenly be the nation's highest priority drug?
Perhaps the blitz promotion of homosexuality will make a difference. Whatever else one may say about homosexual relations, they never, in the course of nature, produce a baby. So simple, so foolproof, no pills, devices, or costs ...
Kids are as expensive as you want them to be.
Cloth diapers, consignment sales, breast feeding, homeschooling, teach them frugality & productivity, make them start a business & build a home before moving out - cheap.
Disposable diapers, new boutique clothing, formula, premium private schools, endless “educational” toys, new car at 16 - expensive.
My decision came in the fifth grade. Reinforced in junior/high School. Nothing is ‘forever’ and though this country and way of life has lasted over 100 years, even 60+ years ago it was thought that changes were occurring (even to a child no more than 12 years old)
To bring another being into a world gone mad was never an option. To be responsible for doing was not considered lightly. Regrets, none thus far My siblings children are enough for me at this time Selfish....hardly!
Did he express any regret at not having had children? If not, why fault him for not choosing the path you chose?
I would be severely disappointed if any of my children chose not to have kids/didn't want to be a Marine.
It's not about what you want or your legacy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.