'I'm Poor. That's Why': 12 People On Why They Don't Want Kids
Twice as many 18- to 25-year-olds now say they don’t want kids than those asked 15 years ago (15% vs 7-8%), per the BBC.
A survey on this topic involving over 14,000 people was released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) this year. It found that, often, “the issue is lack of choice, not desire, with major consequences for individuals and societies”.
Just over half (54%) of respondents cited “economic concerns” as a reason for not having kids, while 24% mentioned health issues, for instance.
But those are far from the only reasons. Plenty of people, like me, simply never fancied the idea.
That’s why I was so interested to read the answers to a post shared in r/AskReddit by u/Ok-Musician679: “People who don’t want kids, why?”
Here are some of the most-upvoted responses:
1) “The simplest answer is that I lack the desire.”
“No part of me wants a kid, to raise, a kid, etc, etc.”
Credit:u/EgyptianDevil78
“This is it. I don’t want a kid in the same way that I don’t want to take up sailing boats as a hobby,” u/ofstoriesandsongs agreed.
“There’s nothing wrong with sailing boats, people do that, it’s a fine thing to do, but I just don’t have an interest in it.”
2) “I’m poor. That’s why.”
“At the end of the day, that’s the truth of it. Daycare can [cost thousands]. Getting groceries for a family is a monthly endeavour. Baby formula itself is a lot, clothes, schooling, and education.
“You must commit to that child. You [can’t] have bad days anymore... You have to keep caring on a daily basis.
“And that’s hard.”
Credit: u/GhostPantherAssualt
3) “I have never felt the desire to be pregnant. I would hate every minute of it.”
“I can’t even deal with having a splinter in my finger. A life form growing inside me? Absolutely not.”
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4) “Because I’d be a fucking horrible parent and no kid deserves that.”
Credit: u/UnoriginalUse
5) “Truthfully, I just don’t have any parental urge.”
“I’ve (75m) never regretted my decision.”
Credit: u/QuantumConversation
6) “Hmmm, maybe because I can’t even afford to rent a studio apartment, even though I work full-time? Could that be it?”
Credit: u/justcurious3287
7) “After a stressful day, I can’t imagine anything worse than coming home to screaming, crying and completely dependent beings.”
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8) ”*Gestures broadly*”
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9) “Financially, I feel like it would be a death sentence.”
“And I don’t want to bring a life into this world that I can’t properly take care of. Also, selfishly, it would cut into my ability to do and enjoy certain things.
“I really just don’t have my life together enough to be responsible for a child for at least 18 years. I can barely take care of myself.”
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10) “I like sleeping.”
Credit: u/Adventurous_Set_3364
11) “As a woman, I would maaaybe be interested in being a dad. I have no interest in being a mum.”
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12) “Because I don’t.”
“Believe it or not, you don’t need a reason.”
Credit:u/astrielx