Most parents - and many non-parents - don't expect to have kids in the future

[brooklynite]

Pew Research Center:

About seven-in-ten U.S. parents younger than 50 (71%) say it’s unlikely they will have more children in the future – and among childless adults in the same age group, about four-in-ten (37%) say they don’t ever expect to become parents, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in July and August.

Most parents under 50 – and many childless adults – don't expect to have kids in the futureAmong parents under 50, four-in-ten say they’re not likely to have more kids in the future because they just don’t want to, while 30% point to some other reason for not expecting to have more kids, according to the survey. Among childless adults under 50, meanwhile, around a quarter (23%) say they’re unlikely to have children in the future because they just don’t want to, while 14% name some other reason for not expecting to have kids.

Parents ages 40 to 49 stand out as being far more likely than those under 40 to say they don’t expect to have more children. About nine-in-ten parents ages 40 to 49 (91%) say they are unlikely to have more children in the future, compared with 56% of parents younger than 40. Three-in-ten childless adults in this younger age group say they are unlikely to become parents someday (there are too few childless adults ages 40 to 49 in the sample to analyze them separately).

Medical reasons top list for why parents don't expect more kids.The survey asked those who say there is some other reason why they don’t expect to have more children or to have children at all to elaborate on those reasons. The responses of childless adults cannot be analyzed due to the small number of respondents in this category, but among parents who don’t expect to have more kids, the most common response is that either they or their partner is unable to have children due to a medical reason (41% of parents ages 18 to 49 say this). Age is the second-most cited reason, given by 25% of these respondents. A small share (6%) cites financial reasons, such as the cost of child care, and 3% say they either don’t have a partner or that their partner doesn’t want to have more children.

I fall into the "never interested" category.

[MLAA]

1. I'm in the same category you are in, just never felt driven.

It’s such a big job, I figured one should feel very strongly about it or pass.

[Igel]

2. I found a French phrase useful.

L'appetit vient en mangeant. "Appetite comes while eating."

Didn't want kids. No interest. No finances. I just couldn't see how my life could possibly be rearranged around a little glob of snot-producing, peeing and crapping crying chaos.

But my wife did. Had kid.

Things settled down, and now I can't see how my life can possibly be rearranged when he finishes high school and heads to college.

It's really helped me understand my father better. The entire process, start to where I am and can predict, it helps make sense of his life and what I saw and how he acted.

[brooklynite]

4. And if you hadn't?

My wife works very long hours; if we had children, and I was assumed to be their primary caregiver, I could have become very resentful towards her and them.

[CountAllVotes]

3. Literally no maternal instincts, none

I did not want any kids and I had none.

Mission accomlished!

Hallelujah!

[smirkymonkey]

6. Same here.

Absolutely no interest. I don't regret it at all.

[SoCalDem]

5. Prime child bearing years (for women) are 20-30-ish...

Women are at the peak of their fertility in their 20s, after which fertility starts to decline and the overall risk of infertility increases with age. Between 31 and 35 years of age, the chance of spontaneously conceiving decreases about 3% per year

and even though single parenthood is no longer taboo, it's still incredibly difficult and expensive, so women probably prefer to be married or paired up..With more and more people waiting until mid 30's or later to marry, conception/pregnancy becomes harder and harder and even insanely expensive (in vitro etc)..

Many young folks have insane levels of college debt and rather sketchy gig-economy jobs.. These feature into postponing children..

Effective birth control has made oopsie pregnancies all but extinct...except for teens who think it cannot happen to THEM..

[Codeine]

7. Never wanted any

and ended up with two stepkids. They are both delightful and infuriating in turn, and have probably been the source of more stress than anything else in my entire life, but I’m glad I can be here for them.

I still would never make any of my own. Nobody needs my genetic payload of myopia, male pattern baldness, fishbelly paleness, and scrawniness.

[tavernier]

10. Lucky them.

[allgood33]

8. i am finding out that my grandchildren's generation mostly don't want children.

My grands are 12 and 14. They are too busy trying to prepare for survival.

[Vinca]

9. I've always thought it was weird I had no maternal instinct. Now I'm thankful.

When I see infants I feel sorry for them first and think they're kind of cute second. What kind of world will they inherit?

[Johonny]

11. The cost of kids these days is $$$$. Who is making $$$$?

[The_jackalope]

12. In 1970 I read Erlich's "Population Bomb"

And in 1972 I read "Limits to Growth". Those books made my decision for me. I've never regretted it.