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Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

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Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#881

Post by [deleted] »

beltsazar wrote: post #558
voidfunc wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just don't have any interest in kids. They're expensive and they require a ton of sacrifice. I'd rather travel, golf, do hobbies and generally enjoy my life. The only people that seem to want me to have babies are my parents so they can have grand kids... too which I've told them "Thank you for having me, but that's not a valid reason for me to sacrifice my life". I don't really care about the preservation of the h…

> I don't really care about the preservation of the human species. I'm going to be dead in the next 40 years or so, why should I care? If most Homo sapiens had the same attitude, the species would have gone extinct since forever lol. You can have any personal goal you'd like, but from the evolution perspective, the purpose of any living organism is to survive and to reproduce, hence preserving its own species. That's…

[deleted]

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#882

Post by VirusNewbie »

thinkingtoilet wrote: post #793
conradludgate wrote: post #353

Why are people so obsessed about it I have children? I'm married and we've decided we don't want to have kids. It really bothers me when people say "oh you're missing out, that's such a shame". Please think about what you are saying. It doesn't matter if I'm gay, infertile, poor, depressed, or just don't want them. Please keep your judgements to yourself or even just stop judging others.

I have kids and I actively tell people not to have kids if you don't really really really want them. It's not a pleasant experience most of the time. You do you. I'm not judging you at all.

I have a kid, it's great most of the time. My theory is some people struggle with life, and if that's the case, having a child can increase the struggle.

Conversely, if someone enjoys life and things are going well, a child can often enrich it even further.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#883

Post by RankingMember »

samplatt wrote: post #106
samatman wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

What distemper? Also, your second sentence contradicts your first one, just FYI.

Classic online "I'm taking care to reply to make sure you know how much I don't care"

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#884

Post by mensetmanusman »

brailsafe wrote: post #342
atomicnumber3 wrote: post #16

Anecdata: I am 31 and have 3 young kids. They have 0 cousins and, on top of that, 0... second cousins? Cousins-once-removed? Whatever the one is for my cousin's kids. My kids are my grandma's only great-grandkids. And I have... 6 cousins. On top of that, at my last job, on my team of 15, I was the only one with kids, and only 1 of those 15 engineers were under the age of 30. At my current job, my team is 8, and again…

Well, I have had jobs that have paid well, but not for long. If you're not working backwards from an accidental pregnancy, you just have to consider the volatility of your life, and the prospects for the future. My dad had me when he was 21, accidentally, in a time not so long ago where various alternatives weren't super available, and made it work (horribly) until they divorced, in one of the poorest and most isolat…

If you go into a trade now, within 4 months into the apprenticeship you will be making money.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#885

Post by VirusNewbie »

conradludgate wrote: post #353

Why are people so obsessed about it I have children? I'm married and we've decided we don't want to have kids. It really bothers me when people say "oh you're missing out, that's such a shame". Please think about what you are saying. It doesn't matter if I'm gay, infertile, poor, depressed, or just don't want them. Please keep your judgements to yourself or even just stop judging others.

My wife spent 35 years of her life never wanting kids, and suddenly was 51% for trying to see if we could have a kid, with much trepidation.

It worked out, and almost every day, certainly every week, she says she's so thankful she changed her mind just enough that she could be a mom. It is nothing like she envisioned it.

We also have friends who didn't want kids and then regretted it, and my wife sees her self in those people. If circumstances were different, she feels like she would have missed out on one of the best things that ever happened to her.

So I think that's why some people are so enthusiastic.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#886

Post by thijson »

11101010001100 wrote: post #727
sethammons wrote: post #475

Earlier quoted context omitted.

fwiw every 40yo I know who had kids at that age wish they did it earlier when they had more energy. Wealth building is easier in your 40s however for most

I didn't realize how physical raising a kid is. The chasing, the lifting, the playing ... they don't stop!

I got a lower back injury from changing diapers. I just wasn't used to bending over while standing I guess.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#887

Post by RankingMember »

atomicnumber3 wrote: post #16

Anecdata: I am 31 and have 3 young kids. They have 0 cousins and, on top of that, 0... second cousins? Cousins-once-removed? Whatever the one is for my cousin's kids. My kids are my grandma's only great-grandkids. And I have... 6 cousins. On top of that, at my last job, on my team of 15, I was the only one with kids, and only 1 of those 15 engineers were under the age of 30. At my current job, my team is 8, and again…

> It baffles me.

You're just being silly or really unimaginative if someone making different choices than you on as life-altering a subject as children "baffles" you.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#888

Post by lotsofpulp »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #866
lumost wrote: post #725

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presuming that wealth and education are increasing in the general population - wouldn't this pose a problem for the future?

Demographic collapse will bring poverty allowing for the continuation of humanity.

Technically, it is lack of women's independence and rights that cause the higher fertility rates. This is often correlated with societal poverty, but not a necessary condition.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#889

Post by lotsofpulp »

thijson wrote: post #886
11101010001100 wrote: post #727

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't realize how physical raising a kid is. The chasing, the lifting, the playing ... they don't stop!

I got a lower back injury from changing diapers. I just wasn't used to bending over while standing I guess.

I never understood why people don't just change diapers on the ground. Less risky, easy cleanup, no bending over.

Re: Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

#890

Post by baq »

webdood90 wrote: post #819
baq wrote: post #796

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is. Who will buy your products and services 20-30 years from today? If the question sounds ridiculous, trust me it isn't. You can look at demographics of China, or if you don't particularly care about that but care about finance, long duration government debt.

> Who will buy your products and services 20-30 years from today? Won't someone think of the poor capitalists! That's a sad excuse to bring a life into this world. A world that suffers from the side effects of capitalism, ironically.

Life doesn’t need excuses. It happens on its own. Human ability to stop it from happening reliably is rather new.

The poor capitalist is only one sad person. The poor dictator or emperor or tsar is another. The childless by choice middle class city dwellers who suddenly realize there’s no one young enough to provide the products and services they require to continue their hedonistic lifestyles are another still.

There’s a conspiracy theory I don’t subscribe to which says Covid and vaccines are a depopulation program. But we don’t need one…

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