We have been used to the traditional way, upbringing, and unit when we say the word ‘family.’ Tagged along the word family is a mom, a dad, children, and maybe a pet. For a long time, this is what has been normally pictured. However, in today’s modern world, the common knowledge of what we think of when we say family is gradually transforming into something different. So different than the unit is no longer a mom, a dad, children, and a pet. In this day and age, a family can look like two couples may it be married or not, into a home, with a dog as their baby. In modern families of today’s society, it is no longer an unspoken requirement to have kids.
This may be shocking for a lot of traditional people, but slowly people are resorting to ditching pregnancies and babies. With everything that comes with children, a lot of couples have decided that it’s probably not the best for their partnership and for the household they want to have. With their decision to no longer have offspring, they resort to different and more sustainable options such as having a pet and treating them like their child. There are, however, people that still stick to the idea that not having anything to take care of is the best way to go. For others, some would rather stick to not having any type of conventional unit to be a so-called family. Instead, their living with friends is what they consider a family of their own. There’s no mother, father, or children just pure friendship in the household.
Why Modern Families Don’t Want Kids
There are many reasons why today’s modern world chooses to go to a completely different route rather than conforming to the traditional way. A lot of people wonder what are the reasons exactly as to why they would resort to this. If you’re one of those people who is mind-boggled about the idea of married couples saying pass on having children, here are some reasons why married couples say no to children.
1. They can’t afford the expenses of having a child
If you’re a parent, then you know heavy expenses are when it comes to having children. From the very moment that you find out you’re pregnant, the expenses keep coming in. Checking up with the doctor every month, the vitamins you have to take for a healthier baby and a healthier you, and down to giving birth. All that doesn’t come for free. And while you think the moment you bear a child, all the expenses stop, they just keep flowing in. The truth is, having a child is a lifetime commitment and this means you are responsible for every ounce of their being until they start to be of legal age. It is not only the needs that you have to provide but you also need to give them their wants. You cannot raise a child that has everything they need but at the same time, feels left out and sad because the necessities are only what you can afford to give them. Some couples say that if they cannot give their child a good and comfortable life, they would rather not have any children at all. This doesn’t mean being selfish. If anything, it’s more of being selfless because you wouldn’t want an innocent child to experience hardship in a world where you cannot give them the proper comfort they need. It is somehow true that a lot of children before and even today have experienced trauma because their lifestyle is at the lowest of the low. The idea of not being like other kids gets to them. Most of the time, their parents fight because of finances and that in itself is something that is very unhealthy for children.
2. It sometimes causes the breakdown of a relationship
This leads us to our next reason, which is the welfare of the couple’s relationship may come to a deterioration. Couples on their own, without any children, face very difficult and challenging moments. Some of these challenging moments actually lead to breakups. Imagine if aside from the problem only being focused on the relationship itself, there are also other problems they have to deal with such as problems with who takes care of the child, financial problems due to raising a family, the proper upbringing of a child. If the relationship isn’t strong enough, it is bound to fail one way or another. Some couples would rather not take the risk.
3. Fights can ruin a child’s mental health
Even without children, regardless of their longevity, a lot of relationships tend to fall apart due to a lot of misunderstandings. But when there are children that can be affected by these misunderstandings, it can get a lot worse. It is not only their partner who they are hurting but as well as their children. There are many cases wherein children who have trouble socializing, those that may be bullies in school, those that are just generally having a hard time as compared to other kids, are products of constantly fighting parents. Because of this, more couples have come to the realization that it just might be better to never involve children in fights. Never let them witness fights. The best way to do this? To not have any kids.
4. They opt to go for pets because it’s more sustainable
Unlike a child where there’s a lot to keep in mind and a lot to handle, pets are all that minus the overwhelming hassle. With pets, while they can also be hard to maintain, there very minimal to worry about instead of an actual baby. First, their more affordable to take care of. Of course, you don’t have to pay for tuition fees and all those other expenses. Second, they provide comfort too. Even though pets may not always be super expressive in terms of words, their gesture says it all. Third, it’s less of a responsibility. For children, you have to make sure that they're doing good in school, how to socialize, how to handle stress, and how to be a good person overall, it really is a handful. For pets, simple training does the job for almost all things. With that, couples see it as a more sustainable option that still gives them happiness.
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