More than at any prior time in history, people are choosing not to have children. Millennials have driven this trend, which is expected to increase with Generation Z. Here are 10 reasons Millennials aren’t having babies.
30. Too Much Pressure
Millenials are pressured by their peers, parents, and society to have children. And sometimes putting too much pressure on a person can have the opposite effect of the desired result. People should have kids because they want to, not because they feel pressured.
29. They Are Happy As Aunts And Uncles
It takes a village to raise a child. Teachers, family friends, aunts, and uncles are just as important to a child’s development as a parent is. Some people would rather be the fun aunt or uncle who babysits occasionally rather than a full time parent.
28. Pets Don’t Talk Back
Some millennials are happy to take care of another living being. They just prefer animals to humans. You don’t have to change a cat’s diaper and a dog will never talk back to you.
27. Taking Care Of Themselves
Many millennials are people-pleasing workaholics who are unlearning self-destructive behaviors and learning how to care for themselves. It is perfectly acceptable to prioritize yourself over the hypothetical children other people want you to have.
26. Breaking Toxic Generational Cycles
Some people had bad childhoods because their parents had bad childhoods. Two things can be true at once. Our parents could have done the best they could while simultaneously causing us trauma that they themselves suffered. By not having children, some millennials ensure that the trauma will not be passed along.
25. Not Enough Time
Inflation and hustle culture has turned us all into workaholics. Between working multiple jobs, commuting, and household responsibilities, there is not enough time to dedicate to children.
24. They Still Feel Like Kids
For many millennials, the last time the world made sense was when they were kids. A lot has happened in the world since 2001, and these major historical events along with an ever looming sense of dread has trapped many millennials in a state of arrested development. How can they raise kids when they still feel like kids themselves?
23. Won’t Be Able To Provide The Way Their Parents Did
As stated before, the last time the world made sense for millennials was when they were kids. And we can all admit that childhood in the pre-9/11 and pre-financial crisis days was pretty awesome. Many millennials don’t feel like they will be able to provide their own children with the childhood that they themselves had.
22. Alone Time Is Valuable
This world is stressful and me-time is important. Kids are needy and they can be overstimulating. The idea of never having any time for themselves can be a bit too overwhelming for some millennials.
21. Passion Projects
Having kids can be incredibly fulfilling. You know what else is fulfilling? Writing a novel or creating an independent film. You could paint a portrait or design a fashion line. Your dreams are valid and worth pursuing even if they don’t involve kids.
20. Giving Birth Is Physically Traumatic
Giving birth is not easy. Films and television shows portray childbirth as a painful process, but then they make it seem that the pain immediately dissipates after the baby is born. And that’s just not true. People who give birth have to deal with the pain and physical trauma of the event days or even weeks afterwards.
19. Physical Changes
Pregnancy and childbirth can permanently alter your physical appearance. Some people are happy with the way that they look and they don’t want to sacrifice their appearance or risk body dysmorphia for pregnancy.
18. Parentification
Some millennials don’t want to be parents because they have already been parentified. Parentification is when older children have to take the lead in taking care of their younger siblings — or perhaps even taking care of their own parents. Some children who are parentified feel like they have already raised children, and so they don’t want to do it again.
17. No Village
Some millennials have watched their peers struggle to raise their children with very little. As stated above, it takes a village to raise a child. And if you don’t have a village, the prospect of raising children without any help or support can be overwhelming.
16. They Are Not Ready Yet
Many millenials DO want children. But they want to have children when they are ready. They don’t want to live their life on someone else’s timeline. They don’t want to be constantly reminded that their “biological clock” is ticking. They will have children when they feel like they should.
15. Housing Crisis
With house prices and rental prices on the rise, many millennials don’t know how they are going to house themselves, let alone a child. They can’t be expected to bring a child into the world if they can’t be sure that they will be able to give them a safe physical home.
14. They Don’t Like Kids
It may sound crass, but some people don’t like children very much. And others may feel like they are not parental material. And it’s perfectly okay not to like kids as long as you are not cruel to them.
13. Stress
Due to several reasons, millennials and Gen Z are more stressed than previous generations. Adding children to their ever growing list of responsibilities and anxieties will just increase their stress and further damage their mental health.
12. Their Partner Does Not Want Kids
Some millennials are in a relationship with a partner who does not want children. Relationships thrive on communication and compromise. And the topic of children is a pretty big discussion to have before entering into a relationship.
11. Age
For some people, they may feel that they are just too old to have children. Some may be unable to have children because of their age. For some, their primary care physician might have informed them that, should they become pregnant, it would be a high-risk pregnancy.
10. Lifestyle
There are many reasons a person may choose not to have children due to their lifestyle. It can be as simple as not wanting to change their lifestyle in the first place. Having a child might force them to give up their interests or pursuits. For others, their career may take up most of their time or they must travel constantly.
9. Desire to Travel
Many Millennials have foregone the traditional 9-to-5 working lifestyle in favor of a nomadic existence that allows them to combine work with travel and adventure. Others may have a job that allows them to take extended breaks for traveling. In any case, a lifestyle of frequent travel is not easily compatible with raising children.
8. Caretaking Responsibilities and/or Other Children in Their Lives
Some people are already responsible for taking care of other adults, such as parents or grandparents. Others may be involved in relationships in which their partner already has children they must care for. Others still may have a career in which they care for others on a daily basis. Therefore, any free time they have is a refuge from caretaking.
7. Health or Medical Reasons
One of the top reasons people choose not to have children is for medical or health reasons. For some people, becoming pregnant could be a risk to their own health. For others, having to care for children would put their own well-being at risk. Their medical issues make them unsuitable for parenting. Still others, are unable to conceive.
6. Too Expensive
Sadly, some people feel they literally can’t afford to raise children. In the United States, the average cost of raising a child is around $250,000. This doesn’t include the cost of college. In more expensive areas of the country, this number can be significantly higher. The US is far from the only country experiencing this.
5. State of the World
Some people have so much anxiety about the state of the world that they feel bringing a child into it is not a good idea. They have an existential fear about the future, including pandemics, social political unrest, and economic challenges. A 2023 study found that fear over climate change is impacting fertility rates faster than any previous trend.
4. Environment
For many millennials, the number one driver of fear over having children is so-called “climate anxiety.” They feel a moral responsibility not to bring children into a world that is not sustainable and may not be livable. Further, they believe more people will use more resources and add to pollution and waste.
Read More: Ten Things People Don’t Know About Gen X
3. Career
For some people, their career is the most important thing in their lives. They devote most of their time and energy to their job. Having a child would prevent them from continuing their current level of engagement with their career. They may feel having children would prevent them from continuing to advance or be as effective.
Read More: 10 High-Paying Careers in Child Development
2. Simply No Desire for Children
The top reason millennials aren’t having children is simply not having the desire to do so. They may be focused on their own careers, interests, or ambitions. They don’t want to dedicate 20 years of their life to raising a child.
1. None Of Your Business
Individual people have their own individual reasons for the lifestyles they choose. They don’t have to explain their reasoning to anyone. Keep in mind that asking someone why they don’t want to have children can be seen as rude as invasive.
Read More: 15 Ways Life is Different for Millennials than Baby Boomers
