Child Care is a Universal Right

[MechAg94]

I wonder when they are going to want to force all children to stay at a "school" full time and the parents might get some visitation rights occasionally. 

[makattak]

I thought MillCreek was talking about people who are either not married, or not financially equipped to procreate. You are talking about "choices they don't know they're making."

What connects the two comments? I am missing something. My parents were in their mid-20s when I was born, so hopefully I can understand it. 

They are choosing not to have children until much later in life, if ever. There are consequences for the children from that, which most people don't know and/or don't think about until it is FAR too late.

People who don't contribute to a 401k (or the like) because "they can't afford it" are making choices about their future the same way these people are.

They don't know the choices they are making about their own future and think there are no consequences to waiting until "they are ready."

[lee n. field]

They are choosing not to have children until much later in life, if ever. There are consequences for the children from that, which most people don't know and/or don't think about until it is FAR too late.

They don't know the choices they are making about their own future and think there are no consequences to waiting until "they are ready."

The human lifespan is kind of weird.  In some senses, it's very long.   In other senses, quite brief, over soon.

Do not delay life things.

[Perd Hapley]

They are choosing not to have children until much later in life, if ever. There are consequences for the children from that, which most people don't know and/or don't think about until it is FAR too late.

People who don't contribute to a 401k (or the like) because "they can't afford it" are making choices about their future the same way these people are.

They don't know the choices they are making about their own future and think there are no consequences to waiting until "they are ready."

I guess my question is how you'd have them change things, because it sounds like you're saying, "Hurry up and marry just anybody," and, "Hurry up and make more money more faster." I think that's falling into the common trap of blaming young people for having been raised wrong. If the choices are ones they don't know they're making, maybe it's the case that no one's explaining the consequences to them.

Which is not to say there aren't people who are unneccesarily hesitant to marry, and also not to say there aren't people who value having a new car over bringing a new life into the world. But not everyone who's without children is that kind of person.

[Hawkmoon]

Check your living and non-substance-abusing grandparent privilege, buddy.

When I worked for the public housing authority, we had families with three and four generations all living in the same unit.

I could never figure out how they produced four generations with no fathers in evidence, in any of the generations ...

[HeroHog]

Go watch T. J. Sotomayor and he will explain it...

[makattak]

I guess my question is how you'd have them change things, because it sounds like you're saying, "Hurry up and marry just anybody," and, "Hurry up and make more money more faster." I think that's falling into the common trap of blaming young people for having been raised wrong. If the choices are ones they don't know they're making, maybe it's the case that no one's explaining the consequences to them.

Which is not to say there aren't people who are unneccesarily hesitant to marry, and also not to say there aren't people who value having a new car over bringing a new life into the world. But not everyone who's without children is that kind of person.

I'm sad for them. That's the underlying suggestion from "decisions they don't know they are making." Our culture has told them to prioritize things other than marriage and family, and so they have. (Not, HURRY UP AND MARRY JUST ANYONE! But make it a priority to find someone with which to build a life together. (Oh, and emphasize the "TOGETHER" part.) Not "HURRY UP AND MAKE MORE MONEY!" but make choices that prioritize family and realize you can sacrifice other things that aren't as important as family.)

It's similar to the situation with Student Loans. I'm not blaming (solely) students for running up college debt. Picking useless degrees, yes, but the debt is a result of a propaganda campaign that "COLLEGE IS THE ONLY WAY FOR YOU TO SUCCEED!!!" and public schools that don't offer any options other than college prep and a pushing of ever more marginal students to college.

We've been telling our young people lies for 40+ years and we are seeing the results. I don't blame the young people for what they have been taught. I'm saddened by the consequences they will have to face.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm sad for them. That's the underlying suggestion from "decisions they don't know they are making." Our culture has told them to prioritize things other than marriage and family, and so they have. (Not, HURRY UP AND MARRY JUST ANYONE! But make it a priority to find someone with which to build a life together. (Oh, and emphasize the "TOGETHER" part.) Not "HURRY UP AND MAKE MORE MONEY!" but make choices that prioritize family and realize you can sacrifice other things that aren't as important as family.)

It's similar to the situation with Student Loans. I'm not blaming (solely) students for running up college debt. Picking useless degrees, yes, but the debt is a result of a propaganda campaign that "COLLEGE IS THE ONLY WAY FOR YOU TO SUCCEED!!!" and public schools that don't offer any options other than college prep and a pushing of ever more marginal students to college.

We've been telling our young people lies for 40+ years and we are seeing the results. I don't blame the young people for what they have been taught. I'm saddened by the consequences they will have to face.

See there, you ruined a perfectly good disagreement. [grumbling noises]

There are so many other things that play into this. Like someone said earlier, let your grandparents watch the kids. But if Grandpa is in Fresno with his second wife, watching her grandchildren, how's that work out?

[Pb]

Unfortunately, our culture has made marriage an unattractive prospect for men (through divorce, custody, and child support laws).  And at the same time the media heaps abuse and ridicule on married men.

With a divorce rate of 40-50%, resulting in financial ruin for the man and deprivation of his children, no wonder men don't want to get married any more.

So our society starts filling up with bastards, with welfare and child support taking the place of dads.

And the voting difference between men and women is signficant: