Why more couples are choosing a life without children

Why immoderate couples are choosing to beryllium "child-free"

Why immoderate couples are choosing a beingness without children 03:23

As the oldest of the Baby Boomer procreation turns 80 adjacent twelvemonth and the youngest go eligible for Social Security, President Trump is pushing for a 2nd babe roar amid declining commencement rates.

The Trump medication adjacent floated a connection for a $5,000 "baby bonus" to offset the costs of kid rearing. But for galore young couples, determination is nary magnitude of wealth to alteration their minds.

Tiana and PJ Morales got joined 7 years ago, and arsenic newlyweds, they traveled the world.

Before excessively long, they say, relatives would inquire if they planned to person children. But the Florida mates says they're not having kids — not now, not ever.

Tiana, present 37, says erstwhile she was younger, she assumed she'd beryllium a mom, but aft spending her aboriginal twenties arsenic a nanny caring for 4 kids astatine once, that presumption changed.

"It conscionable dawned connected me, is this what I would privation to bash each azygous day?" Tiana said.

The U.S. fertility complaint has plummeted successful the past 2 decades and present sits adjacent grounds lows, according to CDC information released past week. Some young adults accidental high costs are holding them back. Others fearfulness clime change. Some are putting their careers first. But galore accidental they simply don't privation kids.

"We are raised to judge that it is our destiny to go parents," said Amy Blackstone, a University of Maine sociology prof who has published a fig of studies connected those who telephone themselves "child-free by choice."

It's a idiosyncratic contented for Blackstone and her husband, Lance, who decided years agone to beryllium a household of conscionable two.

"Child-free idiosyncratic volition say, 'I valued my narration with my spouse truthful overmuch that I didn't privation different enactment changing that relationship,'" Blackstone said. "A genitor volition accidental the imagined narration with a kid is truthful important to maine that I privation that relationship."

When Tiana's friends began having kids, she started organizing occasional get-togethers for others who privation to beryllium child-free. Their reasons scope from manner factors to what's going connected successful the satellite and clime change.

While Tiana Morales is mostly assured successful her decision, she says a tiny portion of her wonders what things volition look similar successful the future.

"I grew up successful a large household and the holidays were ever surrounded by a ample family. It's fun. And truthful arsenic I age, what volition holidays look like? Will they beryllium conscionable arsenic fun? I don't know," she said.

But it was a prime — theirs and lone theirs — that was made with cautious thought.

In:
• Birth Rate
• Children