Thank you Britt for tackling such an important matter! I particularly like "Society can generate empathy for women who can’t have children for physical reasons, but when the reasons have to do with their mental state (which is just as valid of a roadblock as an ovarian disorder) that empathy often evaporates." This is definitely a conversation worth having in all of our homes!
I actually thought this article would be about dealing with your own judgment of people who are having children. Frankly, that's where I'm at and that's the bigger challenge for me. Not really concerned about the judgement of others. I find myself at a total impasse, like I'm staring at a creation from another universe - how could you possibly think having kids right now is a good idea? What information about the climate and extinction crises has not reached you? I am boggled at the choice - not just for the kids, but for a planet that is begging for less humans. I would love any tips you have for navigating this and bringing acceptance to the table.
This is a very useful overview of the harrowing issues facing potential parents - great work. The theme of youth betrayal by the older is also central to my work. If anyone is ready for a radical message on youth survival, see ecologicalsurvival.org.
OK I am way late to this forum and maybe you won't even see this comment but here is where I'm at with this: after years of agonizing about the decision my husband and I decided to have a baby, but just ONE. Best of both worlds, we thought. We could experience parenthood while still reducing the size of our family in the next generation. Etc etc. So we had a baby and she is amazing. The best thing I've ever done. She's five now and about a year ago she started asking me, often begging me, for a sibling. Ak! I hadn't thought about this possibility! My hubby and I are actually both only children and neither of us ever wanted a sibling. I never thought about it! And now my beloved child is asking me to make another human and I don't know how to respond to her without saying "I decided not to make any more people other than you because the planet is dying and there are already too many people using too few resources." OBVIOUSLY I can't say that! And she pulls on my heart strings, and honestly, ever since I had her my whole perspective changed and now my main priority is for HER life to be happy and good and maybe, if the apocalypse is coming, it would be better for her to go through it with a sibling?? I agonize over this. All. The. Time. And of course the "when are you going to give her a sibling" questions never stop. Her HAIRDRESSER asked me just the other day. Practically a stranger. And to deepen the complexity I am about to turn 40 so honestly it's almost too late and anyway my hubby is still very much on the One And Done train, so really it's all moot.... Which is good. Because this was the plan. Because of the apocalypse. Right?
I guess I just needed to share. Was hoping there were others out there in my boat to commiserate with.
I remain puzzled as to why young people are questioning parenthood because of climate change, but seemingly have little to no interest in questioning parenthood because of nuclear weapons, a much more imminent threat. There's a lesson in there somewhere about how the group consensus is formed and maintained.
My wife and I didn't have kids, and that didn't stop us from having 40 years of a great marriage. Either way a couple gets a lot, and misses out on a lot, so you just have to make peace with whatever you get and whatever you miss.
Unfortunately, the article and video were mostly dreadful narrative/images with a few hopeful ideas at the end. I thought that part of Gen Dred approach was to move away from this doom and gloom messaging? In your next article, please tell young people some good news. Statistics show us that human health and affluence has improved and life expectancy has increased, especially among the populations in lower income countries. https://www.gapminder.org/fw/world-health-chart/ And birth rates usually decline as people become more affluent. The American people and leaders have defined and solved big problems before - like poor air quality, polluted waters, the ozone hole - and we will again. Climate change is a great challenge, one that we will rise to better if young people have a broader historical perspective to support hope and action.
Thank you Britt for tackling such an important matter! I particularly like "Society can generate empathy for women who can’t have children for physical reasons, but when the reasons have to do with their mental state (which is just as valid of a roadblock as an ovarian disorder) that empathy often evaporates." This is definitely a conversation worth having in all of our homes!
I actually thought this article would be about dealing with your own judgment of people who are having children. Frankly, that's where I'm at and that's the bigger challenge for me. Not really concerned about the judgement of others. I find myself at a total impasse, like I'm staring at a creation from another universe - how could you possibly think having kids right now is a good idea? What information about the climate and extinction crises has not reached you? I am boggled at the choice - not just for the kids, but for a planet that is begging for less humans. I would love any tips you have for navigating this and bringing acceptance to the table.
This is a very useful overview of the harrowing issues facing potential parents - great work. The theme of youth betrayal by the older is also central to my work. If anyone is ready for a radical message on youth survival, see ecologicalsurvival.org.
OK I am way late to this forum and maybe you won't even see this comment but here is where I'm at with this: after years of agonizing about the decision my husband and I decided to have a baby, but just ONE. Best of both worlds, we thought. We could experience parenthood while still reducing the size of our family in the next generation. Etc etc. So we had a baby and she is amazing. The best thing I've ever done. She's five now and about a year ago she started asking me, often begging me, for a sibling. Ak! I hadn't thought about this possibility! My hubby and I are actually both only children and neither of us ever wanted a sibling. I never thought about it! And now my beloved child is asking me to make another human and I don't know how to respond to her without saying "I decided not to make any more people other than you because the planet is dying and there are already too many people using too few resources." OBVIOUSLY I can't say that! And she pulls on my heart strings, and honestly, ever since I had her my whole perspective changed and now my main priority is for HER life to be happy and good and maybe, if the apocalypse is coming, it would be better for her to go through it with a sibling?? I agonize over this. All. The. Time. And of course the "when are you going to give her a sibling" questions never stop. Her HAIRDRESSER asked me just the other day. Practically a stranger. And to deepen the complexity I am about to turn 40 so honestly it's almost too late and anyway my hubby is still very much on the One And Done train, so really it's all moot.... Which is good. Because this was the plan. Because of the apocalypse. Right?
I guess I just needed to share. Was hoping there were others out there in my boat to commiserate with.
I remain puzzled as to why young people are questioning parenthood because of climate change, but seemingly have little to no interest in questioning parenthood because of nuclear weapons, a much more imminent threat. There's a lesson in there somewhere about how the group consensus is formed and maintained.
My wife and I didn't have kids, and that didn't stop us from having 40 years of a great marriage. Either way a couple gets a lot, and misses out on a lot, so you just have to make peace with whatever you get and whatever you miss.
Unfortunately, the article and video were mostly dreadful narrative/images with a few hopeful ideas at the end. I thought that part of Gen Dred approach was to move away from this doom and gloom messaging? In your next article, please tell young people some good news. Statistics show us that human health and affluence has improved and life expectancy has increased, especially among the populations in lower income countries. https://www.gapminder.org/fw/world-health-chart/ And birth rates usually decline as people become more affluent. The American people and leaders have defined and solved big problems before - like poor air quality, polluted waters, the ozone hole - and we will again. Climate change is a great challenge, one that we will rise to better if young people have a broader historical perspective to support hope and action.
Gen S: https://glennaalbrecht.wordpress.com/2017/02/25/children-in-the-symbiocene/