Why fewer people are choosing to have kids

0:00It's silent! So fascinating story. And it kind of does affect everybody in some small way. There used to be this just this common rule of thumb and expectation that, you know, women would get pregnant and have children, that's what we did, right? So a story I was reading yesterday said that that's just not the case. In 2013, the birth rate was about 2.01 births per woman. So, you know, two per woman, right? And that was in 2013. Now, just 13 years later, it's dropped to just below 1.5. And so, like that's a... Oh, that's what happened to me. I'm half a kid. You're half a kid. Now, you might go, well, what's the problem with that? Because that's what I do. And we're not alone. So, apart from some Eastern nations, the world, career, Germany, the US, are many places this reduction in birth rate is actually causing real problems. Because if you think about it, what happens if the over 65s considerably at number, the 15 to 20-year-olds,

1:01then where does the money come from for the tax? Where does the workforce come from? And so, there's this guy, I've actually interviewed him once, his name's Paul Spoonley. He's a professor in demography. So, he studies this stuff. And I said to him, well, so what's the problem? They poor basically. If there's fewer people, the planet's going to be better, and not much pressure on the planet, well, and he said, so what happens with the workforce assignment? So, if there's nobody in New Zealand to work, we have to poach from other countries. You'll tend to poach from poorer countries. What happens to those poorer countries? Now, hang on. Come on. This might be a... This could be dumb. Yeah. But I'm just... This is a safe space. Well, it's not really bad. This is famously a safe space. Please. Please. But aren't there more people having babies, than... You know what I mean? So you say, one woman's sure, having 1.5 now versus... Yeah, 2.9. 12, 13 years ago having two. Yeah. But aren't there more women having 1.5 babies?

2:01Oh, I see what you're saying. Well, yeah, well, no. And that's... I actually get your point, that you say what is the population? Like the triangle. The triangle effect, right? And it's not the case because... So there are some prolific breeders. Your kids? Yeah, I've won all this. I'm doing my best for the world population. So as my older sister, she is doing... They've taken as a personal responsibility. So repopulate the world. Yeah. So right guys, we can share the line. Yeah. But that's what this girl is about. Many are actually choosing just not to have children. So the other thing, of course, fewer people are having children means pension costs are going to go through the roof. So countries paying for the elderly is huge. And health care costs associated. So all these age-related illnesses, you know, it's just cost a country of fortune. This is not going to be the people to pay for them. But you know, the main reason that families and mums are choosing not to have children. What's the number one reason? There's a whole bunch of reasons. But one of the main reasons they cite, and I'm quoting from this story, is that many said they don't want to bring children

3:01into this world. Because they see that this world has just a plethora of problems. I have heard of people saying that. I haven't. It's a very real thing. I think men and women care about the direction the world's going in. Yeah. And there's also that thing of what can you do about it in your corner of the world necessarily. You know what I mean? Like, I get it. Adding to pressure. I've heard from people who, and this to me is crazy. But I guess it makes sense. Your friends got their reasons. I've heard of people who are scared of the environment. Well, I think that's not the environment to suffer. That's cited in here. Yeah. In this story. So what did you give us a call? I think it's just like this, obviously, no judgment. And this, it's just a really interesting discussion. I've got two members of my own family, wider family, who have chosen not to have children. They're two years old, married. And just said, no, we just don't want them. Some, as purely they just go, in fact, I met a guy the other day

4:01at Harley Norman, believe it or not. And he said, no, we just chose not to have kids. It was a fascinating chat. He said, we just wanted to travel. We want to do our own thing. Yeah. And that was 10 years ago that you'd very really hear that. I sometimes won the two. There is still very much a huge stress about career for women leaving the workforce and having kids. And, you know, roll your eyes as much as you like. It is really hard to be of that age where people would expect you to have kids. And then you try and convince them that that's not in your place. You once felt you have to say, because they sort of, they can't ask. But often the questions are angled around, are we going to lose it for an entire year? Or two or three? And not have her back and we might as well hire someone different. So you can't leave to go and have a kid. Because you may never get back into the workforce again. It's a very real stress when it comes to females deciding whether they want to take maternity leave or not. Well, remember the famous Mark Richardson, Jacinda Senderard, there are many of them. Absolutely. So very interesting story that women are choosing in big numbers

5:02not to have children, women and their parents, choosing not to have children. And that's a real problem around the world. So why is it, and from this story, a lot was saying they don't want to bring a child into this quote unquote world with all its mess. That's the thing. There's a lovely text from Christina Lanna. She says just this, it's very simplistic, but it's really true for her obviously. She says, hi, I'm Lanna. Look, I love kids, but I also love my sleep, time and money. That's a good question. Derek said, hey guys, this is a part of a world wide trend. We're highly intelligent people are making this decision, which is fairies says, my son and wife are intending to be this way as well, not have children, which is interesting. But there are a number of different reasons that are coming through. Yes, a fear of the world, but also a fear of being an income short. Yeah. To be honest, when you don't know how expensive things are going to rise to, and losing an entire income for a good chunk of time,

6:02then coming back part time or something is scary. Well, that's exactly right. And there's a text here from a bloke. And he says, hi guys, my beautiful partner. And I have three amazing kids, but it has completely decimated her career. And she said, the start again each time. Totally. To your point. Yeah. Hey, Jules. Morning. How are you? Good, how are you guys? Great, thank you. So now you've got children, is that right? No, so me and my partner are planning to have our first kids next year. Right. And were you always that were thinking, or did you not want children? So I wasn't. I didn't really want kids who's for the fact of bringing them into this world, like with the way it's going, with the way like technology's going, like how advanced it'll be in 20, 30 years. But when I met my partner six years ago, obviously a couple years and we had that chat of you, want kids. He really wanted a family. And so we kind of thought about it over the last few years.

7:03And I have sort of gone into that sort of, if you want a family, you just got to do it regardless of the world. You can't help telling it is. That's right. It's helping going. So you just, if you want to be happy, you just got to do it. So we're planning to have our first child next year. Yay! Congratulations. It's interesting you say that because when I met in the past people, I'd never say it now, but I used to say, my old hairdresser, Carl Watkins, doesn't have children. And he said, we were just, I was going to meet him. And he said that to you, and I think kids, when I think back, I was probably rude because I said, why was you not having kids? What about when you're old, Carl? And you want that family. And he was like, no, and he's never had kids to this day. Yeah, a lot of people don't just, it's just not the thing for them. But good to know, Jules, that you can be that way of thinking. And then, you know, have someone that you love and care about. And you want them to also get what they want. And you've actually, by the sounds of it, you've met in the middle. Yeah. Jules, thank you for sharing your thoughts. This is an interesting text because I've heard of this.

8:03It's quite firm. Hi, Simon and Lanna, the world is already overpopulated. And every possible reason to have biological children is narcissistic and selfish. They're saying every reason for somebody wanting to have children is narcissistic and selfish. If you want truly to be apparent for unselfish reasons that don't include legacy or bloodline, adopt, give a pre-existing child a better life. Oh, yeah, look, I don't know about that. I don't know. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But people also say that when you get a cat, why don't you adopt? Oh, well, I just got, you know, it's, if you want a child that equally needs to be okay as well. Yeah. As if you don't want a child. I think that's right. Everyone just live their life and be happy and up the walls. Yeah. Because to that text, again, absolutely entitled to opinion, we had four children, and I couldn't have imagined my life without them. Particularly with them, you never know what life is going to bring you.

9:04Now, they can be a pain. Yes. I'm never a pain to them, of course. Yeah. But I would not, I just couldn't breathe without those girls. I didn't think I, yeah, I've had a very complicated journey with kids. I can't have kids for medical reasons and it's been a big thing to get through. And so I feel for anybody that's going through that hearingness who desperately want children, my heart goes out too, absolutely. But I think until you have one or a child in your life that close, it's really hard to imagine what your life would have been without them. You know, you actually put a name to it because at the moment you think of kids, you think of anyone's kid. This would be your kid. Oh, yeah. And they're just the, I don't know. It's just a bit getting different strokes for different folks, but for me, it couldn't imagine. One text I want to read because it's indicative of minutes. It's high-star Lanna. I see a major problem here with having children as child care is so expensive. Like, I pay 400 bucks a week. I can't afford to have two in daycare, which is why we only have one child. And I think that's really true.

10:04100%. Yep, that's really true.