This is an excellent article and very timely. I had no idea the birth rate had significantly dropped, however not surprised. I worked in early childhood for 42 years starting out owning my own family childcare business for 16 years then moving on to a center for three years. After direct care, I worked in nonprofits that supported the early childcare community.
The evidence is there about the benefits of early learning not only academically but socially. The people that would suffer the most from the proposed policies are low income people, one parent families, plus the middle class. Childcare is not cheap nor are the providers making lots of money. In many places childcare is difficult to find or nonexistent.
Seems to me these policies are designed to move people into marriage and have the little wife stay home with the kids. Of course this is presented as a moral issue. You should be married. And I am quite sure that you need to be heterosexual as well. For the people that voted for Trump and were screaming about DEI and complaining about laws infringing on their rights, they sure have embraced the restrictions the current regime has placed on free speech and freedom.
If I was young enough to have children right now I wouldn’t. When had my first baby I had her on my chest and cried. What kind of world did I bring her into? She’s 45 now and I still worry. Not to mention the fear for my 5 grandchildren.
There is another way to spin this. A quick search gives two sets of numbers. 1. "Of all live births in the United States during 2022-2024 (average), 26.3% were Hispanic, 49.7% were White, 13.6% were Black, 0.7% were American Indian/Alaska Native and 6.4% were Asian/Pacific Islander." 2. "From 2020–2024, approximately 40% of first-time Black mothers were neither married nor cohabiting, followed by 22.2% of Hispanic, 8.5% of White, and 5.5% of Asian mothers." Why, one might be tempted to crunch the numbers and get a glimpse of a White replacement theory in action. It's awful enough to torment mothers, but babies? It's time that babies had rights. And if one were tempted to throw abortion restrictions and statistics into this calculation, why, one might just see all of these things linked: the rights of women, babies, the future, and race. If this is what is at play, then this is a classic separation of state and nation. In this case, the state is actively working to support one nation within its borders, on top of one moral agenda, while suppressing others. The bitter irony is that in the name of morality it's all profoundly immoral.
Yours and millions of others. I wish I could help them all, but I can't, except to love them as they are. My parents didn't choose to be married or have children, but as the second son, I was chosen, although always the second son until my parents and I changed that over thirty years of mutual effort. My sister was adopted, also chosen. But her biological parents didn't choose. What a rocky road we are all on! Compassion and support remain. My parents are gone. I just love children now, even if they are thirty or forty or fifty years old. Even if they look at me as the old white guy and not as the man who left off a career to raise his children day to day so his wife could fulfill her destiny. Doesn't matter. My daughters know. It sounds like your kids know their mom's love, too.
This is an excellent article and very timely. I had no idea the birth rate had significantly dropped, however not surprised. I worked in early childhood for 42 years starting out owning my own family childcare business for 16 years then moving on to a center for three years. After direct care, I worked in nonprofits that supported the early childcare community.
The evidence is there about the benefits of early learning not only academically but socially. The people that would suffer the most from the proposed policies are low income people, one parent families, plus the middle class. Childcare is not cheap nor are the providers making lots of money. In many places childcare is difficult to find or nonexistent.
Seems to me these policies are designed to move people into marriage and have the little wife stay home with the kids. Of course this is presented as a moral issue. You should be married. And I am quite sure that you need to be heterosexual as well. For the people that voted for Trump and were screaming about DEI and complaining about laws infringing on their rights, they sure have embraced the restrictions the current regime has placed on free speech and freedom.
I think the great replacement conspiracy theory is implicit here.
If I was young enough to have children right now I wouldn’t. When had my first baby I had her on my chest and cried. What kind of world did I bring her into? She’s 45 now and I still worry. Not to mention the fear for my 5 grandchildren.
There is another way to spin this. A quick search gives two sets of numbers. 1. "Of all live births in the United States during 2022-2024 (average), 26.3% were Hispanic, 49.7% were White, 13.6% were Black, 0.7% were American Indian/Alaska Native and 6.4% were Asian/Pacific Islander." 2. "From 2020–2024, approximately 40% of first-time Black mothers were neither married nor cohabiting, followed by 22.2% of Hispanic, 8.5% of White, and 5.5% of Asian mothers." Why, one might be tempted to crunch the numbers and get a glimpse of a White replacement theory in action. It's awful enough to torment mothers, but babies? It's time that babies had rights. And if one were tempted to throw abortion restrictions and statistics into this calculation, why, one might just see all of these things linked: the rights of women, babies, the future, and race. If this is what is at play, then this is a classic separation of state and nation. In this case, the state is actively working to support one nation within its borders, on top of one moral agenda, while suppressing others. The bitter irony is that in the name of morality it's all profoundly immoral.
My adult children have chosen not to bring children into this messed up world. Can’t say I blame them!
Yours and millions of others. I wish I could help them all, but I can't, except to love them as they are. My parents didn't choose to be married or have children, but as the second son, I was chosen, although always the second son until my parents and I changed that over thirty years of mutual effort. My sister was adopted, also chosen. But her biological parents didn't choose. What a rocky road we are all on! Compassion and support remain. My parents are gone. I just love children now, even if they are thirty or forty or fifty years old. Even if they look at me as the old white guy and not as the man who left off a career to raise his children day to day so his wife could fulfill her destiny. Doesn't matter. My daughters know. It sounds like your kids know their mom's love, too.