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: Canada has more seniors than children


iwantaskyline
05-03-2017, 12:20 PM
Canada now has more seniors than children - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/canada-now-seniors-children-47177561)

The government's Statistics Canada agency said Wednesday new census figures show there are now 5.9 million Canadians aged 65 and older. They outnumber the 5.8 million children 14 and under.

I can only see this getting worse and worse with the high costs of living in our major cities. Get ready for tax increases in the upcoming decades.

:heckno:

Hondaracer
05-03-2017, 12:33 PM
Soylent green to solve our food problems!

pastarocket
05-03-2017, 12:41 PM
Oh, great, there will be even more senior drivers to watch out for on the streets of the Lower Mainland. :fuuuuu:

-cannot stand some seniors driving slow in the left lane, on the highway. -making really slow left turns etc. :facepalm:

Spoon
05-03-2017, 12:44 PM
Time to open up some Uncle Willy's franchises. Early Bird specials, baby! :victory:

Manic!
05-03-2017, 12:45 PM
The answer is immigration.

murd0c
05-03-2017, 12:55 PM
I don't see how this is a surprise, it's the baby boomer generation.

Hondaracer
05-03-2017, 01:07 PM
The answer is immigration.

Can actually agree with you to an extent on this one.

iwantaskyline
05-03-2017, 01:13 PM
The answer is immigration.

That's the easy solution. Increasing the birth rate would be the ideal solution.

Hehe
05-03-2017, 01:15 PM
The answer is immigration.

Immigration is something to consider, but gov't of Canada needs to start thinking long term.

The fact is that given the current cost of living, many can't even contemplate with the idea of having kids since it's so expensive and single income no longer provide enough income to sustain a family. This and the advance in medical technology allow people to live far longer than they used to and you get the aging population.

For people to be comfortable with having kids, we need affordable child care and housing (most family's single largest expense).

First one is relatively easy as Quebec's example has shown, gov't subsidy.

The second one IMO needs to be solved by urban expansion/diversification as in getting people to outer areas rather than concentrating in a small area.

People want to stay near city because of job opportunities but can't live too far as the cost of commuting comes into play. Hence, the gov't should encourage businesses to move outward where cost of land/housing is cheap.
Take Vancouver as an example, the major transportation bottleneck is the Fraser river (hence needing bridges), so the gov't should provide incentives for companies to move east of the river (Abbotsford/Chilliwack) and plan the infrastructures accordingly. There are plenty of flat lands between Abbot/Chill.

6o4__boi
05-03-2017, 01:23 PM
lol made me think of this article from earlier this year

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/world/europe/a-paid-hour-a-week-for-sex-swedish-town-considers-it.html?_r=0

68style
05-03-2017, 03:20 PM
Besides the obvious economics factors here or, say, in Toronto... who the hell wants to have kids in the societal climate we live in? I watch what my sister deals with on a daily basis with her kids and the various mommy groups and other parents at daycare and schools... people are absofuckinglutely mental nowadays, there's so many alt-left gender bender recognize everyone nonsense crazy-ass parents out there now it's insane! Our social fabric is complete garbage to deal with, I don't know how my sister keeps her shit together.

Nevermind access to internet and information nowadays makes it so you're effectively choosing to either have kids, and focus on them for the next 20 years of your life, or explore the world and live freely with the 1 chance on the planet you do have... it's pretty intense, you have to REALLY want to have kids and be super invested in that process, otherwise it's just painful to sit there on one side of a window watching single or non-child rearing friends traveling wherever at a whim and taking whatever opportunities in life come their way. You can thank Instagram and Facebook for that depression! Likewise some people are on the other side staring in wishing they had a child, but I think those people are far fewer nowadays than before.

Maybe I'm just not programmed for kids, but I spend a couple hours around my niece or nephew or anyone else's kids and I'm like "See ya, enjoy!" and can't imagine doing that for 16+ hours per day. Gone are the days when I grew up when mommy stayed home and daddy went to work too... so both parents are busting their asses at work and then probably fighting more from stress and financial issues. No thanks!

Hondaracer
05-03-2017, 03:24 PM
My child isn't gay, he was just suppose to be born a girl

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 03:26 PM
^:haha: :lol

68style
05-03-2017, 03:31 PM
My child isn't gay, he was just suppose to be born a girl

Funny, but people actually say this stuff! My sister recently sent me a screen-cap of a parent arguing against the autistic puppet on Sesame Street saying it doesn't raise awareness because he's treated like he's special and they should be treated the same as everyone else... you know... pretending there's not something wrong?

She also, I shit you not, said "I probably would have been diagnosed with autism myself as a child"......... ???? are you implying that you cured yourself of a genetic disorder lady? Or are you still autistic???? LOL

Oh and another one where the kid did a math exercise at school that asked them to identify which food had more calories and which one has less sodium from some nutrition charts, and the parents complained against the teacher because she was instilling shame in the kids for eating certain foods and that would lead to body image issues. WTF????

XplicitLuder
05-03-2017, 03:41 PM
tbh i wish i was body shamed when i was younger. I wouldnt be such a fat fuck and would have started on these juicy gains long ago :fuckyea:

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 03:43 PM
If the teacher gave me that guff;
1) Make a complaint to school.
2) Immediately find a new school or class.

WTF kind of logic is that?! SJW these days. Obese people should be body shamed. Who the fuck would be proud of being morbidly obese?! It's the same shit as smoking cigarettes.

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 03:44 PM
If not immigration, grinding the currently able bodied population into the ground and literally working them to death.

A glimpse of this is Japan.

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 03:45 PM
That's the easy solution. Increasing the birth rate would be the ideal solution.

Not happening until I can provide 3 things required for basic survival.

1) Shelter
2) Clean water
3) Food

The first one sure as shit ain't happening in the lower mainland right now.

Sid Vicious
05-03-2017, 03:55 PM
i don't know how anyone with middle class income can even afford to have a kid unless they're living paycheck to paycheck or are balls deep in debt

GS8
05-03-2017, 03:58 PM
People are just too stupid nowadays to have kids. I remember way back in the day when being in your 20s meant kids were happening because you were probably already graduated from post-secondary, had a job and were ready to take on the next level of responsibility.

Most 20 somethings nowadays still act like bratty dicks.

There was speculation that most of the SJWs you see nowadays came from 'Generation Daycare' where they were routinely left at daycare for days on end while both parents worked thus little familial time spent. This caused inconsistent performance in child rearing and seeing as a daycare can only do so much in regards to discipline, that would usually fall on the parents who, surprise, were barely there. Then parents would supposedly buy lots of gifts for the kids to hide their guilt of not really being there.

And fast forward to today where you have these adult-children thinking they can change the world by screaming and being violent without fear of discipline.

Life is expensive. Adding kids to that drives that cost up a lot. It's actually smarter to not even have one if you have even some doubt about being able to raise it properly. Hmm, maybe these stupid people are actually smart then...

:badpokerface:

Blueboy222
05-03-2017, 04:10 PM
:troll:

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 04:14 PM
Immigration is something to consider, but gov't of Canada needs to start thinking long term.

The fact is that given the current cost of living, many can't even contemplate with the idea of having kids since it's so expensive and single income no longer provide enough income to sustain a family. This and the advance in medical technology allow people to live far longer than they used to and you get the aging population.

For people to be comfortable with having kids, we need affordable child care and housing (most family's single largest expense).

First one is relatively easy as Quebec's example has shown, gov't subsidy.

The second one IMO needs to be solved by urban expansion/diversification as in getting people to outer areas rather than concentrating in a small area.

People want to stay near city because of job opportunities but can't live too far as the cost of commuting comes into play. Hence, the gov't should encourage businesses to move outward where cost of land/housing is cheap.
Take Vancouver as an example, the major transportation bottleneck is the Fraser river (hence needing bridges), so the gov't should provide incentives for companies to move east of the river (Abbotsford/Chilliwack) and plan the infrastructures accordingly. There are plenty of flat lands between Abbot/Chill.

The other problem resulting from that is Quebec's crazy wait times to get into a day care.

I honestly don't see why grandparents don't take a more active role in child raising in Canadian culture.

From watching, The Beginning of Life, on netflix, not only does the cost of raising a child a factor, but time spent with the child is also huge. As was alluded to with the day care thing from GS8's post.

Additionally, a child raised in a violent household will grown up to be a violent adult. Like one of my buddies say, because it's all they've known.

Violent households, talking out of my ass here, probably tend to the poorer ones too. Vicious cycle...

The financial cost alone, as opposed to time, effort, and mental, according to a study is $250,000 CAD to raise a child in Canada.

MG1
05-03-2017, 04:18 PM
Oh, great, there will be even more senior drivers to watch out for on the streets of the Lower Mainland. :fuuuuu:

-cannot stand some seniors driving slow in the left lane, on the highway. -making really slow left turns etc. :facepalm:

You haven't seen this senior drive........... I fucking honk at young drivers who are scared shit to go a little faster.

Fucking whimps.......... :troll: :troll: :troll:

the troll trifecta

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 04:39 PM
^ How many people have you ran over? :troll:

MG1 IRL:
https://31.media.tumblr.com/eaa6603e18a597c459a4f0a9788ff238/tumblr_n4g43q4eYr1sn6k4fo1_1280.gif

Traum
05-03-2017, 04:41 PM
I don't see how this is a surprise, it's the baby boomer generation.
I'd say Murd0c's the only one pointing out the primary cause so far. I'd give it another 10+ years before re-evaluating whether Canada has an aging population issue.

Birth rate has stayed below 2 per woman since the 70's, and was at its lowest between 1999 - 2001 (@1.49 - 1.5 births per woman). But it has actually moved up quite noticeably since then, and we're now at 1.61. Anecdotally, I'd cite the uptick to be a direct result of our immigration policy since the 90's. Certain ethnic groups traditionally preferred large families, and we are seeing the results of that now.

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 04:54 PM
Mortality has gone up like 30%? I remember a time where people only lived till 60. On average, it's now 81.

Mr.HappySilp
05-03-2017, 05:39 PM
Seen my sister with her new born (well more like 10months now). Is more than a full time job. I am not really sure how she would manage once she have to go back to work. Luckily my mom is helping to look after the baby 3 times a week and the other 2 days is day care.

I just can't see myself having kids. Is not just spending time with them but also the cost of having kids. I mean sure you can raise your kids with min wage and both parents goes to work. Not really sure how kids will turn out then...... When I was growing up yea both of the parents work long hours and aren't home all day but back then we didn't have this much access to the internet and all these technology. I still remember the worse thing I did was playing tag with friends one his roof top. That's was it. I got grounded for days lol. Now there are way too many scary things out there.

flagella
05-03-2017, 06:32 PM
Besides the obvious economics factors here or, say, in Toronto... who the hell wants to have kids in the societal climate we live in? I watch what my sister deals with on a daily basis with her kids and the various mommy groups and other parents at daycare and schools... people are absofuckinglutely mental nowadays, there's so many alt-left gender bender recognize everyone nonsense crazy-ass parents out there now it's insane! Our social fabric is complete garbage to deal with, I don't know how my sister keeps her shit together.

Nevermind access to internet and information nowadays makes it so you're effectively choosing to either have kids, and focus on them for the next 20 years of your life, or explore the world and live freely with the 1 chance on the planet you do have... it's pretty intense, you have to REALLY want to have kids and be super invested in that process, otherwise it's just painful to sit there on one side of a window watching single or non-child rearing friends traveling wherever at a whim and taking whatever opportunities in life come their way. You can thank Instagram and Facebook for that depression! Likewise some people are on the other side staring in wishing they had a child, but I think those people are far fewer nowadays than before.

Maybe I'm just not programmed for kids, but I spend a couple hours around my niece or nephew or anyone else's kids and I'm like "See ya, enjoy!" and can't imagine doing that for 16+ hours per day. Gone are the days when I grew up when mommy stayed home and daddy went to work too... so both parents are busting their asses at work and then probably fighting more from stress and financial issues. No thanks!

I think it's great that you realize that you don't want kids, instead of being clueless and have kids without understanding the responsibilities that come with it.

You do seem to have a distorted view about raising a kid though, as if it's all about having your freedom taken away. There's a true joy in raising kids and seeing how they grow and acquire new skills. Yes, raising kids can be highly stressful. It can be very taxing physically and mentally. It will set you back financially as well. But there are so many moments of joy you could only experience as a parent. I'm in fact growing and learning together with my kids. It's not something people without kids can understand as they tend to see only the negatives.

The growing aging population simply isn't sustainable. You have a huge cost burden resting on proportionally smaller younger generation. We need more capable people to raise kids to be productive members of society. Unfortunately, oftentimes it's the dumb ones who have the most time on their hand to reproduce.

quasi
05-03-2017, 06:40 PM
I think it's great that you realize that you don't want kids, instead of being clueless and have kids without understanding the responsibilities that come with it.

You do seem to have a distorted view about raising a kid though, as if it's all about having your freedom taken away. There's a true joy in raising kids and seeing how they grow and acquire new skills. Yes, raising kids can be highly stressful. It can be very taxing physically and mentally. It will set you back financially as well. But there are so many moments of joy you could only experience as a parent. I'm in fact growing and learning together with my kids. It's not something people without kids can understand as they tend to see only the negatives.

The growing aging population simply isn't sustainable. You have a huge cost burden resting on proportionally smaller younger generation. We need more capable people to raise kids to be productive members of society. Unfortunately, oftentimes it's the dumb ones who have the most time on their hand to reproduce.

Agreed, there are some negatives for sure but the positives are pretty fricking unbelievable and you have to live them to realize how enjoyable they are. My biggest regret now is not having another one when my wife wanted, now I'm to old.

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 06:48 PM
Over 51?

Babies at higher risk of autism if father is too young or too old: study - National | Globalnews.ca (http://globalnews.ca/news/3420938/babies-at-higher-risk-of-autism-if-father-is-too-young-or-too-old-study/?utm_source=GlobalBC&utm_medium=Facebook)

Not sure how legit this study is, but it seems to be in line with what I've heard. Then again, this only looks as autism as well.

quasi
05-03-2017, 06:51 PM
No I'm in my early 40s but my son is 11 this month not doing diapers and baby's again at this point.

DragonChi
05-03-2017, 07:19 PM
I see what you mean. I agree, the first three months of babycare are the toughest.

MelonBoy
05-03-2017, 07:55 PM
Isn't this a problem with the majority of the world. Baby boom generation

Wonder how much this will actually effect us..

Could be good for real estate though haha.. Majority of people retiring, means they may not be able to afford their home. Let the downsizing begin! Wooooheee

Wishful thinking aside. I'm 100% sure a LOT of almost retired people with mortgages and what not. Who will not be able to keep their standard of living after they are pushed to retire.. May have to

Traum
05-03-2017, 08:11 PM
The growing aging population simply isn't sustainable. You have a huge cost burden resting on proportionally smaller younger generation. We need more capable people to raise kids to be productive members of society. Unfortunately, oftentimes it's the dumb ones who have the most time on their hand to reproduce.
Unfortunately, I can't see this as anything other than a downward spiral. The undeniable fact is, those with the least amount of education and in the lower classes of society incur the least opportunity cost when they have children. If you have a doctor or a business woman giving birth, her down time costs in terms of lost wages is gonna be huge compared to a woman earning minimum wage. And then as the child grows, the "costs of investments" into the children is also going to be HUGE for the wealthier and educated parents compared to the poorer and not very educated parents. And so those who are the least equipped to give birth and raise children are the ones that do it the most.

FailFish

Reeyal
05-04-2017, 05:59 AM
Soylent green to solve our food problems!

Good one. Not many people get this reference. :D

GLOW
05-04-2017, 06:52 AM
No I'm in my early 40s but my son is 11 this month not doing diapers and baby's again at this point.

https://media.giphy.com/media/UjCXeFnYcI2R2/giphy.gif

diapers, and crying all night and zero sleep :drunk:

Great68
05-04-2017, 07:19 AM
Good one. Not many people get this reference. :D

Soylent Green is PEOPLE!

twitchyzero
05-04-2017, 09:36 AM
remember in school when we were told that jobs would be plentiful because of retiring Baby Boomers?

nah they'll be living longer and continue to work...too bad for the snowflakes :ilied:

Bouncing Bettys
05-04-2017, 10:47 AM
remember in school when we were told that jobs would be plentiful because of retiring Baby Boomers?

nah they'll be living longer and continue to work...too bad for the snowflakes :ilied:

I'm sure some Baby Boomers remember growing up in a time when they were told automation would be great because it meant more leisure time for everyone. Perhaps with the strength of unions at the time, they never considered automation and overseas job displacement to be a threat to the middle class.

jcmaz
05-04-2017, 12:10 PM
I disagree about "low" paying jobs. There's lot of opportunity in trades that younger folk can become skilled in. However they don't because they think it's crap/dirty/hard work and would rather work in an office instead. Well guess what, trades is what it takes to make a decent living in Vancouver.

Quite frankly, I wish I did trades instead of getting some bullshit science degree.

People can dream to go travelling when working on a minimum wage job. But you have to be realistic and make the necessary sacrifices to do so, whether it's going back to school or working even harder.

hotjoint
05-04-2017, 12:39 PM
I think it's great that you realize that you don't want kids, instead of being clueless and have kids without understanding the responsibilities that come with it.

You do seem to have a distorted view about raising a kid though, as if it's all about having your freedom taken away. There's a true joy in raising kids and seeing how they grow and acquire new skills. Yes, raising kids can be highly stressful. It can be very taxing physically and mentally. It will set you back financially as well. But there are so many moments of joy you could only experience as a parent. I'm in fact growing and learning together with my kids. It's not something people without kids can understand as they tend to see only the negatives.

The growing aging population simply isn't sustainable. You have a huge cost burden resting on proportionally smaller younger generation. We need more capable people to raise kids to be productive members of society. Unfortunately, oftentimes it's the dumb ones who have the most time on their hand to reproduce.

I'm a fairly new dad. My son will be 5 months old on the 7th. I totally agree with everything that you've said. Yes, it can be taxing physically, mentally and be a big time hit financially but the joy and happiness that you get is priceless. People who don't have kids will never understand.

Mr.HappySilp
05-04-2017, 01:00 PM
I disagree about "low" paying jobs. There's lot of opportunity in trades that younger folk can become skilled in. However they don't because they think it's crap/dirty/hard work and would rather work in an office instead. Well guess what, trades is what it takes to make a decent living in Vancouver.

Quite frankly, I wish I did trades instead of getting some bullshit science degree.

People can dream to go travelling when working on a minimum wage job. But you have to be realistic and make the necessary sacrifices to do so, whether it's going back to school or working even harder.

The thing with trades you can't do it till you retire. Sister in law is an auto mech makes a ton (They already have one townhouse and an apartment). However he is looking to change jobs. Fully knowing once he grow older (early to mid 50s) or even earlier he won't able to perform the job (not physically enough, younger guys can do your job faster etc etc...) so he is looking for a change. I mean with an office work or something that isn't physically demanding you can do the same work for much much longer than trades.

quasi
05-04-2017, 01:47 PM
The thing with trades you can't do it till you retire. Sister in law is an auto mech makes a ton (They already have one townhouse and an apartment). However he is looking to change jobs. Fully knowing once he grow older (early to mid 50s) or even earlier he won't able to perform the job (not physically enough, younger guys can do your job faster etc etc...) so he is looking for a change. I mean with an office work or something that isn't physically demanding you can do the same work for much much longer than trades.

Most of our estimators and project managers came from the field. I'm in the trades but I work in an office 5 days week besides the odd side visit and meeting. Most of my friends my age who also started in the trades are also in an office somewhere, they either started their own company, or are in management for someone. I could do this job until I was 70 if I wanted to.

We do some physical stuff here I mean there's golf which can really fuck your back up and sturgeon fishing those bastards like to pull.

hchang
05-04-2017, 02:18 PM
Funny, but people actually say this stuff! My sister recently sent me a screen-cap of a parent arguing against the autistic puppet on Sesame Street saying it doesn't raise awareness because he's treated like he's special and they should be treated the same as everyone else... you know... pretending there's not something wrong?

She also, I shit you not, said "I probably would have been diagnosed with autism myself as a child"......... ???? are you implying that you cured yourself of a genetic disorder lady? Or are you still autistic???? LOL

Oh and another one where the kid did a math exercise at school that asked them to identify which food had more calories and which one has less sodium from some nutrition charts, and the parents complained against the teacher because she was instilling shame in the kids for eating certain foods and that would lead to body image issues. WTF????

Heard on the radio today that school's shouldn't recognize and do crafts and stuff for Mothers Day / Fathers Day because not everybody has a mom and dad, sometimes it's two moms, sometimes it's two dads.

Fuck. This. Shit.

Presto
05-04-2017, 02:24 PM
^^^

and parents can only laud praise on their child via 'jazz hands'

Mr.HappySilp
05-04-2017, 02:34 PM
Most of our estimators and project managers came from the field. I'm in the trades but I work in an office 5 days week besides the odd side visit and meeting. Most of my friends my age who also started in the trades are also in an office somewhere, they either started their own company, or are in management for someone. I could do this job until I was 70 if I wanted to.

We do some physical stuff here I mean there's golf which can really fuck your back up and sturgeon fishing those bastards like to pull.

That's good. I mean one of my managers (who retire last year) was around 70 and he works in the field a lot (mostly light to medium physically work). But I can tell you he is more healthy than me lol. But then again he doesn't need to do a lot of physical stuff. My dad also works in a cardbox factory till he retire at 66.

I think for more physical work (construction workers for example) is hard to actually contiune the job after mid 50.

Hondaracer
05-04-2017, 04:33 PM
I'm a fairly new dad. My son will be 5 months old on the 7th. I totally agree with everything that you've said. Yes, it can be taxing physically, mentally and be a big time hit financially but the joy and happiness that you get is priceless. People who don't have kids will never understand.

I think the people going on about not knowing the joys of having children are just as ignorant as people who say they won't have children for the joys of the freedom and flexibility.

Personal choice, but to say someone with a kid is just instantly happier and experiences more joy in their life is absolute bullshit imo. The majority of people I know who have kids and struggle financially are overall miserable people.

MG1
05-04-2017, 04:55 PM
And that's what's wrong with our society. People who are generally into themselves should never, ever, ever, have children. If they're miserable, just imagine how miserable their offspring will be.

EDIT: Having said that, I've seen people who have children by mistake do a complete 180.

J____
05-05-2017, 01:45 AM
I've recently had a baby. Both me and my wife decided to dedicate full time to him and raise him ourselves. Pretty much had to put our business on hold since raising a kid is literally more than a full time job. Honestly though, I'd rather put making money on hold for a few years and raise my kid right, than let some nanny or daycare raise him to grow up and become a little shit like every other kid this generation.

quasi
05-05-2017, 06:26 AM
I've recently had a baby. Both me and my wife decided to dedicate full time to him and raise him ourselves. Pretty much had to put our business on hold since raising a kid is literally more than a full time job. Honestly though, I'd rather put making money on hold for a few years and raise my kid right, than let some nanny or daycare raise him to grow up and become a little shit like every other kid this generation.

The daycare isn't the problem it's the parents. My kid was in daycare from 1 to 10, he's a great kid well mannered well adjusted and overall a good kid. If your kid is going to be a D-Bag it's because of you not because of his or her daycare. You want to see some awkward not well adjusted kids look no further then the kids who are home schooled, my son has played sports with a few different ones over the years and those kids are super introverted and weird as fuck future serial killers of the world.

J____
05-05-2017, 07:34 AM
The daycare isn't the problem it's the parents. My kid was in daycare from 1 to 10, he's a great kid well mannered well adjusted and overall a good kid. If your kid is going to be a D-Bag it's because of you not because of his or her daycare. You want to see some awkward not well adjusted kids look no further then the kids who are home schooled, my son has played sports with a few different ones over the years and those kids are super introverted and weird as fuck future serial killers of the world.

I'm talking about the parents that are always busy and not teaching the kids, instead they are relying on full time nannies or other alternatives such as full day day cares or throwing them to the grand parents.

quasi
05-05-2017, 07:37 AM
I know, and there is nothing wrong with not doing daycare if you're able all I'm saying is socialization and interaction with other kids at least at some point isn't a bad thing. There are extremes on both ends of the spectrum for sure.

Great68
05-05-2017, 08:24 AM
it's pretty intense, you have to REALLY want to have kids and be super invested in that process, otherwise it's just painful to sit there on one side of a window watching single or non-child rearing friends traveling wherever at a whim and taking whatever opportunities in life come their way.

Maybe this is more applicable to younger parents who jump in the game too early.
At 35 with a 1 week old, I feel like I've taken many the opportunities I've needed to become successful, as has my wife for her career (Having a partner who's willing to wait is helpful, I know there are many women can't control their clocks).
I've already done a buttload of travelling in my life, now I just want to focus on home.

I never had a huge urge to have kids. Seeing the family and friends have their babies never really did anything for me, I didn't really care to hold them or anything.

It wasn't until one night I was at my cousin's place working on his car his 3 year old boy was in the shop, super inquisitive, wanting to help daddy, holding the wrenches wanting to be right in the engine bay, that it tugged at my strings and I knew I wanted a little buddy I could teach everything to for myself.

The day you see your little human be born, It changes you. I don't regret it for one second.

J____
05-08-2017, 04:38 AM
The day you see your little human be born, It changes you. I don't regret it for one second.

I almost cried the moment my son came out. I was in the delivery room holding my wife's hand. I think every man should be in there experiencing it, really changes you.

I'm in the same boat as you, traveled, opportunities, etc etc. but it was time to have a kid. Now the hard part is awaiting us to raise our kid properly, and I feel it's as challenging as ever. Society now is so much different then when we were kids growing up. Not only do we need to worry about making enough money to put food on the table like our parents did with us, but also balancing environmental and cultural differences to teach our kids so they don't grow up weird as fuck.

Mr.HappySilp
05-08-2017, 11:33 AM
I think the people going on about not knowing the joys of having children are just as ignorant as people who say they won't have children for the joys of the freedom and flexibility.

Personal choice, but to say someone with a kid is just instantly happier and experiences more joy in their life is absolute bullshit imo. The majority of people I know who have kids and struggle financially are overall miserable people.

oh I got the joy first handed when my sister and sister in law for for a week vacation when parents and I get to take care of my niece. The joy when she smiles at you, gives you a hug. Even just simple things watching you crawl towards you really puts a smile on you. Then there is the devil part dealing with crying at night, feeding her, making sure she takes her naps on time and crying non stop coz she miss her mom. Not to mention you have to watch her and be there when she is awake. Is not an easy task.

Spoon
05-08-2017, 11:43 AM
The day you see your little human be born, It changes you. I don't regret it for one second.

This pretty much answers everything about raising children. All those annoying things like crying, diaper changes, feeding etc was only annoying when it's someone else's baby. For the most part, I enjoyed most of the work when it came to my own kids. But I would never do it for someone else's. :)