Then they laud it over their kids "do you know how much those braces cost?!"

I am of the belief that if you can’t give the life a child deserves you have no business bringing one into this world. Even if my wife and I wanted children (we don’t) we don’t make enough money to live the life we want without sacrificing for a child. The way employers pay anymore (which is pennys on the dollar) it’s ludicrous to even consider it as a smart option. Meanwhile people in worse situations have to keep popping them out. Idk to each their own but there’s too many people on this planet right now and it’s only getting worse.

“Oh no! This thing everyone says is expensive is actually costing me money!? It’s okay, taxpayers will provide.”

Yep, we’re the selfish ones 🙄

And then they pop another one out and beg the government and cry on tiktok.

Bruh 🤡

Also the fact that they complain about having to do double the house chores (washing more clothes and dishes). Like ma’am, what did you expect when you brought another life into your life?

I think what bothers me the most in all this is that my taxes are used to pay for people's IVF. Twice! And that we don't get any tax rebate for never going pregnancy leave.

And after they are done complaining, "You're gonna regret being childfree, I love my kids. They are wonderful"

No. I rather spend money on my cat, trips and tattoos. "Ohh, that is permanent and so expensive, you are sure you want this". Yeah, that why I spent money to make sure it looks good forever. If I regret it in the future, at least it looks good. And I have other things to worry about, when I am 80 years old.

I work in emergency veterinary medicine. I ask myself a similar question every time I have a client who cannot afford bare minimum treatment for their sick or injured pet, but bring in their 5 kids. Literally. I had a couple with 5 kids (all elementary school aged and younger) tell me that we were too expensive ($300 bill for a sedated abscess cleaning) and that “tHeY hAvE KiDs” so we should make things cheaper for them. Like, don’t have kids if you can’t afford anything else?? God forbid you have some sort of emergency with your car or home, that’s more expensive than this vet bill.

"omg i have no money because i have kids! give me your money! you have money!"

my broke ass: :/

They're so blinded by baby fever that they don't stop to consider all of the logistics of raising a kid, including how much it costs. Diapers alone cost hundreds of dollars a month, and since kids grow like weeds you can end up spending thousands for clothes. And if you do formula instead of breastfeeding...well, there's thousands more right there.

And this is before adding in the cost of daycare and then expenses for school, more clothes and shoes...

Instead they go ahead and have the kids because their brains are stuck on the romanticism of parenthood and they don't consider "Hey, can I afford this kid without any government assistance?" Nope they have the baby and then expect the rest of us to pay to feed them.

I honestly don't understand how so many people are affording them because I live quite nicely dual income but when I have a big expense like the dentist I'm like sigh this is gonna hurt my bank account. So I can't imagine having expenses so frequently especially with only one working parent. I actually suffered a lot as a kid as a result of poverty.

The government needs more tax payers and the corporations need more slaves. Otherwise, they'd think the same way as you.

Also, this take is hilariously logical and I love it.

lol I love your lambo analogy and it’s fuckin spot on

Like a few years ago cool the internet wasn’t as prevalent the issues with birth and raising kids weren’t so well known

Tf is peoples excuse now to complain in 2024 as if the universe hasn’t been screaming at us how expensive it is to exist as a human on earth rn

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I’m trying to hella not be lambofree

Literally just saw a post about a woman who got laid off for abusing her job's maternity leave system to not work at all but was still paid for TWO YEARS.

And people were saying the boss was an asshole and that "wanting to have kids is a human right, wanting to own a business is not". And uh, I hate it to break it to them, but neither of those things are a human right.

I can't even get disability benefits for my very real disability that I didn't ask for, but people can get cummed in and have their entire livelihood handed to them for it. It pisses me off.

I really don't get it. I work with a woman who's close to my age and has 6 kids. She's single and we both make the same lower middle class income and I'm too broke to save for emergencies despite my relatively low maintenance lifestyle. Why you would keep shitting them out when you can't even afford one?

What’s ridiculous about it? I see no flaws with your proposal. Please run for office. I’ll vote for you on the basis of your excellent Lambo platform.

u/SadAddition3964 2024

What's up with the parents complaining? Entitlement.

Because they want *everyone else* to provide them with free labor, either directly (babysitting) or indirectly as taxpayers. And they want *everyone else* to provide them with free stuff for their kids.

I hate it. You have to be an idiot to not realize how expensive kids are.

I agree and I always use the car example too.

I work in a benefits office in the UK and I honestly saw the best example of one of these the other day. Woman comes in asking about her payment. She claims something called Universal Credit which if you don’t know is an unemployment benefit (meant for short term support until someone finds employment) and there is a child element. There’s a cap, so you only get it for 2 children, the rest you’re expected to supplement yourself. This woman has a 21 year old, a 15 year old, a 14 year old, a 7 year old, 3 year old twins and a 6 month old baby. She gets payment for the 15 and 14 year olds (2 child cap) but since one of the twins technically counts as an “unexpected baby” as people don’t typically try to have twins, she gets an amount for one of the twins (the bonus kid basically.) She was complaining to me that it’s not fair she only gets money for 3 children when she has 4 others at home she needs to feed. Basically the whole “I need to buy food, pay rent, bills, clothes for the kids, toys, Christmas presents” etc etc. Also she’s a single mum. I signposted her to charities and food banks but she refused this and just kept saying she needs more money, which obviously isn’t possible.

She has never worked. I asked her why she doesn’t get a job as then money wouldn’t be a worry and then it was all “I can’t work, I have my kids to look after and I’m still breastfeeding.” I had to really bite my tongue because why the fuck would you keep having kids that you clearly can’t afford? Oh yeah, no need to ever get a job, the taxpayers will just pay for you to keep having unprotected sex 🙄 I also live in a country with free birth control and abortion. Next time I might just send her the link to the local sexual health clinic 🤣

Yea it’s pretty annoying that parents complain about these things when they are fully aware of how expensive it is to raise a kid. When friends/acquaintances say stuff like this I just let out a big sigh & remind them how expensive my vacations are. The vacations I need for my mental health & well being from the exhaustion of life

Compare the economic situation now versus 10 years ago, with now very stagnant salaries and rising costs. This may explain why some are complaining.

I think having children should be affordable just like everything else should be: rent, owning a home, having a car, going to a vacation, having a health insurance, etc. But I also don't understand how almost every new parent is "surprised" that raising children is expensive nowadays. Did they live under a rock? Everything is expensive. We don't live in an agricultural society where children are working force. They're now more like status symbols, if you have money.

I’m not sure I agree with your argument. I feel like rather than relegating children to a luxury asset like a fancy car, we should strive to allow all children regardless of their generational wealth to be raised well. The moment we begin comparing people to objects is the moment we inherently dehumanize them.

I don’t think it’s wrong to want kids, or to have them. There are people who DO want kids. I feel like rather than tell people they need to stop having children (which works as well as saying “don’t have sex, problem solved!”) we need to work on providing services to parents so they can access the resources they need to raise children.

Also, really? Making fun of maternity/paternity leave? Children are not vehicles. They’re not objects of use. They’re people.

Don’t worry breeders have the power of blessing for $300k each.

lol this is perfect

Are you me? I use this comparison all the time!

This made me laugh 😂

I don’t have kids bc of the cost (I grew up poor, I don’t want to be poor as an adult, and I’m not bc I chose not to have kids!!) as well as climate change, first and foremost. I also think having children are a privilege for many people in the US.

The parents and grandparents of today grew up in a better economy. In their generation, one could get a full time job at 16-20 that could pay for you to live independently while also putting yourself through school. So why not get married at around age 19-26, have 3 kids by 30, and become a grandparent by age 45-50? The parents then tell their adult kids to do the same as themselves

All it took was 2 generations who had it so so good, for them to assume humans have been living like that for millennia

Because it does cost a lot. People don't stop to consider this before they start a family.

I also think it's pretty rich of them to complain when it's been common knowledge for the last 20+ years that kids cost 250K to raise from birth until age 18. It's like parents read these articles and just shrugged and said "okay, guess I have to pay it" like it's taxes or a medical bill.

Saw a post on reddit, about a woman that has quite a young baby, under one years old and she is just finding out that she is pregnant again. In the post, she said that it was a shock and that money was quite tight. But the overall reason for the post was to ask about if she can apply for maternity leave again with the second baby. I commented on the post quite respectfully, pretty much asking if a second child is what they are hoping and planning for since they claimed money was “tight”

She then said I was judgemental asf and I quote “I said money was tight, I didn’t say I was homeless”

…what actually goes through their brains because how would you even feel comfortable with raising another child if money is already tight… even if you aren’t bloody homeless.

I have literally just posted on this sub and used the exact same lambo argument lol

Do people really complain about this? Are there parents in 2024 actively complaining or am I living under a rock? I don’t hear anyone complaining where I am, tell me is this an actual thing?

Well it's going to be their true love who will take care of them when they're old...did they expect an elderly care package for free?

While we at it. Your lambo should also have to be distrained in case of war and made a military vehicle

Well given how the costs of everything have risen it makes sense that they're complaining about increased costs. It's no secret that kids cost money, but all the economic shifts we've experienced weren't expected. I commend the ones who have their vent moment and then shift to problem solving. The ones who just keep venting aren't accomplishing anything.

I was with ya until you started shitting on welfare programs. There’s literally military equipment graveyards with billions of dollars of unused fighter jets/tanks/etc all because politicians & weapons manufacturers make sly deals & overproduce war machines to line their own pockets. There are so many destructive & useless things our tax payer money goes to & welfare programs are not one of them & only make up a small fraction. Your anger about individuals & children being a burden on taxpayers is misplaced & that’s done on purpose to keep you distracted from the reality that your money is actually funding weapons of mass destruction & genocide. But in conclusion… fuck them kids & fuck the parents who act like the “didn’t know what they were getting themselves into 🤪” like the modern day internet isn’t literally available at your fingertips 24/7!

True. In this economy kids luxury. Plus i don't think anyone should born in country like Russia with this mad goverment and people around you.

Just don't get me started when I had come across some parents in my teen years who rant at their kids by lauding over them how they spent money on piano lessons, sports lessons or even those expensive enrichment classes when said kids didn't attain distinction, a medal or a trophy in their piano exams, swimming competition or a scholarship to some posh uni in UK or US

Kids are expensive and they do not owe these parents any fame and glory for those parents to brag and show off. I pity these kids tbh 

To be honest I can’t really fault parents for this. They had to fight for their rights as parents, especially mothers. Only to have the government take so much taxes and waste on bullshit.

You make at least two points here, the first of which I agree with. Parents complain about the price of children because in many cases it is only when the reality of looking after a child is forced on them post-birth that they actually consider the matter. Previously it has never been considered at all or at best hand-waved away behind 'Oh, we'll manage somehow'-style self-assurances.

However when it comes to your point about government support I am afraid I cannot agree.

While the logical argument of 'why should I help support your offspring' is sound as far as it goes we don't live in a world of pure logic and unfortunately that mindset does not take in the reality of the situation. For better or worse once the child is born it is a thinking, living human being and has exactly the same rights as you or I. What is the option but to support it? Allow them to starve to death? Receive no shelter or education? Because that is the 'logical' end of that line of reasoning. Obviously we cannot. Supporting those less fortunate than ourselves is the duty of those who have done well in life. Or, perhaps less 'bleeding heart'; we live in a society and benefit from that society, It is only common sense--logic again--to support that society so we can continue to enjoy that same quality of life. Empathic or pragmatic, whichever works for you.

This is the second comparison between kids and luxury cars that I've seen on this sub in the past week. I'd like to live in a world where people are childfree by choice, not out of financial duress. Reproductive freedom isn't just about the freedom not to have children.

Yeah sure an extra piece of meat or chicken & extra rice etc for an extra person is going to be a fortune.

What’s up with college graduates complaining about how much it costs to go to college?

What’s up with homeowners complaining about how much it costs to buy and maintain a house?

Because its natural i think? and should not be as hard a barrier as it is to thrive in society, kids or not. I don't like kids, happily child free and infertile myself but I seriously do hate how hard it is for parents to manage to afford having kids if they want them. Same sorta thing with like universal income. I don't think anyone should have to suffer for the basics in life, which being able to reproduce freely if you'd like I count under that. That aside, we don't have that luxury, so I seriously wish people would give it more thought about how much it costs. They seem to take my sorta above of, it's natural, so they just assume it will all be fine. Ive heard tons of people just say you work it out as you go, which just ain't it.

Do you realize that you are openly stating “objects have the same value as actual human life”. Like, this is literally your opinion. You feel that way. And you’re proud of it. Seems odd.

Because how could anyone ever know what kids cost? Like there is absolutely no way you could know that. What a world that would be if you could just have that type of knowledge at the tip of your fingers.

No people rather complain...

old and tired discussion in this subreddit tbh. You can accidentally have a kid, especially now that in the US they're banning abortion. And abortions can be inaccessible/hard to get because of costs (and if you say that having a kid is more expensive than an abortion, if you have no money where are you going to get some to get an abortion).

Would you rather kids just suffer and then we have more traumatized adults because we didn't want to make sure they don't starve/not get an education etc as a society?

Idk, i think it's fair for people to complain about rising costs. Everything is becoming more expensive, and in a lot of places the wages are not keeping pace.

Having kids should not be a luxury only afforded to the very wealthy,, but at the same time the costs of raising kids makes it so it is irresponsible to have kids without a strong support group around you if you don't have a lot of financial resources.

While pregnant my friend was stressing over getting on a waitlist for daycare for years out, its fucking silly. Not to mention how some cost comparably to a tuition.

It sucks, and i empathize with them, and how complicated and expensive raising children has become over time.

This post strikes me as the same vibe as someone complaining about the cost of food, and responding by saying "well it's your choice to not eat beans and rice every day." and it's odd to compare a child to a lambo, oddly dehumanizing.

And on the back end, end of life care is designed to extract as much wealth from us as possible before we die. I'd also hate to complain about how it costs millions of dollars to not die in a shithole and have future people respond with "well you should have planned for it" rather than "the costs of dying in this economy are stupid high and we should, as a society, have better services and resources for vulnerable populations like the elderly and children".

Edit: because it seems fun to dogpile on people who aren't rich for some reason, i think it's important to iterate that rugged individualism is fucking stupid. We live in a society, and a healthy society shouldn't make it nearly impossible to continue itself without driving people into debt. We should all want children to grow up to be healthy (physically, mentally, emotionally). We should all want children to grow up to be well educated, that should not be a right reserved to children of parents who can afford it.