I don't think it is as much sports as it is helicopter parents. Scheduled play dates, not allowing kids to head out and be kids without having somebody watching over them the entire time. I was in some form of organized sports from K -12. But when I wasn't in organized sports, I was meeting friends to play them ourselves. when I was little, I'd walk or bike to the neighborhood park, and there would be kids playing baseball anybody could join, the tennis courts were full, basketball games being played, the swings and slides were all in use. Today I go to the same park, the ball field is idle, never see anybody on the tennis courts. The only time they really get used is if the organized sports use them for practice or games or if somebody uses the park for a family gathering. It wasn't rare in the summer for me to leave 9, 10am and not return home until Dark or later sometimes. don't see that at all today. Something my wife and I don't always agree on. Kids come and ask, can I go play with so and so. I say sure, your bike is in the garage. She is more likely to want to drive them and drop them off. I think we need to get back to letting kids get their bumps and bruises and learning the world on their own.
Yeah that would be considered borderline neglect today. Pathetic. Also kids have a real hard time being bored these days. So its multiple factors. But that is why we are having less kids these days. Both parents are working. Kids take more attention and time to raise because they are not gone all day like in the old days. I'm not shocked or surprised we are having less kids because lets face it. It is ALOT more work than it was in the old days.
Op it might me hard to imagine, but on the spectrum of raising kids you are at the very cheapest and easiest part of parenting, so you might have a taste but really don't have a much of a basis with one 1 1/2 old son. The money and time commitments really ramp up around 6th grade and go up every year into college. Justin is right about health care costs. I can also remember when just the monthly bills of braces and traveling gymnastics were the size of some mortgages. I am also surprised by how expensive and time consuming academics and sports have become. Trial hit one of the single most important things to consider and that is investing now in their college years. My oldest is leaving for 6 years of pharmacy school in August and my youngest in high school is leaning towards being a pediatrician. If your kids succeed you need to be able to help them stay on course.
IMO It is only a lot more work if the Parents choose so. I also think the more kids a family has the more they realize that. It is pretty normal to protect the first child like they were made of glass. by the 3rd, they are allowed to do stuff themselves the first born would never have been.
You better be ready to be the "bad person" or "selfish parent" if you don't. Public Schools have fundraisers now that the parents are supposed to get involved with. Birthday parties up to ying yang. Activities. Ice cream events. There is always something that you are "supposed" to do or be doing.
I completely hear what you are saying. and i agree with you on some parts. I am 40 and grew up in the woods and in the water. We would be gone all day and come home for dinner. However in today's society, there are so many more people, and not that there were'nt sex offenders when we were kids, (adults just swept it under the rug and didn't talk about old man stevenson showing everyone his privates) now seeing as society has grown, the percentages of perverts and pedaphiles has grown as well, making more of them, making it not as safe. Plus not to mention the excessive amount of vehicles with the larger society. self absorbed people staring at their cellphones updating their status on facebook, busy in their own narcasistic world, while driving down the road. making the back roads unsafe. Sad, very sad. I agree with kids getting bumps and bruises, let them be kids.
Nope. Fully aware of how easy I have it right now...with one. Hence the apprehension for two. Already have a 529 and two Roth's started for college, but I'm realistic knowing college will look much different when he's that age than it does today. Luckily, I have fantastic insurance for now as well. The financial concerns are real, but not as much of a deciding factor as the time and life/work balance issues. Good choice on pharmacy school. It served my wife very well.
In this day of "no fault divorce" if your wife gets bored and decides to leave. How many kids do you want to have to pay her child support for? Somebody had to say it.
After years of saying she would never drive a minivan, here we are with a Toyota Sienna. I drive it proudly!
The $5,000/ I keep telling my wife a minivan is in her future, but she won't relent. For now she's driving a Toyota Highlander with 3rd row seating. It gets the job done, but doesn't leave much room for anything else. I give it 3-5 years before we're minivanning it with no shame.
On the other end of the continuum...the wife is ready to get rid of the minivan (yeah!) and had even said my truck will be the next vehicle we buy (woo hoo)...which gets added to the small fleet (3 other cars I own) of vehicles my kids drive...at least they're paying for gas and some occasional maintenance items for the cars...
Buy her a Suburban Justin and she will love it. We went from a Honda Odyssey to a Z71 Suburban and will NEVER own another minivan Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you wait to have children till you can afford them, you'll never have them but just one of those smiles and a hug and it's worth whatever it costs!!!!!!
My twins became drivers last year. And both now have jobs so we have added two additional vehicles. My insurance agent loves me now.
It never gets easier or cheaper, I took the day off to put new struts and motor mounts in my sons car yesterday, just hope the car lasts 3 more years till he is done with college and working.
I wouldn't be afraid at all of having three kids, four would start to be a little nerve racking. I may be out of the norm here, but I kinda believe its more about how many the Big Guy wants you to have and less about how many you want...
