re: No one wants to raise families anymore

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Sure you can, especially if that native population has moved to an advanced economy. You think we need PhD-level intellects doing construction?

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We have 330 million people living in the USA not 100 million. The business model we have had since 1980 of unfettered Illegal Immigration isn't working anymore. Things change. What worked in 1980 doesn't necessarily work in 2022.

The way to fix all the problems we have is to 'reset' the workforce. How do you do this? It is a multi step process.

-You deport every Illegal Immigrant back to their country of origin
-You remove 75% of the current Welfare State/Social Safety Net
-You then educate those very same able bodied American citizens who were on Welfare/Social Safety Net in all the Trades and other programs to introduce them to the economy and jobs that were occupied by Illegal Immigrants who were not paying State or Federal Income taxes clogging up our Hospitals and Public Schools etc.

BTW, hanging drywall, painting, picking oranges etc. isn't a 'skill'. There are 12 year old who can do those things.

Educating/Training our current able bodied Welfare State would solve many of our problems in this country. Investing in American citizens would solve many of our problems.

Importing low IQ, Uneducated, unskilled people who don't speak English along with the current Welfare State/Social Safety Net we have with a 330 million population isn't sustainable. What happens when that 330 million number is 350 million? Print more money?

Anyone who thinks being the dumping ground for people from shithole countries is a sustainable business model and a good idea is a fricking idiot. This WILL end in absolute disaster. If you think otherwise look around you right now and all the problems this country has then multiply that by 10 and that will be the result.

My wife is 8 months pregnant with our first child. We are church going people with good incomes.

I would love to do my part and have 4-5 good kids, but it's hard to afford that today. Homes where I live are >500k. New vehicles are >50k. The daycares we looked into were all >1,400/m.

We're considering moving an hour north, where I'll occasionally have to drive an hour commute to get into the city. Even there, homes will be >400k, vehicles will still be >50k, and daycare will be >1,000/m.

Even with healthy, steady incomes, I don't know how I can comfortably commit to more than 2 kids right now, and even the second one is a question mark.

I imagine people with middle of the road incomes can't even think about 1 kid right now.

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I can’t tell you how many times my friends have told me they don’t want to raise kids in this world.
A. Why are you telling me that? Kind of rude
B. Kind of a pussy way to look at it

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I think it's reflexive indoctrination. We have this tongue in cheek way of talking about having kids and how hard it is. Part of the wine box, pill popping mom outlook we've developed.

I love my children. They are my best accomplishment and worth every stress and every dollar spent or given up.

They are turning out exactly the way I wanted, almost by magic and I hate the idea that they are about to start moving out and moving on, even though I know that is the whole point and a good thing.

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It seems like the majority of people in their 20's and 30's have given up on the traditional American family lifestyle in exchange for travel, pets, and material. It feels like if this trend continues we won't have much of a civilization left in a generation or two.

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Well I just exited my 30s and entered 40 and just had a son 6 weeks ago. It's now our 3rd kid and wish I had less. I kid, I kid. I love the lil shits.
Now, I have no idea how anyone making under 150k as a family pays for these lil runts. Especially in New Orleans where Private School seems to be a necessity.

One of my favorite bits is telling people about a place that used to give loans to newlyweds to buy a house and start a family. How they'd knock off 25% of the loan for each kid.

Their eyes light up! "Wow! Where was this magical place?"

MFW

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The sacrifices were worth it to me, but not for so many other people.

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They don’t know how empty their lives are.

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Even with healthy, steady incomes, I don't know how I can comfortably commit to more than 2 kids right now, and even the second one is a question mark.

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I think I've come to the realization that folks with multiple kids live somewhat on credit card debt. Sure their are folks that don't, but the average trip to Disney every few years puts CC debt on a card. Random weekend events in your city, etc.

I have come to the realization that I'm ok with this and won't have a million dollar home or >60k car. Instead I'll have kids and great memories and someone to hold my hand in the end. I'm perfectly good with that. To me, that's life... not a fancy car to impress people you don't know.

this is a real issue and much of it has to do with lifestyle. People have traded family for comfort, but much of that comfort is by way of ill-advised debt. women have been bamboozled into believing career is more virtuous than motherhood and men have been battered into into submission by a court system that would rob them of everything if they even think to walk away.

social interaction has been replaced by social media and gaming.... people are more reclusive, less religious and community minded, and more selfish.

We are VERY poorly positioned for a real depression.

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Now, I have no idea how anyone making under 150k as a family pays for these lil runts. Especially in New Orleans where Private School seems to be a necessity.

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Exactly. It's a systemic problem. It could easily be fixed but the solutions aren't "fair" in the classical liberal worldview that both the GOP and Dems operate in. You'll be fired from your job and socially ostracized for even mentioning what the problems and solutions are.

Now tell me we aren't already in 1984.

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I think I've come to the realization that folks with multiple kids live somewhat on credit card debt.

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We live on one in income. Our only debt is the mortgage. The key is to buy in your means and regulate your subscription services. We pay tithe and missions. Since my wife doesn't work, we don't pay childcare. We homeschool. She shops for discounts, we do garage sales and consignment shops, etc. We are making way less than $150k and living comfortably in a house, not a trailer. It's a matter of where you spend your money. If you have to have the biggest truck on the street with a lift kit and buy all your sons and daughters a fourwheeler, it's going to cost you on loans and insurance.