Social pressure. Anywhere you go children are unwelcome.
Other than spaces specifically designated for children, you won’t exactly be encouraged to bring your kids. Most activities people find necessary or fun like workplace, entertainment, travel, parties, etc, are exclusive of children.
And it doesn’t work like that. “it takes a village to raise a child” as the saying goes. Raising children is not something that can be compartmentalized into a separate sphere of life, while you still perform all the activities you were used to or liked without them.
Add to that the cost of housing - you need to put those children somewhere - and you have the perfect storm.
This is a big one people don’t acknowledge. I think a big part of it is that we have also moved away from church (not a bad thing!)
When people talk about religious people having more kids, it’s not just quiverfull explanations! It’s that church people accept being around kids at social events. We (non church people) lost all of our childless friends within about two years of having a kid. The lifestyles were just incompatible and they weren’t ready to transition to daytime barbecues at the park. My church going sister? Kids are welcome at almost all of her social events, and she even attends women’s groups that have free childcare.
Obviously you can build that kind of community outside of church, but it’s not easy without the existing culture and infrastructure.
Social pressure. Anywhere you go children are unwelcome.
Other than spaces specifically designated for children, you won’t exactly be encouraged to bring your kids. Most activities people find necessary or fun like workplace, entertainment, travel, parties, etc, are exclusive of children.
And it doesn’t work like that. “it takes a village to raise a child” as the saying goes. Raising children is not something that can be compartmentalized into a separate sphere of life, while you still perform all the activities you were used to or liked without them.
Add to that the cost of housing - you need to put those children somewhere - and you have the perfect storm.
This is a big one people don’t acknowledge. I think a big part of it is that we have also moved away from church (not a bad thing!)
When people talk about religious people having more kids, it’s not just quiverfull explanations! It’s that church people accept being around kids at social events. We (non church people) lost all of our childless friends within about two years of having a kid. The lifestyles were just incompatible and they weren’t ready to transition to daytime barbecues at the park. My church going sister? Kids are welcome at almost all of her social events, and she even attends women’s groups that have free childcare.
Obviously you can build that kind of community outside of church, but it’s not easy without the existing culture and infrastructure.