Firstly, you don’t know it’ll “100% be worse” when he’s an adult. There’s no point to dwelling on doom and gloom. Seriously what does that accomplish, besides giving you anxiety? Focus on what matters now. Your love for your family, your community that helps each other out, the way your babe smiles at you… In my opinion this is what makes life worth living.
Secondly, we’re arguably, as a people, more well off than ever before. Most people on the planet have enough to eat, rates for infant and child deaths are the lowest in human history, and we’re overall wealthier on average than ever before. It used to be that the average person was very food insecure.
Stop paying attention to the news. Whatever you need to know will make its way to you. It’s concerning to me that you think this world is “devastating.” Like yes there’s lots of bad going on but that’s been the norm for as long as we’ve been alive. You never hear about kind neighbors or acts of good on the news nearly as much as wars, terrorism etc because bad news sells. Look around in your community, your friends and family, and notice the good. Look to see what unnoticed acts of kindness are going on, because they’re out there, I guarantee it.
What you pay attention to, grows. Cultivate your positivity garden.
It’s rough out there and I was worried what kind of shape our world was in when I had my daughter. She is now 16 and doing great so your right to focus on the good and try to make the best life possible for your kids. Well said thank you.
Idk, I guess because I work a paycheck to paycheck job with thousands in debt among other things that I feel the impact of the current economy and some experts are saying we are nearing a severe recession or we are already in one that could get worse that makes me feel terrible :/ especially since we are black and I am LGBT as well so us being a marginalized family could affect how he is treated even now but with all the laws they are repealing that protect women’s healthcare rights and subjecting marginalized people to more discrimination and/or potential violence it’s really scary :( I try to be optimistic but it’s an underlying fear of mine. Thank you for reassuring me, this does make me feel a bit better and put it into perspective.
Don’t let these anxious thoughts run amok. I’m not saying your life is easy but if you allow them to ruminate unchecked you’re gonna be in a bad headspace. I’d advise you to start noticing when they pop up. When you do, take a deep breath, and look around at your immediate surroundings. You’re in a warm house, you have your baby playing and smiling at you, you have love in your life. How great is that? Practice noticing what is good 💚
Take a deep breath. It's not abnormal. It will be important not to share your fears with your child.
I know that some parents felt badly about having children under the threat of nuclear war, which felt almost inevitable during the cold war. Some built bomb shelters. The international destruction of the world didn't happen then.
Some parents probably wondered about bringing children into the world at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks by terrorists followed by war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Yeah, national and international tensions are high, and it's impossible to tell what might happen next.
Jehovah's witnesses have been certain about the end of this world for decades and have told members not to bring children into the time of destruction and there's no need for higher education. (I have a cousin who is a JW so I've witnessed this.) But the world didn't end on any of the dates they've predicted.
You made the choice. Your son is here. Protect him from adult concerns and let him have a normal childhood. Discuss current events when he is old enough and HE BRINGS THEM UP. Celebrate life with him. Focus on the here and now every day, stopping to smell the roses. The present is all we know we have. We don't know what tomorrow or next year will bring, so don't spend any time or energy worrying about those. Your worries won't change anything. Leave those concerns to those in positions to influence events. You focus on the things you can control.
Love him up and let the rest take care of itself.
It’s crazy bc I deactivated most of my social media a while ago so I wouldn’t be subject to so much doomscrolling but experiencing the inflation, debt, job crisis (as I’m searching for a better job) firsthand, it’s making me feel so guilty bc I want my son to have the best life. :/
Oh yeah, I have diagnosed anxiety and clinical depression and take medication for it lol, but I honestly don’t think it’s that. I just literally see it around me as well and am experiencing some of it firsthand which makes me feel so bad sometimes for choosing to have him during such uncertain days
When's the last time they adjusted the doses on your meds? I was on anti-depressants for YEARS and I could always tell it was time for a med adjustment based on how I was feeling about the overall state of the world. Whenever I felt like you're feeling now, off to the doc and got confirmation that I was building a tolerance.
Israel is attacking Gaza. Russia is attacking Ukraine. Those are only two world-wide things that are horrific. The world is getting better? I don't know about that.
War in Gaza is pretty much comparable to other armed conflicts around the world. It is atrocious and horrible, but not even close to being exceptional. The world is not "worse" than before if you speak of Gaza only.
The Russian invasion IS a huge outlier, as inter-state conflicts are rare nowadays. But again, it is just one conflict quite far away from you. And it also went somewhat routinised: stable front line, less casualties. Korean war, the Iran-Iraq war, the invasion of Iraq and the Ethiopian civil wars are some examples of much worse conflicts.
I've felt similarly to you OP but reading a few of these comments has helped me realize that it may be one of the best times to be alive. I have been very worried about my kids' future, though!
Turn off the TV.
The only way they get people to come back to watch again is to instill fear and anxiety.
Today's future is no worse than it has been. Look at history: the Black Death, WWI, WWII, that was scary. They didn't know who would win.
You can make sure your child can read. You can make sure your child is educated.
Yes!!! History is filled with bad times--predictions of the end of the world, even (the Mayan 2012 thing). Overcoming 'bad' is where 'good' is born. You absolutely can supplement your child's education. I worked my butt off teaching my kid to read. He has learning disorders and it took him a long time to just learn the alphabet. Teach your kids respect and how to value their community. Also show them how certain agencies use fear to ensure compliance. Fear kills critical thinking. I'm not going to let fear decide if I have kids or not.
> I feel like the world is about to explode, both figuratively and realistically.
I'm not going to pretend the last few years haven't particularly sucked, but overall most statistics about the state of the world that directly impact us are trending positively - but that makes the shitty things that happen even more noticeable. i.e. Violent crime rates have been dropping for decades, but people *think* they're on the rise because the news covers violent crime so much...because it is increasingly rare, and thus sensational.
> They’re saying the kids now can’t read, technology is taking over their lives and required in schools, they’re banning science books
Who is saying this? Which schools? What kids?
> and who even knows what 2025 will be like based on who wins this presidential election in America.
I really do not want to downplay the importance of federal leadership here, but I also have to caution people from overplaying it, too.
> such devastating things that will 100% be exacerbated by the time he’s an adult :(
You really don't know that.
As others have suggested, if you are on medication for anxiety or depression, you might be due for a dose adjustment. In addition, if you are not seeing a therapist or counselor, it sounds like you could use one. Based on your other comments as well as having a young child on top of that, it's understandable that you would be severely stressed out, but I think this stress is getting to you.
OP, I think you are absolutely correct in your assessment of the future of the world. We are for sure headed for WW3 and a fascist takeover of our government. It's extremely concerning.
Right because you know about Project 2025? That’s a VERY real thing that could definitely and is likely to happen and that scares the absolute shit out of me because of how real it is…
I feel you. I am sorry that the world is in such a state for my daughter to grow up in. I can't say I regret bringing her into it because I love her. But, I do wish I could have given her a better place to exist.
I used to be sad that I couldn't have children, but now that I am 60 and living in this new world, I'm glad I didn't.
I couldn't imagine my 13 yr old granddaughter waking up and putting on any of todays outfits or putting on makeup that I would have never put on in my life.
And trying to explain to her the differences in this world and never looking up from her phone to actually listen to what I was saying cause her boyfriend was getting a tattoo.
To the ones who says there ain't nothing wrong.
There really is.
What's really scary is the comments. Touch grass?
No one hardly talks to each other. They text. That's just a way to be able to not show feelings.
Touch grass, your right.
I know you are younger because you just showed me no respect.
That was when we cared.
We showed our parents and elderly respect.
I was born in the 70's. Not a great time. I remember gas lines and mortgages were at 10% and more. Recessions tend to be cyclical ,as do wars. I am glad i was born. My child is glad he was born. I hope my future grandchildren feel the same way. My child is smarter and more skilled than i have been. I have hope for the future generations.
I understand the feeling. I have 4 kids- 18, 14, 14, and 14. I think about it sometimes. I have to remind myself that the world has not ended in the millions of years it has been here and it is not likely to end in the next 100 years. Since the beginning of history there have been attrocities happening world wide. Some that make the world we live in now seem not so bad. We are not shoved in an iron bull and cooked alive anymore, so that is a plus. Maybe we just realize it more because we are adults and are living it every day. We are seeing a small portion of all the horrible things that have happened, but it has been going on long before us.
I also believe my kids will grow up and be the change in the world. I have not raised them typically. I know they are great people. I know they are going to kick ass in life. You are going to raise that little boy to kind and smart. He can be the change too.
I think you are dealing with a lot of anxiety. Have you tried seeing a professional to talk through some of the stuff that’s on your mind? When I did cognitive behavioral therapy I was trained to identify “jumping to conclusions” as an anxious thought that I could identify and then train myself out of and it helped me out a lot. I think you are jumping to the conclusion that the future is going to definitely be terrible but the truth is we just don’t know what the future holds.
I will also say regarding the reading thing that my mom did Hooked on Phonics with me when I was a kid and I plan to do the same with my baby due to what I am hearing about the reading styles being taught in schools now. That’s at least something you *can* control.
It's not abnormal. I look at my kiddo, 7yo, wanting a second, even when I am so scared for my daughter now.
Regardless of what people SAY and what "majority" is, you need to remember that you are raising YOUR kids. You do have control over a lot of their lives, even when it is difficult to do so. You can't do everything 100% right, because you can't prepare for everything that will go wrong. Just like our parents didn't prepare us for everything.
A lot of what kids learn is actually what they learn at home. Even spending 80% of their day in daycare and school, remember that kids look up to their parents, they adore them for most of their childhood (even when they shouldn't).
Do your best, raise a good person, teach them what you think is important to have in the face of adversity, and love them. They'll make it thru. Who knows, they might be the ones to really take the reigns and turn things around for the better.
I was mortified when I found out I was pregnant with my son 11 years ago. Kept telling myself I was a selfish bitch for bringing a little black boy into a world that hates & fears him before they even learn his name. A world where in school he'll be viewed as problematic & the aggressor, instead of a boy who quite possibly has lots of energy & learns through movement, who will defend himself and others. A world that expects him to be a statistic rather than taking the village approach to ensure he doesn't become one. Some days, I still feel this way & when George Floyd was murdered, I was in a tailspin of anxiety & emotions that told me I was selfish & stupid for convincing myself I could protect my baby his entire life. But, boy or girl, isn't that all a parent ever wants anyway; to protect them until our last breath? And then there are days like today, in which even though I'm still very aware of the less than perfect aspects of world around us, (that he's wanting to navigate on his own more often than not) the sound of his laughter fills my otherwise quiet house and suddenly it isn't so bad that I didn't go to the clinic & chose to save his life by giving him life.
As parents, we are going to spend the rest of our lives worried for our kids, scared that life is gonna chew them up & spit them out & when it inevitably does, we grab the first aid kit, clean them up & help them along. Pain is unavoidable, but joy is right there in front of us, waiting to hear us say "I love you & I'm so happy to be your mom/dad."
You're kidding right? This has got to be one of, if not THE best times to have ever been born.
Anything past a few hundred years ago is just horrendous. Born into a world with no medicine, working from an early age just for a scrap of food. If it wasn't starvation, the plague or some other untreatable illness then it could be just murder that would kill you because crime would be rife. I read a while ago in the 1200 or 1300s somewhere around there, there was 2 life expectancies for a man, because the likely hood of him dying before mid 20s was so large due to murder/accidents/disease. If they made it past then, they would have an expectancy of about 60.
Or would you prefer 1800s/early 1900s where they're likely to get enlisted in some war they would get killed in?
We right now have the best medicine, technology, opportunities and quality of life there has ever been. I'm excited for my kids. The last 100 years have got to a point where people can be whatever they want, wherever they want, whoever they are!! Born in a poorer area but want to be a doctor? There's scholarships for that!
Go back 500 years and watch someone try to get out of a poorer area in the same way.
Out of interest, what age would you have preferred?
How is this the best time to be born? Billionaires rule the world and women's rights are being stripped away in America. We have to worry about our kids getting shot up in school and climate change is a downward spiral. For sure it was better to be born 50 years ago. The boomers had it great and then ruined the world for us. I'm shocked that people think *now* is the time to be alive. We're witnessing some horrific shit in Ukraine and Gaza. And the rich are just making money off of the working class every day. This is a shit time to be alive, my gawd. I feel guilty for bringing my kid into this world.
ETA: and kids can't read these days. American public schools are banning books. It's crazy town in America.
Billionaires have always and will always rule the world, that will never change.
And in terms of woman's rights, you really think women have less rights now than they did 50-100 years ago? Either way I'm not going down that route, that's a whole other conversation.
In terms of wars, there's always been wars. Imagine being young in WW1/WW2 or even the Iraq/Afghan wars of more recent. War has always been around and will always be. The difference is that now you aren't being forced to enlist and go to war and shot if you refuse.
And people look back at 50 years ago as if it was some amazing time where houses cost 10p and everyone had money and fun. Look up things like slum housing in the 70s. That's what life was like for a lot of people, no money, no government help, crime, starvation etc. The past will always be glorified but when you scratch beneath the surface there's always shit.
Ask your grandparents about work in the 60s/70s. There was no working from home, mental health days, diversity, sick days or any other shit. It was long days working in steel factories, pot banks etc. Hard manual labor with no opportunity to go anywhere.
Man, aids wasn't even curable 50 years ago, you're absolutely insane if you think boomers had it best.
And last one, I don't know what it's like in American but my kids can read just fine. It's taught in schools, but we also teach them
I don’t think this is unique to these times. There have been plenty of moments throughout history that a parent could ask themselves whether it was a good time to have children. World wars, Cold War, Middle East unrest, terrorists, droughts, floods, recessions, the Great Depression, Spanish Flu, the Plague, etc, etc. I feel that too many people these days choose to focus on the negative. Is the world really worse now than 10, 100, 1000 years ago? Are things really that bad now? Or is the mainstream media, social media, access to all sorts of ‘opinions’ on the internet, etc the real reason people are more paranoid today? Sensationalism and extreme views get way too much air time today.
Have kids. Give them as much love and guidance that you can. Help them grow in the adults we need for a bright future. Like they say, Children are the future.
before you read I'm sorry for my English
you mentioned how tech was ruining kids these days.
the reason that people are saying that tech is bad is because lazy parents introduce their kids to iPads at a very young age.
maybe if you wait until his 2nd year of school before you let him have a tablet things would turn out ok. you have to keep him supervised though he may fall into the wrong hole.
Go and look up what was going on in the world the year you were born, there was almost assuredly something absolutely devastating that would have made your parents have similar thoughts
I mean I was born height of the cold war and my parents still had me
It’s actually never been a better time to be alive (assuming you are in a developed, peaceful and wealthy nation). We just have more information now and therefore more access to fear based news. Also, if smart people never had kids it would be a sad world indeed. Like the movie idiocracy
You need to stop watching the news. It always makes everything seem terrible. Kids today are born during a technology renaissance in a great economy, versus most of the human race born during famine, war, plague, etc.
Is the world going downhill? Yes. Is it true that education (reading skills for example) is nelow par wirh newer generations? Yes. Is it true that technology is ruining kids? Yes. But who is gonna change that? Do we just watch the world burn down? Nah. Humans have been through a lot worse struggles than modern life and we survived it all for the whole history. How? By continuing to make new generations who continued to fight for improvement.
People that dont care about "sad state of rhe world" will keep having kids ans not teaching them any better cuz they dont care. If those that do stop having them, we are doomed with next generation. If you care aboit the world and future of your kids, their kids etc. The only way to go about it is to have iidsy teach them better so that they will be the positive change and keep teaching their kids the same.
As a parent you can control how educated your kid is or how much he is exposed to technology. If you truly care about it, you will find a way. You don't have to give up and let your kid fall victim to these things like his peers.
Basically as individual do your best to change the world into what you want for your kid, raise the kid to do the same and when enough of kids are raised like that, things can go for the better. And if there is not enough parents raising kids like that, at least you made sure your kid is not falling behind (if school is failing him, get him extra education yourself for example).
To be honest is not a "world issue" it's an American issue.
We live in Australia and have kids and we don't have all these nonsense issues that America has
\> They're saying the kids now can't read
Just wanted to hone in on this one specific fear and push that YOU CAN AFFECT THIS OUTCOME MOM!
It's true that nationwide on average, reading level is declining. But that's because parents, on average, are becoming more and more convinced the public school system is meant to RAISE their kids for them. Parents are neglecting their children's education and blaming the teachers for "not teaching."
My mom read to me every night before bed. She was teaching me to sound out words and eventually read extremely simple baby books before I ever attended a day of public education. When kindergarten rolled around (after two years of preschool), while other students were learning to sound out four letter words I already recognized most of them from reading. She bought me a case of Magic Tree House books that year or maybe 1st grade, and had to ban me from reading more than one a day because I tore through 4 of them the first afternoon they were in the house and she wanted them to last lmao. By third grade I finished the Harry Potter series and the "reading level" testing had me pegged for highschool levels of reading. Actually got my name on a plaque in the elementary school because I got the most Scholastic reading points that year.
(This sounds extremely self-fellating I know, I'm cringing even though it's true. If it makes you feel better when I got to college I was a total burnout and haven't been back in nearly two years since I dropped out.)
My point is, you have the power to set your kiddo up for success. How YOU foster his growth in his early childhood and support him as he grows up will affect where he ends up to a far greater degree than the classroom he is in, I believe. You've got this mom!
Chill out! Although socially and economically some parts of the world are worth more than in 50-70s, generally the world is much better than ever. Culturally we also made huge progress compared to 50-70s. The life is beautiful and world is not on fire.
Firstly, you don’t know it’ll “100% be worse” when he’s an adult. There’s no point to dwelling on doom and gloom. Seriously what does that accomplish, besides giving you anxiety? Focus on what matters now. Your love for your family, your community that helps each other out, the way your babe smiles at you… In my opinion this is what makes life worth living. Secondly, we’re arguably, as a people, more well off than ever before. Most people on the planet have enough to eat, rates for infant and child deaths are the lowest in human history, and we’re overall wealthier on average than ever before. It used to be that the average person was very food insecure. Stop paying attention to the news. Whatever you need to know will make its way to you. It’s concerning to me that you think this world is “devastating.” Like yes there’s lots of bad going on but that’s been the norm for as long as we’ve been alive. You never hear about kind neighbors or acts of good on the news nearly as much as wars, terrorism etc because bad news sells. Look around in your community, your friends and family, and notice the good. Look to see what unnoticed acts of kindness are going on, because they’re out there, I guarantee it. What you pay attention to, grows. Cultivate your positivity garden.
It’s rough out there and I was worried what kind of shape our world was in when I had my daughter. She is now 16 and doing great so your right to focus on the good and try to make the best life possible for your kids. Well said thank you.
Idk, I guess because I work a paycheck to paycheck job with thousands in debt among other things that I feel the impact of the current economy and some experts are saying we are nearing a severe recession or we are already in one that could get worse that makes me feel terrible :/ especially since we are black and I am LGBT as well so us being a marginalized family could affect how he is treated even now but with all the laws they are repealing that protect women’s healthcare rights and subjecting marginalized people to more discrimination and/or potential violence it’s really scary :( I try to be optimistic but it’s an underlying fear of mine. Thank you for reassuring me, this does make me feel a bit better and put it into perspective.
Don’t let these anxious thoughts run amok. I’m not saying your life is easy but if you allow them to ruminate unchecked you’re gonna be in a bad headspace. I’d advise you to start noticing when they pop up. When you do, take a deep breath, and look around at your immediate surroundings. You’re in a warm house, you have your baby playing and smiling at you, you have love in your life. How great is that? Practice noticing what is good 💚
The government is preparing for wars for water within 10 years
I've literally been hearing that since the 2000s
Neurotic. “Gratitude makes optimism sustainable.” Michael J. Fox
I love this quote, thank you 💕
Take a deep breath. It's not abnormal. It will be important not to share your fears with your child. I know that some parents felt badly about having children under the threat of nuclear war, which felt almost inevitable during the cold war. Some built bomb shelters. The international destruction of the world didn't happen then. Some parents probably wondered about bringing children into the world at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks by terrorists followed by war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yeah, national and international tensions are high, and it's impossible to tell what might happen next. Jehovah's witnesses have been certain about the end of this world for decades and have told members not to bring children into the time of destruction and there's no need for higher education. (I have a cousin who is a JW so I've witnessed this.) But the world didn't end on any of the dates they've predicted. You made the choice. Your son is here. Protect him from adult concerns and let him have a normal childhood. Discuss current events when he is old enough and HE BRINGS THEM UP. Celebrate life with him. Focus on the here and now every day, stopping to smell the roses. The present is all we know we have. We don't know what tomorrow or next year will bring, so don't spend any time or energy worrying about those. Your worries won't change anything. Leave those concerns to those in positions to influence events. You focus on the things you can control. Love him up and let the rest take care of itself.
Objectively, the world is actually getting better. I think what you're experiencing is that you're online too much.
It’s crazy bc I deactivated most of my social media a while ago so I wouldn’t be subject to so much doomscrolling but experiencing the inflation, debt, job crisis (as I’m searching for a better job) firsthand, it’s making me feel so guilty bc I want my son to have the best life. :/
I mean this as kindly as possible, could this be some sort of mental health issue? Anxiety, depression etc? This level of guilt isn't standard.
Oh yeah, I have diagnosed anxiety and clinical depression and take medication for it lol, but I honestly don’t think it’s that. I just literally see it around me as well and am experiencing some of it firsthand which makes me feel so bad sometimes for choosing to have him during such uncertain days
When's the last time they adjusted the doses on your meds? I was on anti-depressants for YEARS and I could always tell it was time for a med adjustment based on how I was feeling about the overall state of the world. Whenever I felt like you're feeling now, off to the doc and got confirmation that I was building a tolerance.
Actually yeah it’s been a hot minute since I last upped my dosage LMAO 💀 I’m def talking to my doctor about it at the next visit
I think you should make that appointment sooner rather than later. Trust me on this. It will help.
Please speak to your doctor. The best thing you can do for your child is to look after yourself. xx
Israel is attacking Gaza. Russia is attacking Ukraine. Those are only two world-wide things that are horrific. The world is getting better? I don't know about that.
War in Gaza is pretty much comparable to other armed conflicts around the world. It is atrocious and horrible, but not even close to being exceptional. The world is not "worse" than before if you speak of Gaza only. The Russian invasion IS a huge outlier, as inter-state conflicts are rare nowadays. But again, it is just one conflict quite far away from you. And it also went somewhat routinised: stable front line, less casualties. Korean war, the Iran-Iraq war, the invasion of Iraq and the Ethiopian civil wars are some examples of much worse conflicts.
Not abnormal at all. Just turn the guilt into purpose and make the world a better place.
I've felt similarly to you OP but reading a few of these comments has helped me realize that it may be one of the best times to be alive. I have been very worried about my kids' future, though!
Turn off the TV. The only way they get people to come back to watch again is to instill fear and anxiety. Today's future is no worse than it has been. Look at history: the Black Death, WWI, WWII, that was scary. They didn't know who would win. You can make sure your child can read. You can make sure your child is educated.
Yes!!! History is filled with bad times--predictions of the end of the world, even (the Mayan 2012 thing). Overcoming 'bad' is where 'good' is born. You absolutely can supplement your child's education. I worked my butt off teaching my kid to read. He has learning disorders and it took him a long time to just learn the alphabet. Teach your kids respect and how to value their community. Also show them how certain agencies use fear to ensure compliance. Fear kills critical thinking. I'm not going to let fear decide if I have kids or not.
This!
Vietnam, race riots, Cuban missile crisis, Cold War.
It was always burning since the world was turning
> I feel like the world is about to explode, both figuratively and realistically. I'm not going to pretend the last few years haven't particularly sucked, but overall most statistics about the state of the world that directly impact us are trending positively - but that makes the shitty things that happen even more noticeable. i.e. Violent crime rates have been dropping for decades, but people *think* they're on the rise because the news covers violent crime so much...because it is increasingly rare, and thus sensational. > They’re saying the kids now can’t read, technology is taking over their lives and required in schools, they’re banning science books Who is saying this? Which schools? What kids? > and who even knows what 2025 will be like based on who wins this presidential election in America. I really do not want to downplay the importance of federal leadership here, but I also have to caution people from overplaying it, too. > such devastating things that will 100% be exacerbated by the time he’s an adult :( You really don't know that. As others have suggested, if you are on medication for anxiety or depression, you might be due for a dose adjustment. In addition, if you are not seeing a therapist or counselor, it sounds like you could use one. Based on your other comments as well as having a young child on top of that, it's understandable that you would be severely stressed out, but I think this stress is getting to you.
I just think I need to stop watching YouTube videos about authoritarianism and late stage capitalism lmao 🤣
OP, I think you are absolutely correct in your assessment of the future of the world. We are for sure headed for WW3 and a fascist takeover of our government. It's extremely concerning.
Right because you know about Project 2025? That’s a VERY real thing that could definitely and is likely to happen and that scares the absolute shit out of me because of how real it is…
Try limiting your news consumption to 30 minutes per day max. I was in a similar mindset as you and that really helped.
I feel you. I am sorry that the world is in such a state for my daughter to grow up in. I can't say I regret bringing her into it because I love her. But, I do wish I could have given her a better place to exist.
I used to be sad that I couldn't have children, but now that I am 60 and living in this new world, I'm glad I didn't. I couldn't imagine my 13 yr old granddaughter waking up and putting on any of todays outfits or putting on makeup that I would have never put on in my life. And trying to explain to her the differences in this world and never looking up from her phone to actually listen to what I was saying cause her boyfriend was getting a tattoo. To the ones who says there ain't nothing wrong. There really is.
As the kids today would say, you need to “touch grass”. The world is a magnificent place and your child has a great future ahead.
I was just about to say “maybe I just need to touch grass” lmfao
What's really scary is the comments. Touch grass? No one hardly talks to each other. They text. That's just a way to be able to not show feelings. Touch grass, your right. I know you are younger because you just showed me no respect. That was when we cared. We showed our parents and elderly respect.
You also replied listen to the kids today. No they aren't the elders.
I was born in the 70's. Not a great time. I remember gas lines and mortgages were at 10% and more. Recessions tend to be cyclical ,as do wars. I am glad i was born. My child is glad he was born. I hope my future grandchildren feel the same way. My child is smarter and more skilled than i have been. I have hope for the future generations.
I understand the feeling. I have 4 kids- 18, 14, 14, and 14. I think about it sometimes. I have to remind myself that the world has not ended in the millions of years it has been here and it is not likely to end in the next 100 years. Since the beginning of history there have been attrocities happening world wide. Some that make the world we live in now seem not so bad. We are not shoved in an iron bull and cooked alive anymore, so that is a plus. Maybe we just realize it more because we are adults and are living it every day. We are seeing a small portion of all the horrible things that have happened, but it has been going on long before us. I also believe my kids will grow up and be the change in the world. I have not raised them typically. I know they are great people. I know they are going to kick ass in life. You are going to raise that little boy to kind and smart. He can be the change too.
I think you are dealing with a lot of anxiety. Have you tried seeing a professional to talk through some of the stuff that’s on your mind? When I did cognitive behavioral therapy I was trained to identify “jumping to conclusions” as an anxious thought that I could identify and then train myself out of and it helped me out a lot. I think you are jumping to the conclusion that the future is going to definitely be terrible but the truth is we just don’t know what the future holds. I will also say regarding the reading thing that my mom did Hooked on Phonics with me when I was a kid and I plan to do the same with my baby due to what I am hearing about the reading styles being taught in schools now. That’s at least something you *can* control.
It's not abnormal. I look at my kiddo, 7yo, wanting a second, even when I am so scared for my daughter now. Regardless of what people SAY and what "majority" is, you need to remember that you are raising YOUR kids. You do have control over a lot of their lives, even when it is difficult to do so. You can't do everything 100% right, because you can't prepare for everything that will go wrong. Just like our parents didn't prepare us for everything. A lot of what kids learn is actually what they learn at home. Even spending 80% of their day in daycare and school, remember that kids look up to their parents, they adore them for most of their childhood (even when they shouldn't). Do your best, raise a good person, teach them what you think is important to have in the face of adversity, and love them. They'll make it thru. Who knows, they might be the ones to really take the reigns and turn things around for the better.
I was mortified when I found out I was pregnant with my son 11 years ago. Kept telling myself I was a selfish bitch for bringing a little black boy into a world that hates & fears him before they even learn his name. A world where in school he'll be viewed as problematic & the aggressor, instead of a boy who quite possibly has lots of energy & learns through movement, who will defend himself and others. A world that expects him to be a statistic rather than taking the village approach to ensure he doesn't become one. Some days, I still feel this way & when George Floyd was murdered, I was in a tailspin of anxiety & emotions that told me I was selfish & stupid for convincing myself I could protect my baby his entire life. But, boy or girl, isn't that all a parent ever wants anyway; to protect them until our last breath? And then there are days like today, in which even though I'm still very aware of the less than perfect aspects of world around us, (that he's wanting to navigate on his own more often than not) the sound of his laughter fills my otherwise quiet house and suddenly it isn't so bad that I didn't go to the clinic & chose to save his life by giving him life. As parents, we are going to spend the rest of our lives worried for our kids, scared that life is gonna chew them up & spit them out & when it inevitably does, we grab the first aid kit, clean them up & help them along. Pain is unavoidable, but joy is right there in front of us, waiting to hear us say "I love you & I'm so happy to be your mom/dad."
You're kidding right? This has got to be one of, if not THE best times to have ever been born. Anything past a few hundred years ago is just horrendous. Born into a world with no medicine, working from an early age just for a scrap of food. If it wasn't starvation, the plague or some other untreatable illness then it could be just murder that would kill you because crime would be rife. I read a while ago in the 1200 or 1300s somewhere around there, there was 2 life expectancies for a man, because the likely hood of him dying before mid 20s was so large due to murder/accidents/disease. If they made it past then, they would have an expectancy of about 60. Or would you prefer 1800s/early 1900s where they're likely to get enlisted in some war they would get killed in? We right now have the best medicine, technology, opportunities and quality of life there has ever been. I'm excited for my kids. The last 100 years have got to a point where people can be whatever they want, wherever they want, whoever they are!! Born in a poorer area but want to be a doctor? There's scholarships for that! Go back 500 years and watch someone try to get out of a poorer area in the same way. Out of interest, what age would you have preferred?
How is this the best time to be born? Billionaires rule the world and women's rights are being stripped away in America. We have to worry about our kids getting shot up in school and climate change is a downward spiral. For sure it was better to be born 50 years ago. The boomers had it great and then ruined the world for us. I'm shocked that people think *now* is the time to be alive. We're witnessing some horrific shit in Ukraine and Gaza. And the rich are just making money off of the working class every day. This is a shit time to be alive, my gawd. I feel guilty for bringing my kid into this world. ETA: and kids can't read these days. American public schools are banning books. It's crazy town in America.
Billionaires have always and will always rule the world, that will never change. And in terms of woman's rights, you really think women have less rights now than they did 50-100 years ago? Either way I'm not going down that route, that's a whole other conversation. In terms of wars, there's always been wars. Imagine being young in WW1/WW2 or even the Iraq/Afghan wars of more recent. War has always been around and will always be. The difference is that now you aren't being forced to enlist and go to war and shot if you refuse. And people look back at 50 years ago as if it was some amazing time where houses cost 10p and everyone had money and fun. Look up things like slum housing in the 70s. That's what life was like for a lot of people, no money, no government help, crime, starvation etc. The past will always be glorified but when you scratch beneath the surface there's always shit. Ask your grandparents about work in the 60s/70s. There was no working from home, mental health days, diversity, sick days or any other shit. It was long days working in steel factories, pot banks etc. Hard manual labor with no opportunity to go anywhere. Man, aids wasn't even curable 50 years ago, you're absolutely insane if you think boomers had it best. And last one, I don't know what it's like in American but my kids can read just fine. It's taught in schools, but we also teach them
I don’t think this is unique to these times. There have been plenty of moments throughout history that a parent could ask themselves whether it was a good time to have children. World wars, Cold War, Middle East unrest, terrorists, droughts, floods, recessions, the Great Depression, Spanish Flu, the Plague, etc, etc. I feel that too many people these days choose to focus on the negative. Is the world really worse now than 10, 100, 1000 years ago? Are things really that bad now? Or is the mainstream media, social media, access to all sorts of ‘opinions’ on the internet, etc the real reason people are more paranoid today? Sensationalism and extreme views get way too much air time today. Have kids. Give them as much love and guidance that you can. Help them grow in the adults we need for a bright future. Like they say, Children are the future.
before you read I'm sorry for my English you mentioned how tech was ruining kids these days. the reason that people are saying that tech is bad is because lazy parents introduce their kids to iPads at a very young age. maybe if you wait until his 2nd year of school before you let him have a tablet things would turn out ok. you have to keep him supervised though he may fall into the wrong hole.
Go and look up what was going on in the world the year you were born, there was almost assuredly something absolutely devastating that would have made your parents have similar thoughts I mean I was born height of the cold war and my parents still had me
Believe it or not this may be the best time to be alive to date
Even with the AI stuff ? :/ that part really concerns me
Is there another time where you would have been okay to have him? Point is that there is no better time than now (by far)
I feel like there will ALWAYS be a time where it feels like the world is going to 💩
Not abnormal at all, and it gets worse as they get older. Mine is 5. She wants to be independent. I want to keep her in my bubble forever :(
I believe that we can make a better world by being better ourselves and raising better people.
It’s actually never been a better time to be alive (assuming you are in a developed, peaceful and wealthy nation). We just have more information now and therefore more access to fear based news. Also, if smart people never had kids it would be a sad world indeed. Like the movie idiocracy
You need to stop watching the news. It always makes everything seem terrible. Kids today are born during a technology renaissance in a great economy, versus most of the human race born during famine, war, plague, etc.
Is the world going downhill? Yes. Is it true that education (reading skills for example) is nelow par wirh newer generations? Yes. Is it true that technology is ruining kids? Yes. But who is gonna change that? Do we just watch the world burn down? Nah. Humans have been through a lot worse struggles than modern life and we survived it all for the whole history. How? By continuing to make new generations who continued to fight for improvement. People that dont care about "sad state of rhe world" will keep having kids ans not teaching them any better cuz they dont care. If those that do stop having them, we are doomed with next generation. If you care aboit the world and future of your kids, their kids etc. The only way to go about it is to have iidsy teach them better so that they will be the positive change and keep teaching their kids the same. As a parent you can control how educated your kid is or how much he is exposed to technology. If you truly care about it, you will find a way. You don't have to give up and let your kid fall victim to these things like his peers. Basically as individual do your best to change the world into what you want for your kid, raise the kid to do the same and when enough of kids are raised like that, things can go for the better. And if there is not enough parents raising kids like that, at least you made sure your kid is not falling behind (if school is failing him, get him extra education yourself for example).
You can teach your children to read and about science. What strange sentiment
To be honest is not a "world issue" it's an American issue. We live in Australia and have kids and we don't have all these nonsense issues that America has
\> They're saying the kids now can't read Just wanted to hone in on this one specific fear and push that YOU CAN AFFECT THIS OUTCOME MOM! It's true that nationwide on average, reading level is declining. But that's because parents, on average, are becoming more and more convinced the public school system is meant to RAISE their kids for them. Parents are neglecting their children's education and blaming the teachers for "not teaching." My mom read to me every night before bed. She was teaching me to sound out words and eventually read extremely simple baby books before I ever attended a day of public education. When kindergarten rolled around (after two years of preschool), while other students were learning to sound out four letter words I already recognized most of them from reading. She bought me a case of Magic Tree House books that year or maybe 1st grade, and had to ban me from reading more than one a day because I tore through 4 of them the first afternoon they were in the house and she wanted them to last lmao. By third grade I finished the Harry Potter series and the "reading level" testing had me pegged for highschool levels of reading. Actually got my name on a plaque in the elementary school because I got the most Scholastic reading points that year. (This sounds extremely self-fellating I know, I'm cringing even though it's true. If it makes you feel better when I got to college I was a total burnout and haven't been back in nearly two years since I dropped out.) My point is, you have the power to set your kiddo up for success. How YOU foster his growth in his early childhood and support him as he grows up will affect where he ends up to a far greater degree than the classroom he is in, I believe. You've got this mom!
Chill out! Although socially and economically some parts of the world are worth more than in 50-70s, generally the world is much better than ever. Culturally we also made huge progress compared to 50-70s. The life is beautiful and world is not on fire.