Do people in our day and age want to be parents when there are so many things to factor into that decision? For one, kids are expensive. There is no denying that. From the cost of daily meals to back to school shopping, kids take a lot of money. However, kids can also offer joy. They bring a whole new perspective to life through experiences. They are sponges that soak up information about the world.

So in our current day, how many people want kids or do not want kids, knowing all of the pros and cons? 

This poll was presented to the entire school. 35 people of various backgrounds responded to a series of questions corresponding to parenthood and their opinions surrounding the topic. Below are the results:

Why do you want or not want kids? (Note, small sample taken from polling)

I’ve always liked the idea of being a mom and in the future I really want kids.

You only live once and it is a once in a lifetime experience.

Because I’ve seen how they ruin people’s life and how the parents usually separate

I love children I’ve always known I want to be a mom

Having a kid seems like a stressful, time consuming, and expensive endeavor that I personally don’t see the appeal of.

I would want only 2 or 3. I want to be not too young but young enough to be a pregnant-hot

The world is on a decline and I wouldn’t want to force somebody new into what will inevitably be suffering.

I want to be able to pass on the knowledge that I have attained throughout my life. I also wish to give someone everything that they could want or need. I do fear that I will not be suited for being a parent. At this point in my life I am far under prepared. I think I would like to be a fair bit older before I have a child.

I want kids because I’ve always wanted to be a mom and I think that kids would be a nice addition to the family.

I don’t want the responsibility of raising kids and having them be dependent on me. I wouldn’t want to have to worry about making enough money to be able to feed them and myself and my partner while keeping a roof over our heads and paying for the other necessities of life. I also just like the idea of having 6 cats.

Do you think you would ever change your mind? (Note, small sample taken from polling) 

Yes, children will depend on my career.

Yes, if I have a partner who doesn’t want kids.

No. I not only find them unenjoyable and ugly, but I would never be able to have one in a world where I will never own my own home.

Potentially, but I doubt that that decision will arrive anytime soon.

Maybe if I spend more time around young children and end up liking them or if my theoretical partner wants children, but it’s unlikely.

If my wife couldn’t have them.

Yeah, I think I might.

Perhaps, this is probably the same thing my parents thought when they were my age.

Stuff can happen, but as of now my thoughts don’t seem likely to change.

I might adopt if I did, but unless we fix things like global warming or the oil runs out I don’t think so.

It is important to note that this poll took information from people without asking for their emails or any identifiers. They are to stay anonymous due to how personal a topic this is. However, because of this, it is difficult to discern how the information is connected. Yes, the majority of the people who took this poll identified as female, and the majority of people as a whole were 17, but how that information connects to those who do want kids or do not want kids is unclear. 

That is why, as an extension of this constant, a more detailed interview was conducted with a small sample of folks to get a better idea of what people think about this topic. 

How do you identify? 

Kali: Woman. 

How old are you? 

Kali: Give me a second to think about that one…17, and a half…almost…17 and a fourth…

Follow up question: When’s your birthday? 

Kali: June 2nd. 

Follow up question: So how many months has it been since your birthday? 

Kali: Three…four…six…four…

Do you have a significant other? 

Kali: No. And I don’t want one. I’m exactly where I want to be in life, thank you very much. 

Do you have a job?

Kali: No. And I want one dearly. I’m not where I want to be wife—I want a wife—wait—I want a job. 

Follow up question: What’s preventing you from getting a job? 

Kali: The fact that I don’t have a driver’s license.

Follow up question: And why do you not have a driver’s license? 

Kali: Because I’m incapable and probably terrible at everything. 

Would you want kids? 

Kali: No. 

How many kids would you want? 

Kali: Hmm, let me think about this one…zero…uh, actually one half. 

Why do you want or not want kids?

Kali: I don’t like children. I do not want to raise children. I do not want that to be a part of my life. I want a wife. I want a hot wife. And I want cats. And maybe a goose or two. I have never wanted kids. That has never been a part of my life plan. In any version of it. …And I don’t know…it just doesn’t—it sounds like my life would end after I have kids. And I don’t want that to happen. 

Follow up question: Would you care to elaborate on that last part? 

Kali: I’m no longer living my own life. I’m living my kids’ lives for them. 

Follow up question: In what way?

Kali: Like, you have to care for another human being. A lot of parents have to give up a lot of hobbies when they have kids. Give up a lot of passions. And I don’t want that. Also raising kids sounds really messy. And I don’t want that. 

Follow up question: You have a mother, yes? 

Kali: Yes and I love her dearly. Oh my god, she did so much. Her job is so underpaid. 

Follow up question: Do you think that she has given up her passions for her children? 

Kali: I think she has given up a lot of free time and therefore a lot of hobbies that she could’ve started because she chose to have children. 

Follow up question: But how do you think she feels about those passions she left on the side burner? 

Kali: I think she viewed children as a worthwhile thing to give up so much time for. But I do not feel that way. 

Do you think you will ever change your mind? 

Kali: I do not think I will ever change my mind. And if I ever do, that would be very bad. 

How has our modern society affected your decision? 

Kali: I think it has made me want to have kids less, because not only is the economy kinda [REDACTED] right now. I don’t think—not only do I not think I could comfortably support them and also myself and wife—that will happen soon, I swear to you—um, but I also think that they could not like support themselves in the near future both because of climate change and also the economy. On top of that, I feel as though in the current society it’s a lot more about one’s self  rather than then one’s children and I’m absolutely for that, um, yeah.

What would need to change about the world to change your decision one way or another? 

Kali: Um, a lot of things. Um, I think if we reversed back to the prehistoric period then I’d probably have children, just because I didn’t know any better. Um, and there wasn’t such a thing as birth control, so yeah. But I don’t think anything else would change my opinion, even if the economy got better and like climate change stopped, I still think as a personal choice, I would not want kids. 

How do you identify? 

Natasha: Female. 

How old are you? 

Natasha: I’m 16. 

Do you have a significant other? 

Natasha: Nope. I’m very single. 

Do you have a job?

Natasha: Yes. More than one actually. 

Follow up question: What do you do for a living? If there’s more than one? 

Natasha: Uh, mainly I clean AirBnBs, but I also referee soccer games, just as a side gig, cause like yeah. 

Would you want kids? 

Natasha: I think eventually yes. Like not now, maybe in like 10, 15 years. 

How many kids would you want? 

Natasha: Um, probably two or three. Not one, cause I don’t know, the only child thing. I’m glad I’m not an only child—don’t tell my siblings that but, I also don’t want a ton cause that seems very chaotic. 

Why do you want or not want kids?

Natasha: Um, I don’t really know, like, it sounds, I’m not saying this like it sounds fun, but it kinda does sound fun. And I know it’s gonna be a lot of work, but like it just sounds kind of interesting. Plus I could like play with their toys. Cause I never got Barbies growing up, so I could play with their Barbies.  

Do you think you will ever change your mind? 

Natasha: Uh, yeah, it’s definitely possible like if politics and stuff got bad enough and there was like immediate danger in the area, I wouldn’t wanna have kids anymore. 

How has our modern society affected your decision? 

Natasha: Ummm, it kinda hasn’t. But, I’d definitely be a little more concerned with finding like an ideal match in this society, and also not having my kids raised in the generation they’re currently in, so it might be chaotic. 

What would need to change about the world to change your decision one way or another? 

Natasha: Um, probably like, I was saying, if politics and stuff. If there was a giant World War or something and it just became not safe everywhere, I wouldn’t wanna have to worry about like my kids constantly being like in danger. 

How do you identify? 

Keoni: I identify as a human. Could you be more specific with your question? 

Follow up question: Male? Female? He/him? She/her?

Keoni: So my gender? Then male. 

How old are you? 

Keoni: I’m 17 years old. 

Do you have a significant other? 

Keoni: No. 

Do you have a job? 

Keoni: No. 

Would you want kids? 

Keoni: No. 

How many kids would you want? 

Keoni: Nope. 

Do you want or not want kids? 

Keoni: Ummm, I’m 17 years old. I am not in a financial place to raise children. I am not mature enough to raise children. I’m still in school. It’s not socially acceptable for teenagers to have kids. Um…and various other reasons that are similar to those.  

Do you think you will ever change your mind? 

Keoni: Probably. If-If I have a significant other that would like kids, then I’d probably want kids. If I’m at an age where I should have kids. 

How has our modern society affected your decision? 

Keoni: Um…in modern society we marry way later in life, we have kids later in life, we don’t have kids at like 13 years old like we’re kinda supposed to, um so, if I didn’t have modern society I’d probably already have kids. 

What would need to change about the world to change your decision one way or another? 

Keoni: Um…I guess in general, I would need to have a significant other, cause I can’t have kids by myself. Um, and it would need to be socially acceptable for a 17 year old to have kids.

How do you identify? 

Pablo: I identify as a male. 

How old are you? 

Pablo: I am 17 years old. 

Do you have a significant other? 

Pablo: Yes I do. 

Do you have a job? 

Pablo: Yes I do. 

Follow up question: What do you do for a living if you don’t mind me asking? 

Pablo: I work at the donut shop in Fort Bragg with my mom. My mom owns it. And I help her on the weekends. 

Would you want kids? 

Pablo: Yes. 

How many kids would you want? 

Pablo: Um…no more than three. I think two is pretty good because I was an only child and I would’ve liked to grow up with a sibling, so I think maybe that is a shared feeling amongst other people, so I think, more than one child. 

Why do you want or not want kids? 

Pablo: I think I…I think I am a…I think I am a good person and I think I am capable of um, raising somebody to be a good person. And to raise somebody to have a good understanding of what people go through and how to be respectful, and uh, I think that’s what the world needs, and um, I just want to share my life with more people and uh, I don’t know, try to help the world. 

Do you think you will ever change your mind? 

Pablo: Uh, yes, if um, my significant other wouldn’t be able to have kids or if I wouldn’t be able to have kids. Um, that would change my mind, unless we decided on adopting kids. 

How has our modern society affected your decision? 

Pablo: Um, well I think, the world—the modern society has been kinda turning in a not very good direction. Um, so I think the importance of bringing new good people into the world is very important. 

What would need to change about the world to change your decision one way or another?  

Pablo: Ummm, uh, I really don’t know…uh, yeah, I’m trying to think…maybe if like, I don’t know, like if somehow all babies were brought into the world with like cancer, um, or like something that would cause them to be alive and then die very fast, I guess, I don’t know, that’s just a hypothetical thing that probably won’t happen, but, uh, yeah, I don’t know, that would probably make me not want to have a kid and just bring a life into the world and just have it die. That would very much suck, yeah. 

The investigation into parenthood was done out of curiosity on the personal topic. It is one with a constantly changing outcome. People, especially young people, tend to change their minds one way or another over time. Some people never want kids while others want a handful. It was fascinating to see how different people’s answers were in the present day. Years from now, I wonder how those answers will change.