Adopting dogs instead of having babies - the new family? (generation, ideology)
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This month the Pope asked couples not to substitute having babies by adopting dogs and cats instead. Apparently this came on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control releasing data which shows that there has been a dramatic drop in births, matched by an increase in the adoption of very small dogs. Dogs (and cats to a lesser degree) are filling our lives nowadays more than ever.
Is this the new family? Man, woman and dog(s)?
There are many views as to why this is happening. A friend of mine (female) claims that children move away when they become adults, so there's no longer an advantage for couples to have children. Another friend (male) claims it's the indoctrination of Gloria Steinem. I think he's absolutely out of his mind. I, too, have my own guess as to why this is happening.
My GF and I are 33 and 29, respectively. I'm still finishing college and she's self-employed.
We have absolutely no money or time to raise kids right now, and my fear is that by the time we do, we'll be past our better reproductive years. I think the economy is a tremendous factor in the declining birth rate, at least in the U.S. People in my generation are putting off marriage (though we're generally okay with kids out of wedlock, too), we're not buying houses, and we're not starting families until much later in life--if at all.
But I've got a cat and a dog and she's got a cat as well.
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My fiance is 31, I'm 34 and we have talked about having kids, but we both have come to a mutual understanding of how society and our country in general are heading. For us, its a pretty grim outlook. We are not financially stable. We both agree that, for us, having children now, would put us in an even greater financial conundrum. We have been together for 14 years. We have seen a lot of our friends get married, have kids. But one thing that most of them have in common; they struggle continuously. Financially and emotionally.
We do have pets. One dog and one cat. I wouldn't say these have taken the place of kids (maybe they have??), but its what we can handle for the time being.
I can certainly understand the pope's ideology here--after all, Catholics have always been all about procreation. And even Pope Benedict had to give up his cat upon becoming pope, as pets are not allowed at the Vatican.
I do think he's stretching it, though, in his thinking that people are choosing pets over kids. It's too simplistic. Maybe they don't want kids (again, not the "Catholic" thing, but....) and, coincidentally, like animals. Also, it seems odd coming from someone who took the name of the patron saint of animals...
I can certainly understand the pope's ideology here--after all, Catholics have always been all about procreation. And even Pope Benedict had to give up his cat upon becoming pope, as pets are not allowed at the Vatican.
I do think he's stretching it, though, in his thinking that people are choosing pets over kids. It's too simplistic. Maybe they don't want kids (again, not the "Catholic" thing, but....) and, coincidentally, like animals. Also, it seems odd coming from someone who took the name of the patron saint of animals...
I think he meant that animals should not be the replacement for having babies, which is something relatively new (the dog as baby?) Throughout history, it was a given that everyone wanted children and dogs did not play such an important part in our lives. Not so much now, according to the CDC's data.
My GF and I are 33 and 29, respectively. I'm still finishing college and she's self-employed.
We have absolutely no money or time to raise kids right now, and my fear is that by the time we do, we'll be past our better reproductive years. I think the economy is a tremendous factor in the declining birth rate, at least in the U.S. People in my generation are putting off marriage (though we're generally okay with kids out of wedlock, too), we're not buying houses, and we're not starting families until much later in life--if at all.
But I've got a cat and a dog and she's got a cat as well.
I have to agree with you. The economy definitely impacts when people can afford to have kids. I'm also seeing young people take longer to get their educations. It stands to reason if they're staying in school longer they'll delay having kids and after a while, I think you'd just get used to not having kids.
I think he meant that animals should not be the replacement for having babies, which is something relatively new (the dog as baby?) Throughout history, it was a given that everyone wanted children and dogs did not play such an important part in our lives. Not so much now, according to the CDC's data.
Who care if people substitute dogs for babies? There's no rule that says everyone must reproduce. In fact, this world has plenty of people reproducing. We should thank the ones who don't for making more room for our kids.
I do think he's stretching it, though, in his thinking that people are choosing pets over kids. It's too simplistic.
Agreed - there are dozens of reasons why couples decide - or have it decided for them - not to have children. For one thing, the trend of couples marrying later means that they don't have the time to produce as many kids as couples marrying in their late teens or 20s. Money and health issues are two other big reasons off the top of my head that would cause a couple to postpone or forgo parenthood.
My late spouse and I met when we were in our 40s, and although I was biologically capable of carrying a child, I felt I was too old. He had bipolar disorder and feared passing it on. But we saved the lives of two cats when we brought them in from the alley, where they were starving, injured and covered with fleas.
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