The idea is to provide a better life to your kids than you had, otherwise what was the point in subjecting a child to a lesser life. That's what people complain about now, boomers had it better (financially).
And yes, boomers got to have literally the best material experience for anyone ever to have lived, but we’re complaining about having maybe the 2nd, 3rd or 4th best. People who complain about the economic conditions we’re in now, have just not read history.
What we really lack is social and spiritual connection. Modern life has isolated us from each other and atomized so we’re alone, anxious and purposeless. People in the past had these things and were far happier despite far worse material conditions.
You can find these things, but you have actively push against the currents of culture to find them. First thing I would recommend people who want to have kids but are worried about finances, move back to where your parents, or some other relative, who can help with childcare. Also, find a community to help you through tough times (traditionally these have been churches, which also help with the purposelessness of our age).
Okay but people who are young adults now have lived multiple once in a lifetime events. Multiple previous and ongoing wars since the early 2000s, a worldwide financial crisis, and worldwide pandemic with additional lifetime government borrowing debt passed on to the tax payer.
The UK is also facing the highest taxation since records began, ongoing cost of living crisis with far beyond average inflation on essential like food and the highest energy costs despite substantially lower cost over europe and not to mention out of control government spending on putting up illegal migrants in hotels with 3 meals a day while cutting pensioner heating allowance.
And on the topic of children, exorbitant childcare costs.
So I wouldn't quite go as far as 2nd 3rd or even 4th best economic stability in recent decades.
I lived through all those things and what helped me most was being close to family and community. My parents help watch my kids and I was able to get connected to a job through my church. It’s about having a support structure.
Can you name a time and place that had better material conditions than millennials and Gen Z? Excluding boomers and Gen X.
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u/OhShitWhatUp 1d ago
The idea is to provide a better life to your kids than you had, otherwise what was the point in subjecting a child to a lesser life. That's what people complain about now, boomers had it better (financially).