Editorial: Childbearing a personal choice, not a cultural obligation

If you’re reading this, you should show gratitude — at least to some degree — to your parents for bringing you into this world. But how much does their care affect your future outcomes and successes?

Devoting time to your children is not a waste of time in regard to their futures their future success, according to Justin Wolfers, an economics professor at the University of Michigan. We can add to this dialogue by also reminding millenialls that having children or not having children is a personal choice, one that we should all accept and tolerate without stringent, universal standards and norms.

Wolfers refuted a sociological study by professors at University of Toronto, Bowling Green State University and University of Maryland that argued there was no correlation between parents’ caretaking with children’s success. He broke down the study’s methodological shortcomings, such as following parents’ time with children for only two days and, thus, providing merely a snapshot, rather than a more comprehensive portrayal.   

Interestingly, this debate on the role of parents and children allows us to reflect on many issues facing our generation’s stance on childbearing. Recent studies have found millennials are less interested in having children than previous generations. Often, the conversation is not on “how much time to spend,” but “who should spend it.”

In August 2013, TIME Magazine chronicled “The Childfree Life,” which discussed an all-time low American birth rate and the growing trend of adults choosing not to have children. 

The article is a reminder that adult decisions, especially about whether or not to have children, are personal choices — choices we should all respect.

Moreover, traditional domestic roles have changed as women continue to enter the workforce and work toward gender equality. 

Sometimes, this means choosing not to reproduce, as men have yet to devote equal efforts to childrearing and housework, according to a 2014 Emory University study. 

Now, this is not to undermine the importance of parenting among those who choose to have children. We agree with Wolfers that the time parents spend with children is extremely important for a child’s growth and development. Just as we should not shame individuals for choosing a childfree life, we should equally celebrate those who take the initiative of having any — or many — children. 

Yet, because our current society relies on big data to analyze situations and decisions, we should use studies and statistics to decide between descendants and the “childfree life.” It’s important to study childrearing and remember it is of everyone’s concern. 

Whether you already have children, know you want to or aren’t quite sure, remember that there is no need for universal conformity on the matter. We should all respect an individual’s decision to have or not to have children so that we may birth a society in which acceptance continues to thrive and tolerance continues to grow.