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This question is for those Stakers without kids and for the ones who now are young but are planning to not have kids.
Nowadays, my parents are over 70 years old. We live far away from each other, for now they are healthy and independent enough so they can manage to live by themselves.
But, every now and then they ask for some help. This help can be related to solving a small issue on the pc, financial advices and financial support as well.
I don't have kids and I don't have plans to... But, every now and then I ask myself how am I going to live my elderly, who is going to be around to help me?
I'm not sure, how a couple or single person can live their last years of his life...
HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO LIFE YOUR ELDERLY WITHOUT KIDS? ARE YOU PLANNING TO RELY ON NEPHEWS, NEIGHBORS OR JUST PAY TO SOMEONE TO LOOK AFTER YOU?
Let me flip that question. Why are people with children planning on being a burden to their children in their old age? Having kids isn't a guarantee of having a caretaker when your older. As somone who doesn't have children, and isn't going to, I'm doing what everyone SHOULD be doing who has kids. I'm planning my future responsibly.
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This is the answer. Don’t plan to place that burden on your children. Plan accordingly
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In other words rely on corporate aged care?
Or what?
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50 sats \ 2 replies \ @Aardvark 23h
There are no shortage of options in this country if you plan well for your retirement.
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Meaning if you have the funds you can buy care?
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50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Aardvark 22h
Yes? That's literally everyone though. Have money, or rely on government money. Your children aren't going to administer medical care as you die. It has nothing to do with children.
21 sats \ 1 reply \ @398ja 21h
Your children will treat you exactly the same way you treated them when they were kids and depending on you...
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Not always. I wouldn't have children with any expectations.
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I think having children shouldn't be seen as a "retirement plan" because there's no guarantee they'll be around or available in the future, even if you do. In my case, I do have children, but I also believe old age is something everyone should plan for with awareness and personal responsibility. Also, from my perspective as a child, my parents stayed in Cuba and I now live in Brazil. The only way I can help him is financially. Otherwise, I can't help. But I can tell you something: when I got married, my father, in a kind but harsh way, told me that from the moment I said "yes" to my wife at the altar, she and my children would be my family. When he was young, his father did the same with him. He "let him go" financially, and from then on, he was on his own in life. He helped a little, but nothing else. So he did the same with me. Maybe it sounds a little harsh, but it helped me get ahead and make a life on my own, as a married couple first, and now as a migrant. We live alone here, far away, and without family.
On the other hand, building a network of real friends, strengthening community (whether at church, work, or even with friends on forums), maintaining physical and mental health, and ensuring a degree of financial independence are things that help much more than simply waiting for someone to take care of you. Ultimately, we will all face old age with its challenges, and surrounding yourself with people you choose (not necessarily family) can be even more valuable.
And yes, if it's necessary to pay for assistance or care, so be it. But let this stage of life not be marked by fear, but by conscious decisions from now on.
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Many people have kids but when they are old these kids are with their wifes and doesn't elevate their parents this is the saddest part.
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11 sats \ 0 replies \ @flat24 22h
It is correct, but it is not the norm. I think there are parents who are shit and deserve to be forgotten and I think there are children who are also shit. As well as the opposite there are good and excellent parents and there are good and excellent children. In the end everyone is an individual.
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Eh, I disagree. Not everyone wants to live with or near their parents forever.
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68 sats \ 1 reply \ @alexbit 7 Jul
Just have kids.
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Yes, if you want to, but accept there is no guarantee they will take care of you in old age.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @flat24 22h
You have mentioned a fairly important topic.
I think the following:
Just as we were deceived with money, breaking the gold standard and establishing the fiduciary model.
I think we were also deceived with that philosophy to grow and go away from your parents and live in your own home.
Although I know, that each case is special, I think that the natural is that we live with our parents in old age.
You have mentioned something key. That they ask you for help, be it economical or otherwise, I consider that it should be.
Now he asked me, who plans to ask for someone who is not thinking of having children?
Which I think is another thought embedded in our brain in the latter era (how expensive it is to have a baby, better step)
"Now people prefer to have dogs and want them to be considered parents"
So, I think we must watch over our parents, be with them and help them until they die (if they deserve it, there are obviously exceptional cases of broken families)
And those who do not have children will have to trust a third (neighbor, friend, institution) and Bitcoin teaches us that we should not trust third parties and that we must flee the risk of against part. I think that also applies to this case.
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A friends father is 94 and determined not to go to a rest home. He has three daughters, none of whom want to relocate to take care of him. They all could, but choose not to. He gets home help to dress and wash and keep the house operational.
Get a younger healthy wife if you can, or accept there are no guarantees in life...?!
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I'm curious...any specific reason why you're not interested in having kids?
I talked to a friend a while back. We were both talking about our parents, and parents of friends of ours, and how they're doing in old age. Many are doing VERY poorly - so poorly that I don't want to live that way. The conversation got around to "Do we want to live, when we're unable to live "with dignity"? The bar might be something like - can you feed yourself, can you take care of your daily needs by yourself. Many people say (at least when they're younger) that they'd prefer a earlier death.
Having kids is great (I think) but it's also not the case that once you have kids, all your concerns about having help in older age disappear. They may not be able to help, or they may not be around.
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What is the divorce rate these days? What are interest rates and house prices? 1/7 couples are infertile. I can see why many people these days do not want to or feel they cannot safely, have kids. If you do have kids what are the odds they will take care of you when you are old/invalid? I would suggest do not count upon it! The fiat culture of debt and high time preference also has a lot to do with it imo. The west is dying as it values material wealth over family.
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Are you implying that the east is NOT dying, just the west?
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Yes, more or less, and while some of this is due to modernisation and the change in economy from rural to urban, farm to industrialised, it is also evident that the breakdown of the family is by far more advanced and widespread in the west.
The East, in particular Asia is growing more wealthy while western economies and culture are swamped by immigrants upon which they are addicted due to their growing inability to produce children.
Regardless my primary point remains that today in the west especially many young people feel the risk and reward of hiving kids is not worthwhile- the cost of housing, feminism and general breakdown of family values and traditions all contribute as does the fiat debt slavery economy where time preferences are high and long term planning is difficult and overall the economic advantage that the west has enjoyed for centuries are in decline.
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What are your thoughts about birth rates in Asia?
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Certainly in some areas they are in decline, but other factors are still more in favour of having a family as family values are still generally stronger and the future economic outlook is still brighter than most western economies. Do you always cherrypick one point which may be arguable in your favour while ignoring the broader argument which is not? Future economic prospects for people in Asia, China in particular have been improving rapidly for the last 40 years- in contrast the economic prospects for North Americans have overall been in decline while divorce rates have escalated and family values have declined.