Attitudes towards having children vary widely amongst most new adults. Younger generations seem to have changing attitudes towards having kids, as more people are starting to prioritize good parenting, expenses, and their potential child’s overall well-being. The Trinitonian asked students around Coates Library about their likelihood of having kids and the different factors that may have contributed to their view.

Daniella Canseco, first-year English major
What attitudes do people your age have about having kids?
“I would say a lot of people don’t want kids. I really want kids and I’ve only met a few people who want kids.”
Do you have siblings?
“I do have siblings. I have a half-sibling and two step-siblings.”
What is your birth order (only, middle, youngest, oldest child)?
“I’m the youngest child.”
Has your relationship with your siblings influenced your desire to have kids?
“I don’t think my relationship with my siblings has influenced my desire to have kids.”
Do you think you would want kids? If so, why?
“I have a strong desire to be a mom. It’s something I want to do.”
How many kids would you want?
“I don’t know how many I want. Definitely at least two, because I wouldn’t want them to be an only child.”

Ben Bankler, first-year psychology major
What attitudes do people your age have about having kids?
“Most of the people I know want to have kids, but I don’t think there’s a collective decision.”
Do you have siblings?
“Yeah, I have a younger brother.”
Do you think birth order influences your view of having kids?
“Yes, 100%. It depends on your relationship with your siblings.”
Do you think you would want kids? If so, why?
“No. I don’t want to pass my genes onto a biological child, I also think there’s a lot that could go wrong when raising a kid.”

Veda Atluri, first-year neuroscience major
What attitudes do people your age have about having kids?
“I feel like compared to previous generations more people are open to the idea of not having kids. It feels like more of a choice rather than a necessity. The people who want kids in this generation prioritize being good parents.”
Do you have siblings?
“Yes, I have a sister that is two years younger than me.”
Do you think birth order influences your view of having kids?
“Maybe in a small way. Being an older sister you have somewhat of a parental role, and I find that it comes natural to me and I enjoy doing it.”
Has your relationship with your siblings influenced your desire to have kids?
“I would’ve wanted kids regardless, but having a sibling has definitely increased my desire.”
How many kids would you want?
“Four. I want a big family.”
What do you think the perfect age to have kids is?
“Late-20s or early-30s.”

Charlie Long, first-year geoscience major
What attitudes do people your age have about having kids?
“I think it’s half-and-half. It’s definitely a lot less than past generations.”
Do you have siblings?
“I do. I have three siblings.”
What is your birth order (only, middle, youngest, oldest child)?
“I’m the second oldest.”
Do you think birth order influences your view of having kids?
“Not really.”
Has your relationship with your siblings influenced your desire to have kids?
“No.”
Do you think you would want kids? If so, why?
“No. Money. Kids are expensive.”

Alexander Skidmore, junior finance and accounting double major
What attitudes do people your age have about having kids?
“It seems most people I know my age want kids but don’t see it as something that will happen anytime soon. More like a hypothetical scenario to play out than anything else.”
Do you have siblings?
“I have an older sister.”
Do you think birth order influences your view of having kids?
“I think birth order changes how you view having siblings so yes. I think about how my kids would be able to learn from each other, as I believe having older siblings to learn from and younger siblings to interact with has a big impact on their development.”
Has your relationship with your siblings influenced your desire to have kids?
“It makes me want to have more kids as I think the sibling relationship is very important.”
Do you think you would want kids? If so, why?
“I want kids as I think it would be very fulfilling to teach everything I’ve learned to someone and get them ready for life.”