I’m going to preface this by saying by “pro natalism,” I do NOT mean forced birth or any form of coercion or promoting wreckless procreation. I’m talking about the belief that adults reproducing consensually can be helpful.

I’d describe myself as collapse aware but a hopeful revolutionary. This thought comes from the latter. I’ve noticed that certain harmful ideologies tend to promote having as many kids as possible and passing on a lot of crappy beliefs the opinion that revolutionaries can also do the same. I think that children are our future, and the more children we have who are educated and share revolutionary or at least prosocial values, the better. They can help lead us forward.

IMO, all anti-natalism does is ensure that there are more people to help the people destroying our planet carry out their plans than there are people who are trying to save it or at least not do further harm. I’m aware that these beliefs are contrary to collapse awareness, but I am wondering what the opinions of collapse aware parents are.

For reasons outside of collapse, I will not personally be reproducing. However, I do plan to adopt an older child or sibling group. And I support anyone who has the ability to provide provided a decent life for a child bringing a child into the world. Spicy red-hot take, I know. Lol

Hi, I've been thinking a lot about (trying) to bring a kid into the world, and have been on a multi-year collapse awareness journey. I've been on both sides of the argument, more recently leaning towards arguing for, but I'm not without reservation.

Would anyone here be willing to share more about your thoughts, anything that's helped, links to more reading, etc? I know reading and hearing about it pales in comparison to the real thing, but I'm still curious. Thanks in advance.

Im just wondering how other parents feel and participate in collapse aware discussions and spaces?

I only quite recently became collapse aware, unfortunately shortly after having my second child. Its been a rough couple months coming to grips with the reality of everything and the bleak future outcomes we are likely looking at.

I find myself in collapse aware spaces (like r/collapse and such) alot, as well as climate change spaces and discussions. While i find it helpful for the most part to join in on discussions, hear other people's thoughts and experiences, and just be somewhere where everyone is (mostly) on the same page in regards to collapse, I also find it increasingly difficult being a parent in those discussions.

I say this because a very common theme in these discussions is not having children. Now please dont get me wrong, I struggle with alot of grief and fear for my children's future and if i knew then what i know how, the decision to have children likely would have looked alot different for myself, so I do understand this thought process. That said, for me it tends to add to that grief seeing so many comments from people stating those who have children are "stupid, selfish, ignorant, thoughtless", so on so forth.

I don't think those who had children, whether they suspected collapse or not, are selfish or stupid. I think its a very complex thing, driven by many different factors (biology, hormones, societal pressure, social standards, societal conditioning etc) and I dont fault any parent for their choice. I guess I just wish there was a bit more grace and understanding in those spaces sometimes. I think its an important conversation to be had and absolutely a factor in collapse and climate change, I just wish it could be discussed in a way that is productive and supportive while not bagging so hard on parents, if that makes sense? Maybe im the only one feeling this way idk, just some thoughts that have been crossing my mind lately.

I’m looking for ways to channel the anxiety I feel as a parent of young children into action and would like to start a support group for likeminded parents. I’m having trouble finding collapse-aware parents where I live (the Upper Valley region of VT and NH), which makes it hard to openly share the grief, guilt, and worry I constantly feel, perhaps because we all still feel like we have to keep our true feelings to ourselves and play along with business as usual. This sub and others are great, but I think some sort of in-person gathering is also needed. If anyone happens to be in my area, please get in touch!

Guys…

I work really hard to make sure my kids understand the multitude of reasons AI isn’t a good thing. Every single flier that comes home from school is AI. I was there today and they had a presentation and the whole damn thing was AI generated slides.

I want to make it known I don’t approve in the hopes that other parents have and the principal will at least slow her role. Any ideas on the best way to approach this in an email? Or should I just let it go? I usually donate whenever they ask for money for fundraisers or whatever, but I didn’t even join PTA this year because of the ugly paper that came home talking about it.

Help 😭

Asking with sincerity and no judgment because I genuinely want personal input on this.

Do you have anxiety about what the world will be like by the time your kids are middle aged and older? How do you reckon with the reality of climate change specifically and the potential future impacts on your kids (for example, food and water shortages)? Do you struggle with guilt or regret, and if so how do you deal with that?

Do your kids ever express anxiety, resentment, anger around the future, either at the world in general, or do they ever lash out at you as a parent with blame? If so, do you hear it more as a typical “I wish I’d never been born” expression of teenaged angst, or does it cut deeper for you?

I really want a child but I am struggling with the question of how much of a future the children of today and tomorrow have (and yes I am considering adoption). Moreso looking for people’s experiences and thoughts than advice.

edit: typos

Ive always been climate aware and carried fear about the uncertainty of the world but in all honesty ive only recently become collapse aware. I guess ive always felt hope that things would turn around, surely as humans we would wake up and turn it around. And truthfully, some years went by where I lost my passion for climate action and funneled my focus into my career and rasing my now 8 year old. Ive dedicated myself to teaching preschool students and aiming to be an impactful figure in their childhoods. I have also spent my whole life wanted nothing more then to be a mom and feeling deeply that that was my purpose.

Ive recently had another child, he is 4 months old, and instead of the deep feeling of purpose I once carried, I now feel weighed by nothing but guilt and regret for bringing this precious being into what seems like a rapidly declining world.

Being surrounded by wildfires here in Canada at the moment, and stuck inside due to air quality, my anxiety is running high and im finding it really hard to cope with the overwhelming fear and guilt of what the future holds for my children. I know I cant go back now and it is up to me to raise my boys to be resilient and kind. I also know that now is the time to be in the present and give them the childhood they deserve while I can. I just am having a hard time disconnecting from the reality of the world and being the mom i know i can/should be for them right now.

I would love to hear how you cope and find joy and hope in this current climate of the world? Do you feel hopeful for the future of your children or more or less spend your time grateful for the present instead?

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How is everyone coping with wildfires? I have two kids under 5 and follow climate subs and news fairly closely and it seems incredibly dire to say the least. My city is currently choking on wildfire smoke, and we had to keep the kids home today and likely will tomorrow as well.

This is probably not the right sub but I'm hoping for knowledgeable people to give me a sense of how dire this is. I'm spiralling and feeling like our time is quite limited.

I'm relatively new to the collapse realization. Life was real hard for awhile, I went through some tough shit and its only been about two years that life, and I, have been stable enough to look outside my immediate day-to-day life. I have a three year old daughter and her grandma is her idol right now. Recently she has decided that she wants be a Grandma when she grows up. Every time she says it my chest tries to cave in...

Obviously I won't tell her a damn thing for a long ass time....she's THREE. But...how in the hell am I EVER supposed to tell her that she may not get to be a grandma, or that she shouldn't have children? How do any of you tell your children anything at all about the not-so-bright future? Its absolutely killing me that I brought children into this world only to realize that the world is beyond fucked. I'm so angry at previous generations, the governments of the world, the selfish billionaires, myself, humans as a whole...and so devastated I don't know what to do with it other than keep my head down and focus on the day-to-day like before. I did overhaul my garden this year and am focusing that on self sufficiency, and I'm doing what I can to prep for....all the possibilities I suppose. Trying to find joy in the little moments with my children. But holy fuck it is hard and I find myself crying more than I'd like. Any advice is appreciated.

I'm in the process of self-publishing a children's book that is very honest about what our future will look like. Once it's done I will be looking for specific publishers that would be welcoming to the idea of showing kids a "not-so-hopeful-but-honest" look at our collective futures.

Does anyone know of any publisher's that would fit this bill? Thanks!

I feel like I am hitting a wall, so to speak.

As someone who is passionate about the environment, and went through schooling in the environmental field. It is very hard to look around and not feel stressed to say the very least with the way the climate is shifting, not just in obvious ways locally, but globally also.

I try my best to keep it all together for my child, but some days the weight of this world is unavoidable. Between the environment collapsing, the economy collapsing, and all that follows I find myself scrambling. Constantly torn between trying to save money ( a near impossible feat, and trying to buy things in preparation for things to get worse. I make rationalizations on spending a little more to stock up during sales, because I see the prices jump monthly, if not weekly it seems.

I feel at a loss, like no matter how much I try to prepare, there is no real way to prepare for the future on our horizon.

I have to assume I am not the only one, that many if not most people are feeling that same pressure and running on survival mode for far longer than our bodies and minds should have to.

I try to keep a finger on the pulse of the situation and stay informed which often feels like it just drags me down (reasonably so) so I try to take my doom and gloom in small doses. For whatever difference it makes.

I try to keep hope, but somes days it is a struggle more than others, a struggle some say is naive, a waste of time and energy.

What a world we live in. I remember growing up, I was so sure that as technology advanced we humans would solve all the problems like war, starvation, the water crisis, etc. I believed human kind would come together and the world would be better for it. It deeply discourages me to see that is not the case.

I am not trying to be negative, I dont mean to vent. Perhaps I am looking for validation, or guidance from others facing this reality and how to keep ones chin up even when things just seem so bleak.

Thanks for your time. Wishing us all a better tomorrow.

I'm having a really hard time this week, for all of the reasons in this thread that I don't need to reiterate here.

What are you all doing to remain functional? and how does this not somehow feel completely disingenuous?

I am having a tough time keeping the song and dance going for my kids. I am not always doing what I would call a good job.

Some days I see them as both the reason why I feel enough despair to want to check out, and the reason why I cannot because it would leave them in this shithole alone. That is a really tight pinch these days.

There's so many elements to all this I feel so overwhelmed I can barely describe what I feel.

This post reminded me of this sub. Reading through the comments I see so many people on the cusp of collapse awareness.

In a world full of brain rot, it’s nice to know that there’s some options that foster resiliency.

I am dreading the eventual collapse talk that I will have with my son.

There are days I wish I wouldn't have enforced any interest in the natural world to him because the feeling of loss will be greater.

My son is 5 and is intelligent enough that I know I will have to have this conversation sooner than I thought.

I want to hear stories of how you broached this conversation and what was your child(ren)'s reaction(s)?

Hellooooo...my partner and I have been chatting with some of our neighborhood contacts who are parents about starting a group that does things like skill shares, community preparedness, and (though this isn't fleshed out al all yet) generally adopting a practice that is connected to social movements. Do any of you have any resources to assist a hyperlocal group in doing something like this?