Even Mothers Say, "Don't Have Children... Life Fades Away While Taking Care of Them"

Complaints About Parenting That Continues Even After Children Become Adults

The total fertility rate in the second quarter was recorded at 0.7, marking the lowest birth rate in the world, and a complaint post by a mother with a child retaking the college entrance exam has become a hot topic in South Korea.

The post titled "Don't Have Children" was uploaded on the Naver cafe 'Lemon Terrace.' The post resonated deeply and quickly spread across online communities.

The author wrote, "Parents with children who are not truly kind and diligent have to sacrifice themselves to the bone even after their children turn twenty. I have no life of my own. They cause worry during puberty and cause more worry by not studying. They take their parents' support and sacrifice for granted."

The total fertility rate in the second quarter was recorded at 0.7, marking the lowest birth rate in the world for our country. A complaint post by a mother with a child retaking the college entrance exam has become a hot topic. The photo is unrelated to the article. [Image source=Getty Images]

She continued, "They don't even blink an eye when their parents are sick. How selfish they are... If possible, don't have children. Retaking the exam and sending them to university really breaks your back. Taking care of children leaves no time to prepare for old age, and my life is ruined," she lamented.

She added, "Even on weekends, I can't rest because I have to prepare meals for my child retaking the exam. They don't clean up a single room. Even university students over twenty think parental sacrifice is a given. Taking care of kids drains your life," and wrote, "I should have either not had children or only had one."

Comments expressing empathy poured in. "Many will curse me for saying this, but my biggest regret in life is having children," "I envy the DINKs. The joy children bring is only brief when they're young. After graduating university, they struggle and can't even function as adults, becoming a lifelong burden," "I'm satisfied with having just one child. Never two... If there's a next life, I want to be a happy DINK traveling around," "No matter how many times I say it, mothers raising children in kindergarten and elementary school won't understand. It never ends. My youth and middle age are ending, but raising children seems like it will only end when I close my eyes," they empathized.

Overall, the comments reflected exhaustion from parenting that continues even after children become adults.

It's understandable, as according to the 'August 2023 Employment Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 13th, despite employment rates reaching 'all-time highs' and unemployment rates hitting 'all-time lows,' youth (ages 15?29) employment rates have been declining for ten consecutive months. Seounju, Director of the Social Statistics Bureau at Statistics Korea, explained, "In a situation where the population is decreasing, the proportion of those in their early twenties enrolled in school is increasing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.