Agreed.

I grew up in poverty. My mom was a wonderful person, but the stress of poverty took a toll on her mentally. When we were at our worst, which was often, she’d get stressed out at me. I remember once where my mom scolded and yelled at me for ripping my school uniform during recess, and we didn’t have money to buy another; but if I didn’t the school would call her saying her child looks messed up.

My mom’s problems also became my problems. I remember my mom stealing $3000 of my college money under the guise “she’d pay me back” only to admit she never intended to after she forced me to drop out. I tried saving up to move out, but she took 70% of my money fir “rent” from the little money I made from work.

In my young adult years she became extremely abusive as the stress of my little sister put her over the edge. It didn’t help that my little sister was severely mentally handicapped, and this my mom couldn’t work. She’d call be a fat whale who did nothing but eat and sleep, despite the fact I tried getting a job but it was near impossible to find one in this rural town she moved us in. She was extremely mentally abusive. It was to the point I attempted to end my own life; but only didn’t because the belt broke.

I honestly was saved when joining the Marine Corps. I didn’t even intend to pass boot camp, I didn’t think I could do it; but everything I did was nothing compared to the hell I went through with my mom. When I told my friends as I got older about my mom, what I thought were normal things were not, many of whom says my mom was a monster. It became often I didn’t like talking about it, because the more I did the more I realized just how bad the abuse really was.

Overall, it’s from these things I vowed to never bring children into this world of poverty. I don’t want them to suffer as I have. I doubt I’d be abusive or anything, but poverty is stressful. I am sure many poor people who had kids thought they’d somehow not end up as the stereotypical overstressed parent; and many of them failed, or worst, like my mom pushed their kids into a corner. I’m just glad I escaped, I owe everything to my recruiters. I’ll never forget the SSGT and Sgt who took one look at meeting my mom and then took me into room and explained to me that my life is shitty and they know why I need to escape.

Bonus:

Then there is the generic poverty bad stuff:

• Worst schools you get jumped in.

• Worst education.

• Dangerous neighborhoods

• Lack of nutritious foods

• Health problems and no proper insurance

• Nobody to teach you how to avoid the poverty cycle

• Hopelessness, as you get older you’re another statistic

• Parents higher rate of household stress

• Etc

I don’t have kids and I’m borderline homeless. Why in the hell of it would I want to bring kids into this? At worst I end up like my mother and over a decade or two become abusive, at best I have a high chance of continuing the poverty cycle that’s about 3-4 generations deep now. I’m not having kids, period. I don’t want any, raising kids is not my thing; and even if I did I sure as hell wouldn’t bring them into my world where I can’t even afford a place to rent.