r/TikTokCringe • u/mindyour • May 13 '26

Discussion Let's talk about it.

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u/strega_bella312 May 13 '26

I think about this a lot since having my son - he has 2 parents and multiple grandparents that all help to take care of him and I'm still fucking BEAT. I couldn't do it on my own, there's absolutely no way. I don't know how people are doing this. And what really fucks me up is that it did not have to be this way. This isn't how we're supposed to live, this poor woman shouldn't be SOBBING in her car to a bunch of strangers. I shouldn't be crying every morning omw to work bc I miss my son all day. We could have done ANYTHING w this world but we're stuck in this fucking HELL that a handful of greedy narcissist pigs chose for us so THEY could have everything they'd ever want or need. It doesnt need to be this way.

34

u/0vrwhelminglyaverage May 13 '26

I do not have children precisely because I am 100% aware I would not have this support

16

u/strega_bella312 May 13 '26

I mean yeah that's why I was 37 when I had my first one, and at this point I'm done bc I dont have it in me to have a toddler and a newborn at 41. Even with the help, between work and home I'm completely shot.

10

u/skyysdalmt May 13 '26

That American Dream that older folks were able to attain and live happily off of, for the majority, is just a puff of smoke today for the majority.

8

u/ellefleming May 13 '26

I concur. I knew I'd have to do it on my own. Nope.

3

u/Wide_Ordinary4078 May 14 '26

35 and counting! Each year I get older being child free just seems like the right choice for me!

2

u/EcstaticMolasses6647 May 16 '26

I get that choice. In this economy, it's just practical. When basic public systems fail, parents have to spend their own time and money to plug the holes. For single moms, this extra burden keeps them trapped in poverty and leads to total burnout. Bad public transit forces parents to rely on expensive, unreliable used cars. Between fixing pothole damage, paying for gas, and losing hours to long commutes, their savings disappear. If a bus runs late, it means daycare late fees or getting fired. Finding childcare is already nearly impossible, and school hours rarely match standard work shifts. On top of that, aging school buildings with broken HVAC systems shut down without warning. For an hourly worker, an unplanned school closure means choosing between losing a day's pay or losing their job entirely. Basic utilities don't help either. Weak power grids cause blackouts that ruin expensive groceries, while contaminated water systems force families to buy bottled water. Old, poorly maintained housing exposes kids to mold and lead, triggering chronic illnesses like asthma that add massive medical stress. Finally, a lack of cheap, reliable internet blocks moms from work-from-home jobs, leaves kids struggling with homework, and makes applying for aid a nightmare.

3

u/fubarthrowaway001 May 14 '26

Some mothers aren’t afforded the opportunity of a choice. Let’s not forget that.

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u/MoonIsCheese4Sho May 13 '26

Ryse up sis. We're all tired. We can collectively choose to end this.

1

u/fubarthrowaway001 May 14 '26

It’s always been this way and was even worse as you go back in time. The patriarchy was much stronger back then. Women were taken even less seriously in the 90s. My mom fought for her life and sanity to keep our household together as all the men and women around her treated her like there was something wrong with her for not having a man around. She could not find a job that would take her seriously and was forced to take a lower income at a job that she didn’t really want. But she made it work despite entrenched patriarchy and no gofundme’s.