Dear Abby: I don't want kids, but then who will take care of me when I'm old?

"DEAR ABBY: I'm in my early 30s and have decided to lead a child-free life. I think having a kid in the current state of affairs (rising costs, social injustices, crime, global warming, etc.) is unkind and irresponsible. But I'm worried that I won't have anyone to look after me if (or when) I am immobilized due to age. What are your thoughts? WORRIED MILLENNIAL"

"DEAR MILLENNIAL: Oh, I am so glad you asked me that! Having a child hoping it will guarantee that you will have someone to care for you in your old age is not old age insurance. There are no guarantees, as anyone who has read my column for any length of time can attest. As you grow older, it will be up to you to provide for your old age by consulting an attorney or a financial planner to ensure"

"He doesn't do any household chores or pay us anything, not even his car insurance (which he agreed to pay). He then moved his girlfriend in, and after that a dog, without permission. He has anxiety and depression issues, which he thinks he's treating with marijuana. When we try to approach him about his plans for the future, helping out at home or paying anything, it becomes a screaming match with him punching the walls."

A person in their early 30s chooses a child-free life because of economic, social, and environmental concerns and worries about having no caregiver if immobilized in old age. The response states that having a child is not guaranteed eldercare and emphasizes that no family arrangement can be relied on as old-age insurance. The response advises independent preparation through legal and financial planning and consulting an attorney or financial planner to secure sufficient assets and assistance. A separate parent reports a 20-year-old son living at home who avoids responsibilities, brought in a girlfriend and a dog without permission, and displays anxiety, depression, and marijuana use, causing confrontations. The responder tells the parents to assert boundaries, require responsibility, and to tell the son he should have saved money from his job for a down payment (reply cuts off).

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