Kids or no kids?

[shh!]

For one thing, when you have your own children you don't get to go away to college and live in the dorms like you do when you have a little sister.

You also do not have to provide housing, food, and clothing for her (although in some circumstances, an older sibling may contribute). You aren't responsible for her medical care and education.... there are lots of differences.

[anachronistic]

*smacks forehead* can't believe I didn't consider all those.

But I do play a parental role in food and housing. I also pay some of the bills. I think I mentioned that before on the forum. Kinda sucks, but I will make a better father.

[shh!]

Kinda sucks, but I will make a better father.

This I don't doubt.

[IndiReloaded]

You're a good guy, LW.

I can't imagine life without my son. He makes me very happy, even when he's being a dopey boy. He takes up a LOT of our energy, tho.

As to why ppl choose to have their own children: accident or genetic egoism.

[DoesntMatter]

I know I'll be much happier with kids and grandkids

[Mish]

Don't make kids. If people make less kids, that would mean that the increase of population will hopefully decrease. That would mean better environment and a big possibility that there are less stupid people.

There's a number of ways to look at it. Overall western countries don't seem to suffer from overpopulation like developing ones. Western countries actually need a population boom to support the aging baby boomers and to stimulate the economy. In many European countries the population is either static or in decline, an alarming trend, if not stopped these countries will find themselves in serious trouble in the future.

Plus, the way I see it, the real problem is not in dwindling resources, but in uneven distribution of resources and policies unfriendly to environment, hopefully with the right education of younger people (which is happening at the moment) this issue will become lesser in the future. I believe people and environment can co-exist.

[lesa]

I am happy now without kids. I don't want kids anytime soon. My only issue is that I will waste my womanhood for what it is intended to be and may have to adopt many years later if I ever get the craving to have children. It's selfish of me anyhow.

This topic was one of the many reasons my LTR ended. We were not compatible in that aspect. He wanted children and to 'carry the family name'. I did not agree or see him as a man I could risk raising children with. He seemed unrealistic and talked all about his 'future sons' and never talked about daughters. I feel he would be very disappointed if he had a daughter even though he is the one determining the sex of a child. He also seemed unrealistic about medical issues and I think he would have abandoned me if I did not 'produce' the child of his desires. I think many men can be unrealistic how important this topic really is. It’s not something to do because you want it…you have to carry the positive and negative role of parenthood for life. I did not desire it then or even now and have found a man that currently has compatible beliefs.

[Gribble]

I believe people and environment can co-exist.

This immediately jumped to mind after I read that:
[ame="http://youtube.com/watch?v=NZkQKVom_Bo"]YouTube - I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully[/ame]

[DoesntMatter]

That was my senior quote from high school Gribble. I wanted a stupid senior quote that was a joke because everyone else picked one line snippets trying to sum up the meaning of life in a sentence

"I believe that Men and Fish can coexist peacefully" - GWB

[Kiechi]

6 is a nice number.

[Lipp]

Ideally 2, maybe 3. Few enough to provide well for them all, and they will have siblings instead of being a lone child.

[squirrley]

I can't imagine my life without my son. I got pregnant at 18, he's not 19 and Im only 37. I can't say one way or the other what I would've chosen to do with my life in regards of childrend but it happened and Im thankful it did. He's now out on his own and I basically am young enough to still do so many things. If I wanted another child I could but I don't want the added stress. Ive become VERY complacent with my life, doing what I want when I want. I have several friends with younger children and they always have to do things around the children, so NOPE no more children.

I think a child does bring a sense of completeness to a woman(can't speak for a man because some of the time those buttwipes disappear and don't care they have a child)(in my case) But I feel like a better person and a sense of being that I can't describe. As many positives as having a child has brought so goes the negatives and the worrisomes and stresses, oh geezuz.

I wouldn't change my life for anything. I truly believe even though "I" didn't plan on Kyle, God did and Kyle has been the true blessing in my life. (hubby too)

I see my brother with his sons, what a handful and they're thinking #3, they want a girl. The whole time I was there, shoot theres no way at my age I could handle them.

I also believe as a parent you can spend your life busting your ass to raise your child with the best intentions and when they turn 18, the world is THEIRS, and I've sat back in bewilderment knowing I didn't raise my child to behave like that. It happens, but one day my son(he's starting to ) will appreciate everything I've done for him, and right now as I sit here and cry, I know I've done a damn good job being a single parent and my son is turning out to be a fine young man.

I give a ton of credit to anyone who wants to have a child because it's alot harder than you can truly imagine, in the short run and long run.