Child or Spouse?

[Gribble]

[url]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1231993/Fathers-agony-forced-choose-saving-wife-son-drowning.html[/url]

So I read this story and it got me to thinking: if I had to choose between saving my wife or my child, who would it be? Without hesitation, my child.

If my daughter were trapped in a burning building I'd pick my wife up and use her to beat the flames out if I had to.

What would you do?

[IndiReloaded]

My son, no question. And I love my husband, not the least b/c I know he'd answer the same.

If he didn't save my son & I lived, I'd kill him. He knows this.

[vashti]

Yep. God help my husband if he chose me over my kids. I wouldn't have to think twice about saving my kids at his expense.

On a semi-related note, people actually do this all the time when they get divorced... they choose whomever they are dating's happiness over their kids. I just don't get it.

[IndiReloaded]

We are anachronisms, Vash.

[qwertz]

yeh i saw this on the news..what a horrible choice.

Im seperated from my sons dad but even if i was still madly in love with him I would choose my son without a doubt, not a blink of hesitation, I would die 10 times over if it meant my son could live.
He's my world

But i would also try to save any child before an adult, even if they werent mine.

[IndiReloaded]

I just read the story. Sad.

I'd be holding onto that car and going down with him to get him out and hope there was enough air in the car for another breath to come up. I used to dive, tho, so mbe that helps.

I dunno about someone else's child tho. I think it would depend on the situation, esp since my own son would suffer if I died.

[Heratriumphant]

Yep. My son before anyone.

My son's "father" wanted to marry me till he found I wasn't going to have an abortion. So I actually chose my son over him long before son was ever born.

Best choice I ever made.

[qwertz]

when i said try to save another persons child..i meant i would try but i wouldnt give my life for them as like indi said, my own child would suffer.

[Cbrider]

He knows this.

Was this one of those first date questions you two covered?

No, but seriously, not a hard choice. Child first.

[IndiReloaded]

Was this one of those first date questions you two covered?

Actually, yes. Not on the first date tho.

Before our son was born, we had a conversation about what we would do if something went wrong. This included the obvious, plus scenarios such as what to do if there was a problem with our son.

It happened actually. Our son had taken in a bit of meconium, which meant he needed to be treated in the ICU (he was fine--stupid Harvard medicos overreact). Anyway, per our prior agreement, my husband went with our son even when they told him not to. He didn't let him out of his sight for a moment and the docs weren't about to throw a stubborn professor out of the room (he had a gown), so they couldn't do much.

[Junket]

I'd choose my wife.

Dating only gets harder as you get older, and you can always make more babies.

EDIT: I would also like to point out that he wasn't in the car with them, but dove in well after the car was already sinking, so it's not like he had an equal opportunity to save them both and chose the other. Nobody should criticize this man for a second.

[altheaespigar]

wow! that's a tough question. I guess I'm going to save my husband. My husband would also prefer that I save the baby rather than save him. =)

[Junket]

ALSO, say he struggled to save his son and failed.

Well then the son dies, the father dies, the mother dies, and now you have two orphan little girls.

[Cbrider]

With no car.

[Heratriumphant]

I'd never second guess this particular guy's choice but as a hypothetical question I would be horrified by any parent that wouldn't choose their child over their spouse.