Posted on 01/03/2005 8:31:56 AM PST by qam1
No, we all went to Catholic grade school - at that time in the 60s it only cost about $50 a year! Ha! High school was split between public and private schools depending on whether or not a scholarship was available. College, I and my sibs were kinda on our own although my parents helped out as much as possible. I have three children of my own now, and all my brothers and sister save one who is still single at 40 do too, but none have more than three. As I said those big families are more and more rare. But when I was growing up, there were several families in our church with 12 kids, and lots in the seven-to-ten range. Honestly when I look back on it, I don't know how my parents managed it: not having the nine kids I mean, but the economics and logistics of it!
I suspect that those who apply the "selfish" label are those who love and cherish their kids and are probably better than average at raising them. Kids seem natural for them, like breathing.
What they don't realize is that some people are emotionally, intellectually or psychologically singularly unsuited for parenthood.
No, we should abolish Social Security and have children according to our desires for familial idylls...or whatever. But, from a strictly logical point of view, if a community declines into a negative birth rate, it eventually disappears, whether the elders depend on Social Security or not.
But, SS isn't going away, and the elderly will want their just dues that they paid into SS...and it won't be there if the don't have children AND are opposed to open borders. THAT's the not-immediately-clear point I was trying to make.
the reporting writes pro-homosexual articles.
No surprise he would promote children are not part of marriage.
Had a 1963 Volvo 544 for awhile. :(
My children may not give a rat's ass about me when I am old ... but I will love them! That is why I decided to raise children. No better use of my life, imho.
There's a difference between kids and the infantile. :)
Your points about Asia are well taken. HOwever, many, if not most American elderly do want social security so they don't have to be maintained by their kids. That's why social security reform is such a molotov cocktail with the senior vote.
Heterosexual gays?
Easy--doing without and slave labor can save lots of moola and still get everything done! :-)
Ah, true. You're only a kid once, but you can be immature forever. :-)
Ah ha!!!! (just joking) Even if you aren't 'kid people', there are plenty of opportunities to be spiritual parents and helpers to people with children of their own.
I know! I was piggybacking my question on yours. I guess I shouldn't have replied to you and quoted your question before posing mine, I should have replied to the first post and then quoted your question and added mine.
I coached a junior bicycle racing team, of whom 80% of the riders won medals at the state level.
Yes, but I'm also reminded of the little old lady who was still working as a receptionist at age 75 at a former place of employment of mine....the only reason she worked was to financially support her deadbeat daughter and the daughter's children. I think some of the "best" parents are the ones who choose not to have children because--due to a career, for instance--they know they wouldn't be able to devote 110% of their attention to the children if they had them. I can kind of relate because, although I'm an empty nester now, several of my friends who waited until now to have babies are drifting away--all they talk about at parties, is ovulation and morning sickness (I can kind of understand, since having children is such an all-consuming thing, but I occasionally feel left out nonetheless).
I want to take part in this discussion somehow, but I don't like the tone of these childless people in this article that think they are somehow special or left out of life and need a support group. It's just one of many choices in life, and whether you are the odd-man out because of your child-status depends on the age and your circle of friends.
My new husband and I are in no hurry to have children. We like children, but aren't sure right now that we should have them now... we married late, I am the 'she' and I am 37. We have much we'd like to do in life, for the next year or two we'd like to spend our summers horseback riding and for now, children would interfere with much of it. It's more complicated than that, certainly, but we just aren't drawn to parenthood, and don't know if we ever will be.
My best childhood friend, same age, just had her first baby. In our circle of friends, she is more the odd man out right now if anyone, because most of our friends with children did babies years ago and theirs are half-grown. I can see that for the next several years, we may not have a lot in common. But most of my other friendships adapted to new children, and if this one also can, it will.
Good for you! I think those couples that wish to have children should have as many as they can care for. I think those that don't want children should be just as free not to have them.
I think people who resent or are angered over either decision have some deep seated issues that they need to resolve.
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