Would you start breeding now, given what we know?!?

[northern installer]

I was a 'late' dad too,far too selfish to have children when I was younger! but as I settled down my thoughts changed,and, at 47,the most magical part of my life.........
Guy,savour every moment of the next few months and beyond,and dont forget to tell mrs D how lovely she looks with the baby on board!

[billi]

Guy thats great news    ,   will be a good swimmer i believe

anyhow one of the first words of my offspring was "Minus" , not that he is pessimistic , minus xxx KWH in our Battery -bank  

"Plus " of course another word when the sun comes out .....


finally  i understand love/that song  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHmAUODVaLY

Billi

[wookey]

Not having any is about the best thing you can do for your carbon footprint.

[Ancient Brewer]

Not having any is about the best thing you can do for your carbon footprint.

And make more room for the chav's down the road who are knocking out 1 a year

[noelsquibb]

Yup

the downside of a welfare system is that those who contribute to it are too busy / knackered to have kids.
This actually suspends Darwinian principles and results in a species that is incapable of looking after itself.

So those who see a gloomy future can either build a bunker and fill it with food 'n guns or go down t'pub and hope someone will do something .......

[guydewdney]

Got the guns 'n food. Got the land to make my own food. Knackered, but not on THAT night 

[billi]

This actually suspends Darwinian principles and results in a species that is incapable of looking after itself.

but isn't that the idea of capitalism ? We (all) vote for ? Being addicts to a state , that feeds us and takes our self–determination

Wookey fair enough  ,  a bid sad , hope your  holidays  are fine  and lift up your mood  (as listed on your website) , but not the best Carbon footprint then for you either    

Billi

[camillitech]

Not having any is about the best thing you can do for your carbon footprint.

It's also the best way of being sad and lonely in old age and NOT leaving any of YOUR footprints for future generations  Like I said, I felt that way for 40 years, guys are fortunate enough to produce far longer than the ladies so don't do anything silly like me.

I was so cocksure of myself never wanting to burden the planet with another Camillitech that I had a vasectomy in my early 30s  Luckily for me10 years later along came Mrs C number 2 complete with a young Camillitech growing inside her. He's not mine but I don't give a 5h1t, my only concern is that I'll never be able to give him a brother or sister, still that don't seem to bother him :-)



Now I have someone to take to festivals whilst OH watches the pigs 

[Solal]

I don't think  having children  is any gurantee  of not being  sad and lonely in old age  and I can't think  of  a more selfish reason for having kids.

[billi]

having or "study" children opens eyes to a forgotten reality that we all had when we were kids , if you donot allow that in older age i assume you loose one or the main aspect of live

Billi

[camillitech]

I don't think  having children  is any gurantee  of not being  sad and lonely in old age  and I can't think  of  a more selfish reason for having kids.

This is very true and I'm sure it was not in my parents mind when they spawned me but I draw great satisfaction from knowing that they're not lonely in theirs and paying them back (just a little) for bringing me here  

Cheers, Paul

[myozone]

I think costs comes into it as well,  I read that on average it 'costs' £200,000 EACH from 0-16 Years then around £20,000+ IF they go onto uni ....

In my opinion the future does look very bleak for any child born from now on ..... Food shortages, over population, oil running out, wars, climate change.... need I go on ..

I'm a happy sole .....

[myozone]

This wasn't the original link I was thinking of http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jan/23/child-care-costs

I/we could get a nice cottage by a river (remembers floods + rising sea levels!) + micro water wheel/turbine for the cost of a couple of kids... AND get paid for it !! oh well

[noelsquibb]

Not sure you can equate children to cash or assets.

I would find it a lot easier to loose assets ...........

The experience of raising children has been very rewarding for me and both mine seem to have learnt to stand on their own feet and take responsibility for their actions.

Listening rather than lecturing.
Rarely raised my voice.
Never made threats that I didn't see through, or reneged on an agreement.

Worked for me anyway.

[Ivan]

Like everything else, a sustainable solution is needed. The problem is that 'sustainable' and 'long healthy life' aren't necessarily compatible. Aging populations can only survive on pensions if there is someone working to provide the goods/services that they want to buy with the pensions. Hence population growth is a bit like pyramid-selling - it's fine until it collapses. Third World Countries are all too aware of the effects of a top-heavy pyramid, which is unsustainable given the available resources.

Personally, I think one-child families should be encouraged by family-allowances, benefits, and multi-child families discouraged. (Why do we all get 'family allowance' regardless of income?). Two isn't irresponsible, because a percentage of the population will not have children,and even if everyone had two, there'd be no net increase in population

Gentle population control is a much better solution that natural control (famine, disease, disaster) or war.