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The Forum > Article Comments > Making babies - co-operatively! > Comments

Making babies - co-operatively! : Comments

By Daniel Donahoo, published 24/2/2005

Daniel Donahoo argues that men and women need to work together to fulfill parental aspirations.

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Daniel, thanks for a refreshing viewpoint on families in Australia.

To "doggedly pursue parenthood" is exactly what we have to do. We're better off than most of our parents, yet we expect to be able to provide more - a better house, two cars, fancy clothes, private school.

I think we need to lower our material and career standards - most people find having a family to be the most fulfilling (albeit difficult) thing they have ever done.
Posted by ruby, Friday, 25 February 2005 11:20:03 AM
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My understanding is something like 50% of marriages end in divorce. So basically men have a 50/50 chance of having a family; or, a 50/50 chance of having kids, going thru a divorce, losing custody, paying a large percentage of income to support the ex, and then, if they're lucky getting to see their kids for a couple of hours each fortnight.

And then feminists accuse men of not wanting to grow up!! The problem is we've already grown up. We're just waiting for feminists to wake up.
Posted by Josh, Friday, 25 February 2005 5:55:48 PM
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Why do all these articles say people really want to have more children than they are having? If 80% want to have 2 or 3 and 20% don't want any, then 2.5 x 80% is 2.0. That is not that far from 1.7. Throw in marriages between partners who want 0 or 1 with partners who want 2 or 3 (I reckon the lower number will be chosen), couples who want children but are not able and couples who thought they wanted 3 or 4 (when they were in the 20 to 29 age bracket) and then the first two came along and they determined that 2 was a good number, and you are probably pretty close to 1.7.

When does the study come along that asks if people want to be richer or healthier or more famous? People might answer yes to all these questions in a study, but when it comes time to choose priorities they say "I'm pretty happy the way I am."
Posted by ericc, Monday, 28 February 2005 9:16:19 AM
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iam one of those people who choose not to be married and not to have kids

im sick of people telling me how selfish iam for not following sheep and getting married and having kids...it just dosnt interest me and like many other men i know it dosnt interest them either...

we dont wanted to be bogged down into the same routine day after day boring married lifestyle, we dont want bring kids into this world that will rebel against everything. Just wait till your kids grow up to teeneagers. Sex by 14, smoking by 14, drugs by 14. Its getting worse and worse, who really wants to bring have kids these days. Most just have kids because they have been pressured to grow up. But hey i will never grow up cos i dont have kids. WHATEVER i say!
Posted by jay, Tuesday, 1 March 2005 10:02:18 AM
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So much for men and women working together to fulfil parental aspirations – we now know who wears that little black number.
Posted by Seeker, Tuesday, 1 March 2005 9:42:22 PM
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Mr Donahoo - I have been reading and following your articles in many on line publications. I understand every one has the right to their opinion, but I feel your view on a number of issues is very naive. There are a variety of different reasons why people are not having babies or chose to stay single. I understand you are trying to make people aware, but it comes across more as a justification of your unexpected lifestyle.

Hannah
Posted by Hannahlee, Wednesday, 2 March 2005 2:30:23 PM
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