At a social gathering just the other day the woman next to me declared that she would not be encouraging her offspring to leap into parenthood because of the dire economic and environmental situation the world now finds itself in.

I must admit I had similar thoughts myself but I would not be imposing my ethical standards on my children.

Is the civilised world just going to silently slip into literal impotence,while dictators and authoritarian Govts like China rule the planet?

The meek it seems will not inherit the earth,only those aggressive enough to take it.

Dear Arjay...

each couple can have 2 children just to replace themselves and 1 more, on balance, considering accidents and sickness will barely add anything to the population.

I've got 3 children and I long for at least 2 or 3 from each of them if possible by Gods grace.

Thus far I have one.

I find it quite spooky the way events in my life a mirrored in OLO debates.

This weekend I went and saw a my first grand-child (surrogate). the Mum of whom has just had her first child, after alot of trying and at least one miscarriage.

What is spooky is the relationship I have with the lady. As I entered her room, following my daughter and some others, she saw me and declared with delight - here is my surrogate Dad.

She has no meaningful relationship with her natural Dad (his loss) and so I have stood in on occasions.

I never yearned for children, although feel very blessed and proud of what I have ended up with and I do not yearn Grand Children, although I think my younger daughter might well start off another generation in the near future, once she has her marriage out the way.

I made it clear to my girls, take on what you can deal with and do it for yourself.

The problems of the world are no different to those faced by every generation, it is just today they are a different set to previous years.

Only 70 years ago, 2 to 3 generations back, my mother gave birth to my sister in the middle of a German air raid and ended up being evacuated away from the UK coast for safety. Is anything we face here today as bad as that?

My eldest daughter was born in High Wycombe UK, only 30km from the US Nuclear Air Base at Greenham Common. So should we bring children into the world when nuclear war is a possibility?

If you were to wait for the world to be a perfect place you would never have children, let alone grand kids.

And I heard the quote as “the meek shall inherit the earth, if that is OK with everyone else”

The meek may inherit the earth, but will they know what to do with it once they do?

Sorry, just kidding. Couldn't resist.

Seriously though... I agree with Col Rouge.

When is the right time to have children? These things have a tendency to happen when you least expect them - in a lot of cases. My mother had hers when they could least afford it. She had four. A brother died during World War II, when mum's milk dried up and she couldn't breast feed.

I was the lucky one, born in Australia - at a time when my parents were both struggling financially. Yet we survived. And we're a very closely knit family.

I hope to have grandchildren - one day. Selfish? Possibly. But you
deal with what life serves up. And you're stronger than you realize.
It takes a long time to become a person. Longer than they tell you.
I'm grateful for the past, it has given me the present. I want to do well by the future - and grandchildren are definitely part of that -
at least for me ...

Being grandchildless is not something I predicted for myself. Having been raised by my grandparents, being a "grandchild" was a big part of my childhood identity.

My grandparents were born in 1910 & 1913. Like Col's family, they were survivors of war and "the depression" that followed. Nan's stories of being down the air raid shelter with two small children were harrowing. My grandfather worked in a nearby Vauxhall factory which was a target for Hitlers V2 bombs. She never knew if he was coming home.

My (only) child was born in Aus in 1980. He informs me that he isn't having kids.

Hang on, what about ME!!? Whoops, sorry, was I being selfish?

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

NOPE.

Back to the drawing board!

Cheers,
Sandbitch