examinator,
We do not need more examinators in the Earth, so it is OK to stop breding them. We could stop the human race in one generation if no one had children. Think about it! No maternity hospitals and schools, no child welfare and sports. What happens to the last man standing when there is no one to bury him.

However we as a species are on an evolutionary progress to produce higher intelligence, and a better world and society, so human drop outs on the way are a part of the mutations of evolution. Like gays and lesbians they have no future, just a self centered existence of pleasurable indulgence, and no young ones to care for them as they weaken.

I'm with those who believe in new life, a better and happier future; through suffering and sacrifice.

Bronwyn as usual you echo my thoughts.

It is difficult to describe in words the maternalistic feelings that sweep over when you have chidren, from babies until they are grown up. Maybe it is nature's way of ensuring the young are protected and loved during childhood to survive into adulthood. When I hit my late 20s I felt a strong urge to have kids and I had my first child at 28.

Some friends and work colleages chose not to have children for one reason or another and they are generally happy too - having children is not for everyone. Many of these friends are absolutely gaga about their animals - dogs or cats - and I think that is testament to a very human need to nuture and love, and to be nutured and loved.

It is not always easy raising children but we were lucky and our kids are well balanced and contributing individuals with one still at school. I am glad we had children and would do it again (although I would not fancy going through childbirth again).

I had children to produce future tax payers for the country.

Totally selfless.

So obviously everyone else should be willing to pay for my kids.

Bronwyn,

Go get some Prozac man.

'Each of them does the planet a great service.'
What if their child would have found an alternative energy that really helped the 'planet'. I'm so sick of Earth Worshippers that hate people and would only be truly happy if Human Kind became extinct. Where this pre-disposition for self loathing and Goth-like need to opt-out because everything is so bleak comes from I don't know.

' The joy they've brought to my life far outweighs the lost opportunity to forge a brilliant career. Some of the best years of my life were the ones I devoted solely to their care and nurturing...'

The feminists would hate you with that attitude. They're always sayin' the gender wage gap is because of discrimination, not because women choose not to be a wage slave.

TheMissus,

Children as a prevention from being a bum. Nice one. Then again one could still model one's life on Hank Moody from Californication.

'Children allow the wage slaves a reason for putting up with the mundane, the ordinary, the daily traffic, the early mornings etc etc. staying in jobs they hate etc etc.'

I like your reasoning. I always like it when people say they are working so hard for their kids to go to private schools or something. I always wonder if their kids are going to private schools so they can justify to themselves the fact that they want to concentrate on their career.

all,

I think a lot of you here suffer from over-analytical disease. I made it up. It's when people cant stop analysing everything, and the nature of analysis leads to finding problems. You find so many problems and you think everything is bad. Switch off your mind, and you may just be able to feel more, leading to a happier existence. Maybe you wouldn't be able to deal with it though.

Houellebecq,
Yes I forgot about those. I married one for a few years. His marriage to job was for my benefit apparently. Never saw him, nor his money lol, so I toddled off. His ilk then enslave the masses for thier own greed. Family is nice for annual holidays though I guess.

Over analyse? I do that all the time, surely it should pay. Does anyone employ over analytical people? I guess not, not really worth it, best to know how to extract teeth I guess.

Why do I have children? Well, my eldest was an accident. The next, with my second wife, was mostly because she desperately wanted a child. My youngest, also with her, was another accident who came along in the dying stages of my second marriage - I'm sure she was a case of immaculate conception, because I can't recall having sex with her mother in the preceding year. OMG - maybe she's not mine after all!

Seriously, they're all wonderful and my life - not to mention the world - would be the poorer without them. Now I've got a grandson as well (who was also an accident) with another grandchild on the way. Not to mention step-kids and grandkids.

I've been quite lucky with my kids, in that they're all healthy, gorgeous, well-adjusted and have never been in any serious trouble. They do, however, continue to cost me an arm and a leg - but I don't really mind.

Having said that, my partner and I had a bit of a scare a couple of years back when she thought she was pregnant. Fortunately it was a false alarm... although we'd have undoubtedly coped. Not sure that I could have handled another decade or so of P&Cs, parent interviews and kids' sport, however :0

TheMissus, you wrote;

“You have to go to work everyday to feed the little bludgers.”

Hmmm, how true. The little scoundrels enslave you into a life of endless work (unless you are lucky enough to have a high-paying job for doing bugger-all!). You have to have a job, a reasonable house, lots of money for their education, health and to keep them occupied and off the streets!!

Yuck!

“So we can choose but simply not having children may lead to a lot of people sleeping in, living in a tent on the beach, having bottle friends instead of human ones and generally dropping out.”

Heeeeey, you’re so right! Now why haven’t I ever done that? Well, I suppose I have gone part way towards a tent on the beach – I do camp out a lot, and part way towards dropping out – I am a bit of an antisocial dropkick, and part way towards having bottles for friends, of the sort that contain rum, bourbon or scotch!

“Children allow the wage slaves a reason for putting up with the mundane, the ordinary, the daily traffic, the early mornings etc etc. staying in jobs they hate etc etc.”

Boy oh boy, having kids really does sound awful! I’m soooooo glad that I’m a… er… um… antisocial dropkick who never found the right partner ( :>|

“So really only those that have another passion, talent or really good self discipline should not have children”

Those sorts of people should definitely not have “little bludgers”. But there are all sorts of other people that shouldn’t have em either, not least those who are just not good parents, not good citizens, not faithful to their partners and the like….which would account for about 98% of the population!!