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Originally Posted by Aconite
People are leaving Florida at an unprecedented rate. Our county is shutting down schools-- the number of schoolchildren has dropped dramatically in the last ten years.
No, the student enrollment has actually gone up, but it's flattened out since 2006 or so. But before 2006, student enrollment was increasing quite rapidly. I do know that Miami, Broward, Pinellas and Monroe (the country I live in) have seen big drops in their student enrollment though.
But the other counties, Hillsborough, Orange, Lee, Pasco, St. Lucie etc have seen big gains.
That would be where I said "our county"-- meaning the one my family lives in.
In the past, I would have said no more than YOU can handle (there is a tendency in large families to put older children to work caring for and raising the younger children.) but today with a stressed world, I'd say no more than replacement. 2-3 children per woman who has children. There really is no reason to have more than 2 or 3. It's not like the days on the farm when children were likely to not live to become adults and their labor was needed to grow the family farm.
Oh, I don't know, I'd say my reason for number four is a darn good one.
In this day and age of overpopulation ? My answer: more then one is too many.
As much as people like to pretend it doesn't exist, overpopulation and dwindling of resources are REAL facts that need to be paid attention to otherwise we. Are. Screwed.
Yes. I am a card carrying member of zero-population growth. I say put birth control into the water supply, please.
Interesting how overpopulation is always the first argument. Guess what. People die and people born. People from all over the world sees birth differently. Americans think that more than 2.5 is enough. Enough for you but not for others. I do, however, agree that people should be more responsible but like someone said, if they can do it, none of your business. I'm from a family of nine. A family-oriented culture. We are doing just fine.
A person/persons has too many kids when they can't afford them. When the government has to give you money to support your many kids, then that's just sad. Especially if that person(s) has no job. I only refer to the people who have a lot of children and keep having children. It all depends... People should plan out if they have enough money to have a kid, THEN have a baby if they have the money.
I would probably feel guiltier about my four if it hadn't worked out that my mother-- even with my theoretically excessive children-- still has significantly fewer grandchildren than Zero Population Growth would allow for (and some of those are adopted). My best friend and my sister, both without kids (one by choice, one circumstance), tell me I've had theirs.
LOL. That works.
I am one of seven siblings. Five of us had one each, and the last two don't want any. I guess our family did our part!
How many kids do you think is too many? Is it two? Three? Seven? Thirteen???
Back in the day, it was common to see a woman have five or six kids (between my two grandmothers, they had sixteen children!). Now, the average woman has two, MAYBE three kids.
I personally would love to have four to six kids (would probably try to adopt some). How many kids do you have or do you want to have? And would you be willing to sacrifice luxuries to have more children than "normal"?
Thanks in advance. I know, lots of questions!
Too many for me? More than the two I currently have. For you? That's up to you. As long as you can support them and give them what they need, then have as many as you'd like!
For me, it's not a matter of not being willing to sacrifice luxuries. Granted, I do love it that we can travel and pay for lessons, etc, but I don't think I'd not have more kids based on that. Two is really what I can handle. I'm happy that my kids are at the ages where I no longer have to worry about nursing or diapers or potty training or teaching them how to act like human beings at the store. I have no desire to start over with a new toddler or preschooler, even though they're cute.
What I think is interesting is watching different families, Mothers, and children. For some Mothers, even one child is too much for them. That is their level of stress that they can deal with. You see the ones who should have stopped, they are frazzled, yelling at their kids, who are misbehaving, then you see a family with well behaved children, 7 or 8, no problems. I had four, and that was probably 2 more than I really wanted or needed. But, selfishly, I wanted a little girl. I would have stopped at 3...but just decided to try one more time. So I guess I have "three mistakes" and one that I really wanted...(No...they are all great!).
Nope. For some, four is way too much, threes a crowd, twos ok, ones good, and none is best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antlered Chamataka
Let's see what you say when you're 30
I'm obviously not CMP and do not presume to speak for her but I have to tell you I'm over 30. Deciding not to have kids is still one of the best decisions I have ever made, and for me (operative words) it's the right one.
Having children is no guarantee that you will be remembered or venerated in your old age. I hope that is not your fate if you have kids, it's always sad when when elders are warehoused and ignored until it comes time to distribute the inheritance.
By the way, that kind of second-guessing is called "bingoing" among the childfree and it's considered rude. (Are you really unaware of that?) How would you feel if someone came up to you and said, "Oh, you'll change your mind about wanting kids."?
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Guess what. People die and people born. People from all over the world sees birth differently. Americans think that more than 2.5 is enough. Enough for you but not for others. I do, however, agree that people should be more responsible but like someone said, if they can do it, none of your business. I'm from a family of nine. A family-oriented culture. We are doing just fine.
For you? That's up to you. As long as you can support them and give them what they need, then have as many as you'd like! 
