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How can you guarantee that? At some point, resources run out. 100 years ago, it wasn't a concern. Today it is.
Our children are the first generation that can expect to not be able to attain the lifestyle of their parents and to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
We have arrived.
As to running out of resources, I've read that as early as 2013, China's demand for fuel could start causing shortages and higher prices here. Once we're in a bidding war with China for fuel, lifestyle will drop quickly. Things like off season fruits and vegetables will be luxury items. Heating your house and fueling your car will be major expenses.
Does anyone remember how many earths it would take to support the entire world at the level of the United States? I want to say 6 or 7 but it's been a while.
Well, I'm not basing my family size on the availability of off-season fruits
I'm not telling anyone how many kids they should or should not have, but...I have to ask, for the doomsayers-don't you get tired of the doom and gloom? I mean, you don't know the future any more than anyone else. Why live in fear? This is one of the gloomiest threads.
Our children are the first generation that can expect to not be able to attain the lifestyle of their parents and to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
We have arrived.
As to running out of resources, I've read that as early as 2013, China's demand for fuel could start causing shortages and higher prices here. Once we're in a bidding war with China for fuel, lifestyle will drop quickly. Things like off season fruits and vegetables will be luxury items. Heating your house and fueling your car will be major expenses.
Does anyone remember how many earths it would take to support the entire world at the level of the United States? I want to say 6 or 7 but it's been a while.
I wonder if we'll fight a war for oil? Probably.
Can I ask where this information comes from? That is discouraging.
I've raised my kids to believe they can live a BETTER lifestyle than my husband and I. And we live comfortably. I believe hard-work and determination to succeed pays off. My kids believe this and practice it. (Most of the time)
Our children are the first generation that can expect to not be able to attain the lifestyle of their parents and to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragonfly8
Can I ask where this information comes from? That is discouraging.
Fear not, Dragonfly. You can increase your children's lifespan by teaching them health eating habits and the importance of being physically active. The shorter life span estimate for the United States is the result of a society that has desolved into unhealthy habits like bad diets and lack of excersise. Add to it the difficulty many have in paying for healthcare, and it's a no win situation. It's rather sad when you realize that other areas of the world have higher life expectancy and better infant mortality rates than the United States because their society promotes healthier lifestyle habits and their healthcare systems do a better job of treating everyone.
"their healthcare systems do a better job of treating everyone."
Where does this information come from? I have not heard this before an it is contrary to the flocks of people that I see coming to the United States from Canada for health care treatment.
Does anyone feel that the state of the economy in the last year or two has affected how many children people are having?
Also, do you think that at any point, people may begin to be concerned with overpopulation, and stop having more than 2 children? Meaning, do you think concerns for the world around them would ever override their desire for more than 2 children? (not talking about adoption of course)
Thanks for input.
nope not for us! we decided on 2 very long ago. We both came from large families and while we love it two is a perfect number for us. We have prayed about this and still feel strongly that two is our number. AND this current pregnancy has confirmed this even more. I told hub two nights ago that no more babies unless he will carry it for 9 months and we will not adopt.
Yes. No matter how many children we have, we are sure to leave them with a better standard of living and quality of life. That's been the rule over the past 100 years, even despite rapid population growth.
Hmm, I don't know about that. We can't be sure of that at all.
Our so called quality of life is changing drastically. We have growing numbers of diseases attributed to lethargy in our young. We have less and less resistence to sickness. In the last years, there is a tremendous increase in allergies and 'autism' and learning disabilities and cancers.
Drug companies are throwing new drugs at us from every direction; over television, magazines, billboards, internet, etc.. We have become a drug dependent country. There are more and more preservatives in our food. Every day there is something found unsafe that had been used for a couple generations in our food and materials we use every day.
The list goes on, and on, and on.
Our existence itself is going to be determined on our ability to genetically morph to accommodate our growing chemical dependency in every aspect of our lives.
Ah, yes, our 'standard of living'. You mean the standard we have after all our money is gone because of being taxed to death by our government? You mean the standard we have left after credit cards and inflation take their share? You mean the standard after we can't afford to put gas in our cars anymore or buy enough decent food to feed our families because prices have gone up so far that we can't continue to purchase what is needed for survival?
There is no end to our downward spiral of our 'standard of living' and 'quality of life'. We fool ourselves by saying we can buy new cars and live in a house that we can barely afford, and take our family on vacation, but the truth is, we are FAR worse off than previous generations and I don't see how things will turn around and start going up again.
Wait...people still plan how many kids they are going to have? j/k
My wife and I struggled a long time with this one. She always saw herself with 5 kids. I saw myself with 2 at most.
After my son was born we waited a while before trying again and had my daughter when my son was 3 1/2. It still felt like there was something missing, but we felt we weren't financially or emotionally ready for another child yet. So, we didn't do anything permanent to stop it from happening. Lo and behold, my wife got pregnant with number 3 (on the pill...number 1 happened on the pill too, but that's another story) when number 2 was only 6 months old.
We welcomed number 3, another little girl into the world 4 months ago. It was funny because we both felt that at that moment our family was complete. Without number 3, it just felt like something was missing.
There won't be anymore children after this. The third pregnancy was very hard on my wife and she opted for surgery to prevent anymore...though with our track record with birth control, who knows if it will work as advertised, lol.
So, I guess my answer to the question is you just know. I personally feel it is a decision between the couple and their is a moment when things feel right and the family is complete. IMO it has nothing to do with global population, financial means, etc. If you are in a loving committed relationship, each child will be recieved as a blessing and you will know when you're done and that can 1, 2, 3...8...or none.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2girlsand2boys I'm Catholic and we have 4 kids. There are non-invasive methods of birth control that the church approves of. Many families use those.
Can you please name or explain them?
I'm thinking NFP (natural family planning, described earlier in the thread) and creativity. Tab A does not always have to go into Slot B...so to speak.
That's not how it works in all families. My husband and I both come from families with six children. In my family, two did not have children, two only had one child, and two had three children. In my husband's family, five didn't have any children (four have no children whatsoever and my husband adopted mine) and one had two children. So my family reproduced one child per sibling. My husband's family reproduced .33 child per sibling.
My mother had five children. She has seven grandchildren. Four of them are mine...and ftr, my educational level is either equal to or higher than all of my siblings.
OTOH, admittedly I was shooting for 3 originally. Number three brought along a traveling companion. It wasn't like I was going to give one back, y'know?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler
Enjoying having siblings is not a reason to keep racing to our doom. Many posting here will live to see shortages of fuel and food...and wars over fuel and food because there are, simply, too many of us.
I'm familiar with a huge number of two-child families who consume far more resources than my family could dream of doing. Start with the couples who are both commuting into town from the suburbs so they can afford their Navigators and the heating bills for those megahouses...
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This is one of the gloomiest threads.
