Children?

[olive bleu]

I have 2 boys, who are , at the moment both 11 !I had a 3rd boy who was actually born before the others who passed away. he would have been 14.

In February 1995 we adopted a baby, and 2 months later i was pregnant! So from Decemeber -february, my sons are the same age.

A note to LIZZIEMAINE ...I hope you are able to adopt someday.I have a deep respect for those who know they do not have any desire to raise children & stick with it.But, if you know in your heart that being a parent is something you dearly want in your life, i wouldn't wait forever, even if the financial security you want does not come. We adopted Morgan when my husband was in college, not having 2 cents to rub together. But the richness he brought to our lives cannot be measured.Contrary to how it looks, they really don't need all the latest gizmos & gadgets to be happy.

 

[Miss Sis]

I don't have any kids - yet! But I'd like about 3. The boyfriend however, is not very keen at present!

I am the youngest of 3, My Mum comes from a family of 3 and my Dad from a family of 4.

My Mum's parents were 1 (My Nana - her mother couldn't have any more children) and 4 (My Grandad Frank)

My Dad's parents were from families of 8 + 9 but I can't remember which way round it was with Oma and Opa.

Going back even further I know in general there were about 7 or 8 children in most of the families in the mid 19th Century. Interesting when they probably had alot less money than we do now. Then, you could probably make your way in the world without a University education. Not so easy now.

 

[Jazzman64]

My wife and I have 3 girls, ages 7, 5, and 3

I'm in big trouble in a few years!:eusa_doh:

 

[Tommy Fedora]

My daughter and son are adults now. She's an attorney and he's a senior in college.
Raising them has been the joy of my, and my wife's life. They have been a constant source of pride, fun and wonder. If we gave up anything to have them, it wasn't worth having in the first place.

 

[jamespowers]

We have two daughters ages 9 and 8. Since I'm 47 and DH is 51 you can do the math. We tried a long time to have kids and it finally happened. We've made some very hard financial choices such as giving up a career with the phone company (smartest thing I've ever done) and work from home with my internet stores.

DH has 1 sister and 4 step siblings. I have 1 sister and 2 brothers. 2 is what we can handle in every way and DH adores his girls as do I. We had 15 years of no children before they came along and I have to say they are keeping us young and playful which is a wonderful thing and have added so much to our lives.

So this is what I have to look forward to years down the line.
My wife and I were married 10 years before we had our first child last year. It had a bit to do with finance but mostly it had to do with time and fitting it into our lives. My wife stopped working and took care of my mother and grandmother for their last years.
They do keep you young and add quite a bit to your life---I agree completely. I never thought I would do what I do now. It is just a matter of the course of a day now. [huh] Don't get me wrong, changing diapers and getting up in the middle of the night isn't exactly a joy though.

Regards,

J

 

[RedPop4]

I would have liked to have had kids -- but there were physical probs that prevented it.

I have thought about adoption over the years, but because I grew up extremely poor, I always vowed I wouldn't take on the responsibility of a child unless I could ensure that he or she would have a better life than I had. So far, I've never been in a position where that would be the case.

Lizzie, even the richest of the rich many times don't believe they have enough to do justice to children. We can never "afford it."

I believe, however, that God provides, especially for those who enter into parenthood looking to do right by and for their children. That means more than just having money to throw around and throw away. It's all the other "providing" we do, that does justice to children.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Zero

I am one of the most responsible parents on the planet. I chose not to have children!

In years past it behooved a couple to have many children. They had to be clothed and fed, but they also had to earn their keep. Having many children, especially male children, meant that all the work around a farm could be accomplished by many hands. Fields tended. Animals kept and fed. Fences built. Wells dug.

Female children washed, sewed, cooked as well as contributed to the farms chores.

In this technological age, parenting is still an economic issue. Rather than staying home and tending the farm (as it were), we tend to work in someone else's fields through employment. What happens to child rearing?

The society we live in today in America is the result. Unparented children growing up without the lessons that only a parent can teach. Education left to bureaucrats and government employees.

When I was married, we made the decision that we would have children only if economically feasible to give them the education and the parenting that we valued and could afford, otherwise we would leave society unburdened with raising our offspring. It does NOT "take a village"! It takes two responsible adult parents dedicated to the task of raising children into responsible adults who will someday, perhaps, raise their own children.

You can thank me now for not thrusting another tatooed, pierced, shave-head, iPod wearing, baggy-pants, doltish, brut into 'the village' for my neighbors to raise. You're welcome!

I'm still fertile and there is still the potential; I may become a parent yet if I CHOOSE to.

-dixon cannon