7 ms·

I'm talking about those situations where you are already poor and decide to have kids anyway.

by 0x12 15y ago

dkersten 15y ago
I personally know a number of people who are on social welfare and planning having a second or even third child. I find this is extremely irresponsible. They can barely afford the children they already have and want to get the state to pay for more? I'd much rather my taxes went to schools and hospitals and better public transport than for paying for these peoples stupid decisions. What kind of life will that child have? If you cannot afford it, do not have children. I can totally understand if you had the children before you, eg, lost your job or whatever. Things happen, situations change. The problem is the people who don't already have children. Also, if you cannot afford it, you need to be extra careful not to have an "accidental" pregnancy.
- lurker19 15y ago
  If people on welfare stopped at 2 or 3 kids we and they wouldn't have any financial problems with it. This generation's moonshot public works project should be a low cost reversible renewable year-long sterilization technology. Also, harsh as seems, it would help if newborns on welfare were taken to orphanages and treated well there instead of generating funds for their genetic ancestors.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    > This generation's moonshot public works project should be a low cost reversible renewable year-long sterilization technology. At least for women, that already exists (IUD, implanon). The problem is, for any medical technology there's side effects, and people still need to consent to it.
gonnabedaddy 15y ago
Sometimes birth control fails! Like it did with me and my girlfriend a few months ago. My poor ass is now job hunting!
- eru 15y ago
  If you can't take that risk: Abstinence (or just different sex practices), abortion, adoption or tough if out.
  - radicalbyte 15y ago
    My capitalist instincts would suggest another option: sell the child to a wealthy couple who can't bear their own.
    - eru 15y ago
      You can try that, but the market for that is probably very strange. For example, I can imagine that demand goes up with price, because no one wants a cheap child. And for some combinations of properties of the child you'll probably have to charge less than nothing (i.e. pay the adopters). Of course, someone who really believes in the market would harvest the child for organs. (Sarcasm implied.)
- 0x12 15y ago
  Time to grow up! Congratulations are in order anyway, so here are mine, and I really hope that you get that job. My children were all planned and even if I did fall on hard times (twice) in the intermediate the fact that we cut down to the bone as soon as trouble hit helped us survive. Things that don't kill you will make you stronger.
- bartonfink 15y ago
  Quite true. My daughter is the failure case for condoms combined with birth control and a wife who was told "you can't have babies." I'm just glad it happened two months after we got married instead of for the 3 years we shacked up previously. Good luck, boss!
  - DifE-Q 15y ago
    Sage advice, and yes it IS possible to follow (and I know it is too late for you now but here it is anyway): 1. Do not have sex if you do not want a baby. 2. Do not get married unless you can support a baby.
scelerat 15y ago
Having children makes people happy. As in deep, deep happy. It's really not as mysterious as some make it out to be.
- orangecat 15y ago
  This is generally not true: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/06/28/having-kids-makes-you-happy.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/06/28/having-kids.... Although it does seem to be true that most people think having kids will make them much happier.
  - AppSec 15y ago
    Seems to counter itself with a statement like: "Parents still report feeling a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives than those who've never had kids." Obviously if one equates happiness to lower amounts of worries and responsibilities than sure.. But that seems kind of.... superficial? Note: I am not in anyway saying that those who choose to not have kids are superficial, it is their choice -- just as it was mine to have a kid.

I'm talking about those situations where you are already poor and decide to have kids anyway.

by 0x12 15y ago

I'm talking about those situations where you are already poor and decide to have kids anyway.

I personally know a number of people who are on social welfare and planning having a second or even third child. I find this is extremely irresponsible. They can barely afford the children they already have and want to get the state to pay for more? I'd much rather my taxes went to schools and hospitals and better public transport than for paying for these peoples stupid decisions. What kind of life will that child have? If you cannot afford it, do not have children. I can totally understand if you had the children before you, eg, lost your job or whatever. Things happen, situations change. The problem is the people who don't already have children. Also, if you cannot afford it, you need to be extra careful not to have an "accidental" pregnancy.

lurker19 15y ago
If people on welfare stopped at 2 or 3 kids we and they wouldn't have any financial problems with it. This generation's moonshot public works project should be a low cost reversible renewable year-long sterilization technology. Also, harsh as seems, it would help if newborns on welfare were taken to orphanages and treated well there instead of generating funds for their genetic ancestors.
- philwelch 15y ago
  > This generation's moonshot public works project should be a low cost reversible renewable year-long sterilization technology. At least for women, that already exists (IUD, implanon). The problem is, for any medical technology there's side effects, and people still need to consent to it.

gonnabedaddy 15y ago

Sometimes birth control fails! Like it did with me and my girlfriend a few months ago. My poor ass is now job hunting!

eru 15y ago
If you can't take that risk: Abstinence (or just different sex practices), abortion, adoption or tough if out.
- radicalbyte 15y ago
  My capitalist instincts would suggest another option: sell the child to a wealthy couple who can't bear their own.
  - eru 15y ago
    You can try that, but the market for that is probably very strange. For example, I can imagine that demand goes up with price, because no one wants a cheap child. And for some combinations of properties of the child you'll probably have to charge less than nothing (i.e. pay the adopters). Of course, someone who really believes in the market would harvest the child for organs. (Sarcasm implied.)
0x12 15y ago
Time to grow up! Congratulations are in order anyway, so here are mine, and I really hope that you get that job. My children were all planned and even if I did fall on hard times (twice) in the intermediate the fact that we cut down to the bone as soon as trouble hit helped us survive. Things that don't kill you will make you stronger.
bartonfink 15y ago
Quite true. My daughter is the failure case for condoms combined with birth control and a wife who was told "you can't have babies." I'm just glad it happened two months after we got married instead of for the 3 years we shacked up previously. Good luck, boss!
- DifE-Q 15y ago
  Sage advice, and yes it IS possible to follow (and I know it is too late for you now but here it is anyway): 1. Do not have sex if you do not want a baby. 2. Do not get married unless you can support a baby.

scelerat 15y ago

Having children makes people happy. As in deep, deep happy. It's really not as mysterious as some make it out to be.

orangecat 15y ago
This is generally not true: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/06/28/having-kids-makes-you-happy.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/06/28/having-kids.... Although it does seem to be true that most people think having kids will make them much happier.
- AppSec 15y ago
  Seems to counter itself with a statement like: "Parents still report feeling a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives than those who've never had kids." Obviously if one equates happiness to lower amounts of worries and responsibilities than sure.. But that seems kind of.... superficial? Note: I am not in anyway saying that those who choose to not have kids are superficial, it is their choice -- just as it was mine to have a kid.