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Joined: Jan 2007
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 41 |
Hey everyone! I've noticed that most of you don't want any children due to the financial strain and I completely agree with you. If I ever become wealthy, though, I'm definitely going to have a child. I think it would be exciting to watch your own child's baseball games or cheerleading showoffs and laugh with your husband about your child's childish antics.
So here's my question: Would you have at least one child if you earned a billion dollars? Why or why not?
Last edited by fr0gkiss3r; 01/19/07 03:08 PM.
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Gecko
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Gecko
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No way. The earth is waaaay overstressed and overcrowded as it is. Wealthy western lifestyles are *the* biggest part of the problem. If I came into a lot of wealth all of a sudden, sure, I'd have a few more little luxuries which are important to me. But I'd become a philanthropist with the rest of the money, rather than becoming a parent. The top organizations I'd give to are the Nature Conservancy, Best Friends Animal Society, and the UN Fund for Population (even people who are educated enough to *know* about birth control in many thrid world countries still can't get it).
I teach at a private boarding high school. I have seen time and again that wealthy parents do *not* a happy, well-adjusted child make.
Frogkisser --- what about your child's all-night wailing due to teething and colic? Calls to the elementary school principal's office when your child is bullied by others or is bullying others? Months-long fights with your teenager about whether they should work to earn their own car insurance money, or just depend on moneybags mom-n-pop?
Would you hire a nanny (and a cook, a private tutor, a chauffeur?) to handle the vast majority of the "heavy lifting" of parenting, and just swoop in for the "home movie"/Kodak moments you mention in your post? Or if you had a lot of money all of a sudden, would you raise the child yourself?
Interesting questions...
Further, how much of the same kind of joy in watching a child achieve could you derive from teaching or mentoring, as opposed to parenting? As a teacher and a once-and-future Big Sister, I got to tell you...it's a *very* worthwhile question.
Elise
Last edited by bonsai; 01/19/07 02:12 PM.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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I never said that I wouldn't donate to organizations or focus less on my life than my child's life. I never said that my child wouldn't be a pain to discipline, or that I'm going to create the next Brady Bunch. I'm majoring in my final year at University with a B.A. in Media Writing, so believe me, I have more panned out in my life than just a child!
Otherwise, how could I possibly stick to my plan of only having a child when I'm wealthy if I don't bother to actually earn the wealth? I simply feel that the negatives in life are outweighed by the positives.
And while I'd take care of my child, I'd also hire others to care for it. What's the crime in giving yourself freedom if you can afford to? I'm certainly not going to neglect anyone, whether it be myself or my child.
Last edited by fr0gkiss3r; 01/19/07 02:26 PM.
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Gecko
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Gecko
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You talked about "suddenly becoming wealthy". Sounded like you were talking about winning the lottery, not earning the money.
It sounded like you were leaning towards the stereotype "fun" moments in childrearing, as opposed to the whole picture --- both the fun and the mess. Far too many folks (particularly those who don't have actual experience with kids, via being aunts/uncles/close friends and neighbors with parents) actually buy into those "home movie" stereotypes. Then they wonder what hit them when they actually become parents and see the full picture. I'm glad you're not one of them.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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I'm sorry for the confusion, as well. Let me clarify my idea of the "Kodak" moments. If my child screams at another child, that to me is a Kodak moment. Then I can finally discipline someone! Being in charge seems fun to me.
Last edited by fr0gkiss3r; 01/19/07 03:12 PM.
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Jellyfish
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Jellyfish
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Hi Elise, Good points. My answer is also no way. My girlfriend is 43 and I am almost 37. We don't want to be dealing with a teen ager when we are 55 and 61. We also don't want to deal with calls from the elementary school principal or any of the "heavy lifting" of parenting you describe. I certainly would NOT waste thousands of $ to get my vasectomy reversed. One thing I would fund if I were wealthy is comprehensive sex education in public schools. Under both democratic and republican administrations, millions of dollars have been spent on abstinence only sex education programs which are a colossal failure. The US rate of teen pregnancy is far higher than Western Europe. Mike No way. The earth is waaaay overstressed and overcrowded as it is. Wealthy western lifestyles are *the* biggest part of the problem. If I came into a lot of wealth all of a sudden, sure, I'd have a few more little luxuries which are important to me. But I'd become a philanthropist with the rest of the money, rather than becoming a parent. The top organizations I'd give to are the Nature Conservancy, Best Friends Animal Society, and the UN Fund for Population (even people who are educated enough to *know* about birth control in many thrid world countries still can't get it).
I teach at a private boarding high school. I have seen time and again that wealthy parents do *not* a happy, well-adjusted child make.
Frogkisser --- what about your child's all-night wailing due to teething and colic? Calls to the elementary school principal's office when your child is bullied by others or is bullying others? Months-long fights with your teenager about whether they should work to earn their own car insurance money, or just depend on moneybags mom-n-pop?
Would you hire a nanny (and a cook, a private tutor, a chauffeur?) to handle the vast majority of the "heavy lifting" of parenting, and just swoop in for the "home movie"/Kodak moments you mention in your post? Or if you had a lot of money all of a sudden, would you raise the child yourself?
Interesting questions...
Further, how much of the same kind of joy in watching a child achieve could you derive from teaching or mentoring, as opposed to parenting? As a teacher and a once-and-future Big Sister, I got to tell you...it's a *very* worthwhile question.
Elise
SCREW OPEC AND RIDE A BIKE!
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Gecko
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Gecko
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[quote=Mike_e]Hi Elise,
One thing I would fund if I were wealthy is comprehensive sex education in public schools. Under both democratic and republican administrations, millions of dollars have been spent on abstinence only sex education programs which are a colossal failure. The US rate of teen pregnancy is far higher than Western Europe.
Mike
[quote=bonsai]
Absolutely, Mike. European sex ed is much more explicit than ours, and they end up with fewer teen pregnancies. Is that not the goal?
I would agree with you, Mike, that it would be great to fund better sex ed. Check out this "Baby Think It Over" site, which has great ideas for helping both male and femal students start thinking about children (they make the most realistic baby and pregnancy simulators going!):
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Shark
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Shark
Joined: Aug 2005
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If I had a Billion dollars... I'd be rich.
But I would NOT have a child. Having money would not alleviate the stress, lack of sleep, pregnancy, childbirth, noise, mess, or the "I want"s that are all associated with having a child. It would also not change the fact that the child would have to grow up being bullied, made fun of etc by other kids.
Like others, I would rather donate money to help existing children have a better life. I don't care to bring a new human being into this world.
Interesting question though...
Last edited by jmb; 01/19/07 03:56 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2006
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Gecko
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Gecko
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Posts: 570 |
If I had a Billion dollars... I'd be rich. Another question: How to the Barenaked Ladies feel about this issue?  Elise
Last edited by bonsai; 01/19/07 03:53 PM.
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Shark
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Another question: How do the Barenaked Ladies feel about this issue? Elise The Barenaked Ladies talk about buying things with their money... they don't talk about having children, so my guess is that money is not an influencing factor in their decision to have/not have kids. :-) Perhaps another question would be: If you DON'T have any money, why would you want to have a child and bring it into a life of poverty?? I know that "misery loves company" but it seems pretty cruel to me to have a child when you can't afford one.
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