What's the deal with babies?

[Mish]

That's a catch-22 if ever I saw one.

I wonder what would happen if responsible, intelligent and caring adults used the "Mormon model" of child production without the Religious component

[Lite]

Well there's a difference. Societal expectations place a high level of importance regarding siring children as proof of adulthood. Some people are meant to be parents, some people aren't.

If you don't want kids, then do the world a favor and don't inflict them upon us. As far as I'm concerned children are an STD.

[Lite]

I wonder what would happen if responsible, intelligent and caring adults used the "Mormon model" of child production without the Religious component

Responsible, intelligent, and caring adults aren't Mormons. Said people know that it is better to live respectfully within one's environment than to act like a virus attacking anything and everything to adapt it to one's own needs.

There's a reason why Mormons are prepared for the "End Times". Because they know deep down that the world as they know it will end, and that it isn't because they drive a 3mpg SUV. It's because it was God's Will.

[Lite]

Anyone that knows what I chose to do for a living also knows I want kids of my own as soon as possible and lots of them. I'm a kindergarden teacher..

Every kindergarden teacher resents being a teacher of children that age once their children get there. Simply because by the time they get home, they no longer want to deal with kids "that age" any longer, yet they have one or more waiting for them when they get home.

Good luck with that, and congratulations on a noble calling.

[Lite]

That's true. Also the older you get the more difficult it becomes to become pregnant. One of my co-workers was trying to get pregnant by her husband since her late twenties, she only got pregnant ten years later. There are also issues of health, the older women get the more negative health consequences there are to consider. More likelihood of damage to the baby or the mother.

Pretty much past the age of 35 the chances of a woman becoming (naturally) pregnant drop drastically. The chances of birth defects also increases dramatically at this time. Add in other factors such as obesity (Can also pose pregnancy issues) and family heredity...

Pretty much you need to be ready to start having kids around 25-27 if you really want them. Or pay lots of money and hope they're not psychotic. Or, adopt from 3rd world countries like Madonna and Brangelina.

[vashti]

The vast majority of women in their 30s have healthy babies, and the liklihood of ending up with an ass for the father is much greater inthe 20s than if a woman waits until their 30s. When weighing the risks, I'd say it's better to wait until mom is 30-35 years.

[IndiReloaded]

Every kindergarden teacher resents being a teacher of children that age once their children get there.

Ha! This is true of the two K-teachers I know. They both say "kids? I have 25 all day, why would I want more"?

[misombra]

babies are little demons.

[IndiReloaded]

You know you want some, Miso. You'd be perfect for handling little demons.

[Mish]

The vast majority of women in their 30s have healthy babies, and the liklihood of ending up with an ass for the father is much greater inthe 20s than if a woman waits until their 30s. When weighing the risks, I'd say it's better to wait until mom is 30-35 years.

I think 30-35 is a good age range, it gets more complicated later on.

I found some of the downsides related to pregnancies for older women in this article

[url]http://www.ninemonths.com.au/planning-a-pregnancy/older-women-giving-birth.html[/url]

[Aeradalia]

Hmm... I guess I'm at the proper age... biologically speaking... for having children and he's at the proper age... speaking in a manner of mental maturity... for having children... wonder if all that is what triggered this onslaught of instinct recently? Who knows... but at this rate, it looks like I'll be in my 30's before I'll feel 'stable enough' to realistically handle the responsibility of children.

Though I have to admit... I do get tired of hearing people ask when I'll have kids... sometimes have to fight back the urge to snap back with "None of your damn business..," but I usually just smile and say "Oh.. I don't know just yet.."

[Aeradalia]

Societal expectations place a high level of importance regarding siring children as proof of adulthood.

Ugh.. I had that spout at me as well... Usually from mothers who treat their children like super fragile 'little people' with oh so delicate little egos that scream in restaurants while she has the look of 'it's not my fault.. honest' on her face.

Having children is not a measure of maturity or a sign of adulthood. If you were immature before having children... chances are you will still be immature after having children. So there is something more than just dropping a kid into your life that makes you 'grow up' and I think it's something far more complicated.

Also.. not having children is not necessarily a sign of immaturity either... Some people are mature enough to realize that having children at that given time is unrealistic and would pose far too many problems. This is an approach that I wish more people would take... Not that I'm complaining.. but it would've been nice to grow up in a more stable household (and actually have new toys... once).

[1averagejoe]

As far as I'm concerned children are an STD.

Watch 0:57-1:12
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9_4szyx8IU"]YouTube - House M.D. - The clinic could be more interesting[/ame]

[vashti]

I love House.

[Lite]

Having children is not a measure of maturity or a sign of adulthood.

I like the Breakfast Club analogy.

"How come you need a license to buy a dog, drive a car, even to catch fish but they'll let any idiot be a parent?"

Some people just have bad enough lives growing up that they know they're screwed up, and are not willing to inflict that upon their children. Even passively as a by-product of trying not to do it.