Thinking of becoming a parent?

[Mozart]

The world is too populated as it is!

[Kullervo]

The world is too populated as it is!

I'm glad you feel that way. Please don't further your family line, you'd be doing humanity a favor.

[M forever]

As a father-to-be, I found this perturbing. No doubt you lot will find it amusing:

That you are becoming a father I don't find amusing at all. I find it rather perturbing. Those are going o be some uglyass kids 

I'm glad you feel that way. Please don't further your family line, you'd be doing humanity a favor.

OTOH, while dumb people will never stop reproducing in large numbers, the more intelligent people refrain from reproducing "because this harsh, cold world is already overpopulated and we don't want to release more children into it", the dumber the species as a whole will become. Anybody see the movie "Idiocracy"? That really made me think.

[Greta]

Anybody see the movie "Idiocracy"? That really made me think.

Haven't seen it, but heard it's hilarious. 

It's ironic isn't it...the more intelligent sort tend to think seriously about the consequences before procreating, and often do so in lesser numbers (that they know they can handle), or not at all, due to the want to explore varied interests and to not have their lives subsumed by that of their children.

The dumb sort will live in the heat of the moment without a thought to protection and find themselves parents-to-be far too young and with far too little resources, and end up abandoning their education. And continue the same behavior even on welfare, kid after kid. A vicious cycle sets in as the kids are brought up in a, less than optimal environment, and grow up to make the same mistakes. There are many great exceptions of course, and thank goodness, not the pressure now that previous generations had to marry and produce children.

But it does seem a recipe for the "bottom of the triangle", shall we say, growing larger and larger as that movie suggests, resulting eventually in a scary ratio of a million dumb to a couple of smart someday!

I guess the only answer, is for discerning, cultured people like us to procreate...you know, for the better of mankind...   

Good luck Mark on being a Dad....what is your child listening to in the womb? 

[M forever]

The dumb sort will live in the heat of the moment without a thought to protection and find themselves parents-to-be far too young and with far too little resources, and end up abandoning their education. And continue the same behavior even on welfare, kid after kid. A vicious cycle sets in as the kids are brought up in a, less than optimal environment, and grow up to make the same mistakes. There are many great exceptions of course, and thank goodness, not the pressure now that previous generations had to marry and produce children.

I don't think that makes such a difference. In the old days, they simply had to get married when they got pregnant ("you knocked up Mary Beth, you durdee liddle boy, you beddur marry hur quick"), now they just get welfare.
But that's what the movie is basically about, and where it will all lead...very perturbing indeed.

It's ironic isn't it...the more intelligent sort tend to think seriously about the consequences before procreating, and often do so in lesser numbers (that they know they can handle), or not at all, due to the want to explore varied interests and to not have their lives subsumed by that of their children.

And those people *can* *potentially* also offer more to their children and allow them to grow up in a better environment. I am saying *can* because we know there are a lot of parents who are well off and/or intelligent, and they are still very bad parents. But potentially, I think it may be better for children to grow up in an environment which gives them the material and intellectual possibilities to develop rather than just grow up.

I don't really think it's ironic, though. I think there is a reason behind that. Or maybe not. But it appears to me that nature's mechanisms can be seen at work here. In former ages, and still today in many places, infant mortality was/is extremely high, the only way for most people to procreate successfully and carry on their family was to litter as many as possible and then see how many survived. While the priviledged could always take it a little easier since they lived under better conditions with less (but still quite) high mortality rates. There may be an element of "survival of the fittest" at work here. Brutal, but effective.

[Mozart]

I don't think humans can last much longer on earth if things continue as they are. There will be much suffering and violence and I hope it starts the day after I die.

[M forever]

There has always been much suffering and violence. In fact, 99% of our history is basically that. People have also always had apocalyptic ideas, nothing new here either.

[Mark]

Good luck Mark on being a Dad...

Thank you.

... what is your child listening to in the womb? 

Amniotic fluids swishing about, I guess.








Oh, and M: from the photos I've seen of your good self, I doubt either of us (or our offspring*) will be winning any beauty contests.



*No, not children produced by you and I together. That would be weird.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Good luck with your kids Mark! I hope they don't grow up to be rooftop snipers or something. 

My wife and I are going to have to make a decision soon because her biological clock is ticking. I'm agonizing over this because I've never liked children very much; for the most part they bug the hell out of me. But OTOH, I've been told by many men that they felt the same way before they had kids (or kid in most cases), but their feelings changed dramatically toward their own kid. Also, as a selfish bastard, I want to have at least some chance of someone giving a damn about me when I'm old and in need of a little help now and then.

[Sergeant Rock]

Are You Ready for Children?

No. I was oldest the sibling among six. I helped mom raise the other five. I was changing diapers when I was ten. That was enough for me

One reason my first marriage ended was because my wife sensed my ambivalence about having kids. When I met the future Mrs. Rock, she told me on our first date that she never wanted to have children. I remember thinking, She's the one for me!

I like kids and I'm a great uncle (I could provide testimonials) but I really am glad I'm able to give the kids back to their rightful owners at the end of the day

Sarge

[greg]

OTOH, while dumb people will never stop reproducing in large numbers, the more intelligent people refrain from reproducing "because this harsh, cold world is already overpopulated and we don't want to release more children into it", the dumber the species as a whole will become. Anybody see the movie "Idiocracy"? That really made me think.

no wonder everyone is so dumb....

[Bogey]

One reason my first marriage ended was because my wife sensed my ambivalence about having kids. When I met the future Mrs. Rock, she told me on our first date that she never wanted to have children. I remember thinking, She's the one for me!

Sarge

And then there was this Sarge, which I sense had as much, or more, of an impact:

First marriage (which I've mentioned before): insisting my bride march up the aisle to Odette's theme from Swan Lake despite my being a confirmed Wagnerite. I'm sure that tragic music doomed the marraige ;-)

Damn how those very memorable quotes can haunt you.    

[M forever]

Oh, and M: from the photos I've seen of your good self, I doubt either of us (or our offspring*) will be winning any beauty contests.

I have to disagree with you here, Mark. I am actually pretty good looking. Except I have become way too fat in the last years. But that's just bad lifestyle, not genetic. So if I ever have kids, they will probably be quite beautiful. Except I am not planning to have any. I don't think I would be a good father. There are way too many screwed up people on the loose already, I don't need to add any more.

[Maciek]

Mark, congratulations! And thanks for the hilarious post. I'd say it's a pretty good approximation of many of the aspects of parenting...

I will say though, that having kids are my raison d’être.

Well, though I have far less experience so far (parent of one girl, and another kid on the way), I feel I can say the same. I don't really understand anymore (or care to, actually) my life before I became a parent.

We love being a parents Mark.  Are there challenges?  Sure.  But with most things worth while in life there are....

My feelings are the same.

Mark, you have nothing to worry about. The amazing thing is that you'll do all of the things described in your post - and you'll be all the happier for it!

[greg]

I have to disagree with you here, Mark. I am actually pretty good looking. Except I have become way too fat in the last years. But that's just bad lifestyle, not genetic. So if I ever have kids, they will probably be quite beautiful. Except I am not planning to have any. I don't think I would be a good father. There are way too many screwed up people on the loose already, I don't need to add any more.

interesting.... all i can say is, I'm glad you're not my dad! 

[Sergeant Rock]

And then there was this Sarge, which I sense had as much, or more, of an impact:

First marriage (which I've mentioned before): insisting my bride march up the aisle to Odette's theme from Swan Lake despite my being a confirmed Wagnerite. I'm sure that tragic music doomed the marraige ;-)

Damn how those very memorable quotes can haunt you.    

Where did you dig that up? 

Yeah, the marriage didn't get off to the best of starts 

Sarge

[Anne]

Mark, congratulations! And thanks for the hilarious post. I'd say it's a pretty good approximation of many of the aspects of parenting...

Well, though I have far less experience so far (parent of one girl, and another kid on the way), I feel I can say the same. I don't really understand anymore (or care to, actually) my life before I became a parent.

My feelings are the same.

Mark, you have nothing to worry about. The amazing thing is that you'll do all of the things described in your post - and you'll be all the happier for it!

How old is your little girl?  She looks cute in the pictures.  Just a nosey grandmother asking.  I have 6 grandchildren, the youngest of whom is 13 months and he's just learning to walk.

[Maciek]

How old is your little girl?  She looks cute in the pictures.

Thank you very much, Anne.

She is... let me count ... She will be 17 months old on Thursday.

[Solitary Wanderer]

No. I was oldest the sibling among six. I helped mom raise the other five. I was changing diapers when I was ten. That was enough for me

One reason my first marriage ended was because my wife sensed my ambivalence about having kids. When I met the future Mrs. Rock, she told me on our first date that she never wanted to have children. I remember thinking, She's the one for me!

I like kids and I'm a great uncle (I could provide testimonials) but I really am glad I'm able to give the kids back to their rightful owners at the end of the day

Sarge

Yes, I too enjoy being an Uncle.

[bwv 1080]

I have got three, age 2,6 & 7 with the middle one autistic.  My house is total chaos (as you add kids, the disorder grows exponentially, not linearly).   But the stress and expense are well worth it.  Just be sure your CD collection is out of reach once the kid becomes a toddler.