AIBU to be irritated by Prince Harry's attitude to third and subsequent children?

[Irishgurl]

So my youngest DC is 12. Incredibly aware of environmental issues and is beginning to think of a career in Marine Biology. Already follows environmental blogs, has joined school focus groups for this and keeps our family in check on our environmental responsibility. And is very sad to have read Prince Harry's comments on third children being something that is damaging to the planet. I do find it rather frustrating that I have had to discuss this with a child. The planet is being damaged and no one can deny it. But it is really naive to point the finger of blame on third and subsequent children in a family. It doesn't matter to me how many children you have as long as you bring them up to add something to society rather than take away ( and this includes the environment). The more children the better , as long as they are contributing and making the world a better place? I think he should apologize to all third children ( and 4th and 5th). And that includes his Mother, Prince Louis, my lovely 12 year old and many more fantastic human beings who really don't deserve to be told that they are bad for the planet!

How do you expect him to apologise to his mother when she is dead?

FFS yet another Meghan and Harry bashing thread !

While I think he's daft, he's not wrong. I'm surprised your 12 yo doesn't realize already overpopulation is a serious problem for the environment.

It's good children learn about this before they start reproducing. High profile people talking about it and raising awareness is a good thing. Your idea that 'the more the better' is wrong and selfish.

Obviously if you have more than two children it's not the children themselves who are at fault it's you and their father. I'm guessing you actually have a problem with what's being said because it highlights your selfishness which you'd rather deny.

Can’t imagine father of 3 Prince William was too impressed !

I don’t see the issue. He agreed with someone making a fair point. I have three children but I acknowledge that it was a selfish choice.

In rural Ireland, it’s still not uncommon to have 5 or more children in some families. In fact, until the most recent generations, families of 10+ children were pretty common.

I suspect that the OP is uncomfortable that something that is still considered fairly normal in Ireland isn’t considered socially acceptable in the U.K.

No point blaming Prince Harry though.

He also uses helicopters and private jets to go around. Not exactly earth friendly.

He has no idea what he is talking about. He is a new father, clueless

For a moment I read that as meaning he was a new version of his own father … though that too would probably be true

First of all, The more children the better

What?. Just what? Better for whom?

Over-population is a significant and evidenced contributor to environmental damage - please look up the ample evidence on this. Numerous other things too. All evidenced. So - individuals recognise these global evidenced trends and make personal choices to accommodate some of these things. On the face of it - 1 person not using plastic bags is technically not going to prevent plastic accumulating inside a sea animals gut. But it’s still a perfectly valid and respectable individual choice to make recognising a global problem and unless everyone does something nothing ever changes.

Quite similarly Harry seems to have made an individual decision responding to evidenced, global, proven trends.

WTF is wrong with that?

I can’t listen to anything this pair of entitled, sanctimonious, privileged virtue signalers have to say.

Stop flying private jets. They chucked more CO2 into the atmosphere last weekend than I will all year.

Talking about saving the environment, Harry said: "I view it very differently now, without question. But I've always wanted to try and ensure that, even before having a child and hoping to have children..." Jane then interjected: "Not too many!" to which Harry replied: "Two, maximum!"

It doesn't have to be read the way it's being portrayed. He was saying that the future of the planet mattered to him even before having children, but now that he has and it's their future too he cares perhaps even more. Which I admit, doesn't sit well with his much reported private jets.

The 'two maximum' might have been totally separate, and it may have been his response to the interviewer simply saying that that's the number of children he wants, just as most people choose the size of their families. The tone of voice matters here, and you can't tell from the printed word.

Oh but it’s all ok because Elton John “made a donation”.

My youngest is 13. I would have loved another one but environmental consideration was 1 of the factors in deciding to stick with 2.

It doesn’t matter how environmentally conscious a person is we all add to climate change. Population needs to stop growing and preferably decrease. As no-one is suggesting killing existing humans the only option is to reduce the birth rate.

It is certainly not an attack in any way on 3rd (or more) children, but a comment to future parents.

I’ve just thought - and awful lot of new parents spout an awful lot of guff. But then I don’t suspect sleep deprivation is a factor with a royal.

I don't think the 3rd is this dramatic waste on the planet that everyone is trying to make. The 3rd child can use clothes from the older siblings, the 3rd child could share a room or take no more space in a house, in the future people might not be using petrol fueled vehicles anyways, and the 3rd child can share in a family meal that would have been made and sourced regardless. So many people waste food unnecessarily, and they could easily be 1st or 2nd born. It's not really right to create a situation to blame families for their existence. I don't like anyone given negativity because of the circumstances they live or grow up in. All lives are valuable and focus needs to be directed at companies who do the real damage, imo. I think all this harping about personal responsibility means nothing and is a big distraction from the corporations that are screwing us. They create the products. They wrap them all in plastic. They frack and drill for oil. They have a vested interest in keeping us all in cars. Stop focusing on Susan having 3 kids, and start aiming the discontent at the billionaire class that pollutes and laughs all the way to the bank.

Point of order

Diana was a 3rd child

No she wasn't, she was the 4th, her older brother, John, died 10 hours after birth.

He is right. It is an imperical fact that overpopulation is the single biggest issue impacting the environment. Your 12 year old probably knows that already. Apologise to all third children, how bloody ridiculous.

Have as many children as you wish and can afford to raise.

Back in the early 80's in UK we were being lectured about overpopulation. We took it on board and only had two children (replacement level). Now we told we don't have enough younger people in UK to fund taxes etc!

In the end, im sure Harry and Meghan will do exactly as they please...just like all the RF...it would just be nice if they didn't lecture the rest of us. And we didn't have to fund them.

What’s the stat..?
You could fly from London to New York every day for 7 years, and it still wouldn’t have as big an environmental impact as having a child..?

So yes, OP, he is right to highlight what an environmental disaster is created by having children. Especially third and subsequent children who are leading to overpopulation as well as general environmental destruction. No amount of reading environmental blogs is going to undo that.

But it’s on you as the person who decides to have him, rather than your DS to feel bad for being born.

Every single human being is bad for the environment. It's not only the third, fourth, etc. child, it's every child that's being put into this world.

Oh but it’s all ok because Elton John “made a donation”.

I'm going to kick some puppies & maybe blowtorch a hamster today.
But one of my mates will donate to the RSPCA tomorrow, so no harm done!

Unfortunately it is correct that having more children used more resources, that's just fact. Whether it's acceptable to have more than "replacement" children is a separate issue - personally I thought 2 were enough for me but I wouldn't question anyone else's choice unless they are expecting the state to fund their lifestyle. Remember his children will use far more resources than any of ours! Sometimes people read more into comments than are said.

He's right though.
Sorry OP, but every extra person adds further strain to the planet. You can be as environmentally friendly as you want, it's still a fact. And it isn't rocket science which I'm sure your 12 year old understands.
Your utter outrage is a bit odd.

I can't see him apologising to all the third children in the world anytime soon

Whatever he did or did not say, more than two children full is a drain on the environment. ‘The more children the better’ is bullshit.