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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If each country had a two child policy

528 replies

Blackcat21 · 07/04/2021 16:38

Just an idea and my opinion, and fully aware I will probably get flamed for this.

The population is rising, not shrinking, and with that is coming ridiculous house prices, global warming, running low on natural resources and foods.

Health services are stretched and school classes are increasingly full.

Wouldn’t an solution to this be only letting per couple or mother/father have two biological children each.

I must admit, it does annoy me when some women go on to have 3rd, 4th child etc just because “they want to” or want a large family, love being with children or love being a mother.

Motherhood is a beautiful thing but it could be restricted to two biological children only.

Overpopulation is impacting the earth too much.

If this couple wanted more children they can adopt.
There are thousands of children in the U.K. and other countries each year wanting to be adopted.

Doing this could possibly tackle overpopulation but increase the adoption of children.

Obviously I’m aware there is problems of how to monitor this, what if a woman gets pregnant against her will, accidental pregnancies etc but not that is the not the point or idea I’m trying to get across right now.

AIBU to think this could be a good approach?

OP posts:
VladmirsPoutine · 07/04/2021 16:42

Over population is a myth - a nefarious one at that. Unequal distribution of resources among a host of other factors should be redressed first before we start regulating wombs.

Chickychoccyegg · 07/04/2021 16:44

Well I've got 3 dc just because I wanted to, Its not a rule I agree with.

ghostyslovesheets · 07/04/2021 16:45

worked so well in China didn't it?

YABU and totally daft

ghostyslovesheets · 07/04/2021 16:46

what about people who's second child turns out to be twins or more - abortion? Sanctions?

Rape, contraception failure - things happen - how will you punish people?

sillysmiles · 07/04/2021 16:46

Initial thoughts

  1. Why is it ok to dictate what women do with their bodies?

  2. Global populations may be rising but my understanding is that in western societies, population is falling, meaning that in the future there will not be enough people to pay for the pensions of the current generation.

  3. What happens if your second pregnancy is twins - do you pick the one you want?

  4. What happens if your sister/friend is infertile - can you buy their child tokens?

  5. Ultimately, is this a carrot or stick exercise? Are you rewarding those that comply with your world view? Or punishing those that don't? How do you decide the punishments - as the last nation that employed a child policy didn't have great human rights outcomes for that policy.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 07/04/2021 16:47

What happens with multiple pregnancies?

ghostyslovesheets · 07/04/2021 16:47

also children waiting for adoption aren't some kind of booby prize - they often have complex needs and difficult backgrounds they aren;t waiting in the wings to be farmed out as a prize

Chickenlickeninthepot · 07/04/2021 16:47

Motherhood is a beautiful thing but it could be restricted to two biological children only.

What about fatherhood? Or is it just women you want to target?

CloudFormations · 07/04/2021 16:48

How would you enforce it? What would be the punishment for having more than two, and how would you ensure that punishment didn’t negatively impact on the existing children or the new baby?

How would you protect third children from their parents hiding the pregnancy for fear of repercussions?

How would you prevent parents from aborting second babies which weren’t the preferred sex?

The U.K. population growth rate is slowing of its own accord. Why do you think it needs slowed further?

Citizens of western countries use vastly more resources than citizens of less developed nations where the average family size is much larger. How would your policy help with this issue?

Basically I think it’s a reactionary and poorly thought out proposal with no factual justification and serious potential to cause harm to children.

HideousKinky · 07/04/2021 16:48

If the size of a population contracts too quickly this creates other problems

thebillyotea · 07/04/2021 16:49

seriously? Hmm

Wouldn’t an solution to this be only letting per couple or mother/father have two biological children each.
But I am really curious, how exactly would you "let" a couple only have 2 children?

Tal45 · 07/04/2021 16:49

I totally agree, over population is at the root of all the earths issues. The biggest problem though and the reason governments don't like the idea is that less children leads to an ageing population - and someone has to pay for the pensions, health and social care that they require.

Frogartist · 07/04/2021 16:49

Apparently, don't know where I read this, the world population will start to decrease in about 50 years if people keep having children at the current rate.

ASandwichNamedKevin · 07/04/2021 16:49

There are many many flaws in your thinking but the one I'll point out is the commodifying of all those children waiting to be adopted. They need the right parents, not just people who want more children but people who can parent them appropriately, which not everyone could do.

vodkaredbullgirl · 07/04/2021 16:50
Biscuit
WoolieLiberal · 07/04/2021 16:50

Definitely not.

The Chinese experience of forced abortions and abandoned or murdered children has no place in free societies.

SimonJT · 07/04/2021 16:50

*If this couple wanted more children they can adopt.
There are thousands of children in the U.K. and other countries each year wanting to be adopted.

Doing this could possibly tackle overpopulation but increase the adoption of children.*

What direct experience of adoption do you have?

MildredPuppy · 07/04/2021 16:50

Are you feeling confident your children wont die from maleria then?

thebillyotea · 07/04/2021 16:51

There are quite a few novels trying to explore the idea... and who wouldn't like to live in a dystopian society defined by totalitarianism?

fallfallfall · 07/04/2021 16:51

population is becoming denser in some regions of the world, some area's are experiencing problematic depopuation. several countries are trying to incentivize having children.

HideousKinky · 07/04/2021 16:52

The terrible consequences of China's one-child policy have been many and various. You should do some reading on this

thebillyotea · 07/04/2021 16:52

OP, for the anecdote, I have 4 children Grin

I would have had more, but couldn't afford them unfortunately, so we stopped at 4. Even if I hadn't been able to have 1, I would never had adopted. Adoption is not for everyone, and not every adult is a suitable adoptive parent.

LookAtAllThoseSocksSaidTheSock · 07/04/2021 16:53

This won't go well but you have a point there. Impossible to implement though with all the "I have a special right to have 100 children if I want" people. You'll have to go through them first.

Peanut91 · 07/04/2021 16:53

Where does the line get drawn? Should we not allow IVF as that would be nature's way of natural population control?

China showed that it doesn't work. There are other ways we can not be destroying the planet before we start trying to control how many kids people have

AnotherEmma · 07/04/2021 16:54

I actually agree with you that people (women and men) should have no more than 2 biological children but I don't think it should be law. I think PPs are right, morally and practically you can't legislate and enforce such a rule.

Of course, the government has tried to discourage people on benefits from having more than 2 children, but apparently it's fine to have more than 2 if you're better off Hmm So I don't support that policy either.