If each country had a two child policy

[Blackcat21]

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?

Tough one. Maybe it should be encouraged more but not enforced. Personally I think smaller families are better but that’s because it suits ME. Other people have bigger ones because it suits THEM. Both are fine but everyone should be made aware of the possible impact of having a larger population which may not be able to take the strain of not having enough working age people to support the older people who are living longer.

There are already incentives to stick to 2 children. Now you don't get child tax credit, or uc for more than 2 children.

In the UK there maybe relatively few families having 3 ,4 or more children but a sizeable minority of women have no children the average is 1.6 it has been 2 or less since 1970 and the last time the average was above 3 was 1910 over a hundred years ago,
my mother in her 70's is an only child her mother was one of two, my parents have 3 grandchildren, I have one child my sister 2 my other sister none
going back to my great grandparents family in 1880's-90;s there were 11 children 10 reached adulthood ( the one that didn't died in a freak accident) but since then large families are really not the norm all of those 10 children only had between 2-4 children
Last year the planet produced enough food for 11 billion the fact that some out of the 7 billion actually living in the world went hungry is due to greed, waste, corruption and ergonomics, apparently some people throw away almost a third of the food they buy ( actual food not potato peelings and chicken bones and used teabags)

5zeds, as i said i think! wasnt sure i just remember it as a child.

@ghostyslovesheets

worked so well in China didn't it?

YABU and totally daft

Indeed it didn't work out in China. It was a total and complete and utter shambles. A step back for women, an actual horror show in fact. So I'm going to have to say... YABU on this one.

Birth rates across the world are already dropping rapidly. It's just the population isn't yet falling as the death rate is also dropping.
In a few years the population will crash.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/health-53409521

The problem isn’t the birthrate but our ageing population. Funny how you never see older people lamenting their massively extended lifespans and the accompanying burden on healthcare systems.

Believe it or not there are barriers to adoption in the UK totally unrelated to any shortage of willing adoptive parents.

Most children up for adoption in the UK have complex backgrounds and very specific needs, such that there are few suitable adopters able to meet those needs. Availability of abortion means there are far fewer unplanned/unwanted pregnancies and so almost no babies are willingly giving up for adoption, and social services do try to keep children with parents wherever it is safe to do so. As a result the children in the system are mostly those removed from dire circumstances, who may have experienced extensive trauma.

The standards set for adoptive parents in the UK is high - the assessment process is grueling and huge numbers of people keen to adopt do not make it through.

I’m pretty depressed to see 34% think this is a good idea.

Plenty of ways to deal with issues without turning into communist China.

@Barney60 google is available.

The world's birth rate is below replacement rate. Provide girls with education and contraception, and low birth rates happen without coercion.

As the eldest of five yes I agree, I dont think those who have more already should be penalised but going forward would be much easier especially for environmental resources. I will be reevaluation having children at a later point in my career now Im in my 20's and will only have a max of 2.

If environmental factors could be removed would it still be a good idea? I think often it’s a moral judgement rather than an environmental one.

I don't see a point to this as most western countries have a falling birth rate and falling natural population. And even worldwide the rate looks like it will soon stabilise and then maybe even begin to fall.

There are real downsides to trying to control how many kids a family has so it doesn't seem worthwhile when it will happen anyway. In any case, I think growing up in larger families has a lot of plusses for kids so why not let some have more if others prefer none.

I agree with this. People should take this approach without even having to become law or being enforced. I know of many that already do and they have my respect.

Birth rate is not the problem. The benefit system tends to punish the children more than the parents. Now a poster suggested children who were born through no fault of their own should lose out on education too?

I think any idea of a new rule/law should look at how you could enforce it.

After 2 children are we sterilising women? Men?

What if a child dies, are they allowed another? What if woman/man remarries - one has children one not. Are they allowed to have more? Who decides these special cases?

Very controlling society that "someone" can decide what you do with your body. And what is the penalty if you don't?

All very well to think of idealistic scenarios, with a good goal in mind. But if the reality is we would be forceably sterilising women (and men), controlling fertility, allowing people to reproduce, we are heading towards a handmaid's tale..

NRFT but if we just enforced child maintenance payments the birth rate would plummet.

but going forward would be much easier especially for environmental resources. I will be reevaluation having children at a later point in my career now Im in my 20's and will only have a max of 2.

If concerned about the environment why not just have 1 or 0?

NRFT but if we just enforced child maintenance payments the birth rate would plummet.

The UK birth rate has plummeted, how high do you think it is?

Modern Western society is already set up to encourage two children or fewer per family. Raising children is expensive. People are used to a higher standard of living than in past generations. Contraception is readily available. Given the falling population in the Western world, it looks as though we've found the formula for reducing population over the long term.

I find it strange that the OP claimed they would be flamed but seem unable to come up with any policies they would like to see in place to enforce a 2-child policy.

As for the PP who said that maternity services should be withdrawn after the second child, please could I just check what this means in practice? No antenatal care for pregnant women? No checking to make sure the baby is okay? Women forbidden to give birth in a hospital or to be attended by a midwife (would this be illegal?) Presumably a much higher rate of infant mortality and maternal death? Would infants be entitled to vaccinations?

Personally, I think this sounds misogynistic and barbaric (would the child's father also be denied health are?) but perhaps someone can defend such a policy?

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

There are already incentives to stick to 2 children. Now you don't get child tax credit, or uc for more than 2 children.

Doesn't look like it's working out that well as an incentive 🤔

The UK birth rate is actually falling. It's a problem - people in the UK need to be having more children if anything. Google it and you will find plenty of info.

No I don't think this is a good idea. Mainly for the reasons pp have already posted.
I'm thinking if having my 3rd 😁

If we are reproducing under 2 children per couple surely over time we will just die out? Surely extinction isn’t the answer? Who would you be saving the world for?