To think having more DC in todays climate is irresponsible?

[CPHB2021]

Friend and I chatting today about having children and adding to your family. Do you think that given the economic climate at present and a very unknown few years it's irresponsible to have a child/more children?
I am on the fence with this one as think, when is a good time, really? But she is very strongly on the NO ONE should be entering into parenthood or expanding their family unless literally millionaires. What do you think?

What is the point in downplaying these things?
is anyone doing that?

I think no one, even millionaires, should have more than 2 children. The world is overpopulated and keep adding, adding, adding, adding to the problem is ridiculous.

Most of the west isn't overpopulated because people are having more & more dc though.
The U.K. birthrate is below 2, so what do you think the ratio be.

we will be in a pickle in our old age if there’s no workers in the country.

That's a tad unfair. If you really want complete and utter bollocks, with big brass knobs on, then you need to read The Guardian.

I'd he telling her to mind her own bloody business.

I can't stand people with these kind of strong and might I add stupid opinions. She's obviously not thought logistically about it and very convenient that she already has two children. I wonde

Posted too soon

*I wonder had she been childless, about to start a round of IVF for her first longed for baby would she have the same opinion? Highly doubtful.

I don't like your mate

I don’t think she has given it much thought - 2 is below replacement rate.

It’s hard to see we have a bigger problem facing us now - and the demographic changes are largely unavoidable, at least in the short term - than the catastrophic effects of the population decrease about to hit us (from the tax base shrinking dramatically that funds everything, pensions, social welfare etc to the lack of facilities and Drs, nurses carers etc to support the top heavy, rapidly population etc ).

Who will fund her pension if there aren’t enough children being born to into to taxpayers in our pyramid shaped funding model?

5Zeds, I should have formatted differently to make it clear only the first two lines were in response to your post.

The rest was a general comment about the thread and the way this conversation always seems to go -I really do think people, including PPs on this thread, often downplay the dire circumstances we find ourselves in, often in one of the following ways:
-it is written off as fear-mongering
-efforts are made to find a hypocrisy angle in order to discredit the person raising the issue ("Easy for you to say, you've already got 2 kids!" or "But you wrote... / have... /previously posted...")
-suggesting that the challenges we face today are no worse than challenges faced by humanity previously.

@CPHB2021

having more than two. Yes definitely

I must admit to raising an eyebrow a bit more at those having multiple children right now.

I saw a woman at a kids activity last week with a 4 year old, a 3 year old and she was heavily pregnant and I did think 'in this economy?' 😂

@CPHB2021 as the third child :( ouch :( but also, your friend has no leg to stand on as she has 2 kids so her opinion in your op is laughable lol

@CPHB2021 as the third child, ouch :( but also your friend has no leg to stand on with her opinion in your op as she has two of her own kids lol

Oops posted twice as the first one said it failed haha

Well we won’t be here forever. We will become extinct at some point because most of the planet will be uninhabitable…. Not in our lifetimes and perhaps (hopefully) not our children. But it will happen, as it has to other species.

Only rich people and poor people have lots of kids. The middle are too squeezed 🤷‍♀️

As someone pregnant with an unexpected DC3 (yes I was on contraception before anyone jumps) maybe I should rush off for an abortion then since it’s no longer socially acceptable to the richer among us 🙄

I think it's for each of us to decide, really. Everyone thinking of having children (me included) should consider the facts and what we currently know about what the future may look like. That would be true for any time period really, but especially now with climate change etc.

Personally, I remain optimistic overall and I believe that a child born today can have a good life. I also believe I can raise a child well, who will be able to make a contribution to society.

We are declining as a population so having more children is actually not a bad thing in the UK, as long as people can afford them and raise them well.

I personally stopped at 1 as i don't like being skint and stressed but each to their own. It's rubbish that only the rich should breed.

🥱

I saw a woman at a kids activity last week with a 4 year old, a 3 year old and she was heavily pregnant and I did think 'in this economy?' this would just never cross my mind. Surely you choose the number of children you can support and desire.

🥱

These threads generally attract the self righteous self congratulating "I didn't have children/stopped at one for the good of the climate"

But these people also tend to be the one driving big cars and going on lots of long haul holidays

Have as many children as you want and can afford

If none your own business and get on with your own life!

But then I hate judgemental people!