• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Children - Are They Worth It?

Children - Are They Worth It?

  • Yes

    Votes: 41 75.9%

  • No

    Votes: 9 16.7%

  • Other

    Votes: 4 7.4%
  • Total voters
    54
if you really have to ask you prolly shouldn't have any
 
nota bene said:
I agree with you that planning for your own independence and taking care of yourself is essential. But two points:

(1) Very often, taking care of your aged parent does mean assisted-living because you want the best of care. Someone I know well fell in her driveway, and because she lived alone, she wasn't found until the next morning. Never mind that she was super-active in the community and living a wonderful independent life. She'd just gone out to check her cattle, and she slipped on something. Could've happened to me or you just the same, but this was the only (very wealthy and prominent) daughter's excuse to toss mom in a place so that she wouldn't be inconvenienced. I guess it never occurred to her to find a more creative solution. Anyway, there is your stereotype, but it's not usually the case that an elder is dumped.

More often it's because the loved one will be safer. When someone is experiencing dementia and wandering in the middle of the night and you can't pick them up off the floor or cannot watch them literally 24/7, help is necessary.

(2)Not all assisted-living facilities and nursing homes are dumps.
Click to expand...

Agreed, on all points. Another reason the "my kids will take care of me" fallacy is misguided at best, and just plain dumb at worst. Fact is, many of us are going to die of things that only medical professionals are capable of handling. I wouldn't WANT some layperson with no training trying to handle me if I had some sort of complex or behavior-compromising illness. That sounds like a recipe for disaster and me not getting the quality of care I need.

But even at lower levels of care, I've totally seen some assisted living senior communities I'd love to live in, honestly. Sassiest people alive with no ****s left to give about anything. I'm looking forward to it. :lol:

The "winding up in a dump" scenario is much more likely if you don't plan to take care of yourself, and then it turns out your kids aren't your slaves and they won't/can't do it either. Thus, not enough money to go somewhere decent.
 
Last edited:
Bodhisattva said:
What are your thoughts?

Children - Are They Worth It?

The time. The money. The Effort. The caring. The mess. The poopy diapers.
Click to expand...

They weren't for me but I had an unusual set of life circumstances. But thank god, they are for most others or our species would disappear.
 
americanwoman said:
Good patience, how true! Yesterday my patience was extremely tested and I am glad I didn't see this poll or else my answer might have been no. Today, I am in a much better place. I love my daughter more than anything but oh lord does she know how to test my patience. It's definitely not easy dealing with a little person just like you but hopefully I learn from my mistakes and deal with things better.
Click to expand...
Patience. Exactly. There's probably no virtue more important in raising kids!

While hopefully not scaring-off the earlier poster from having kids, I feel I must add the one unique negative aspect of having children:

"They are the only relationship you cannot walk away from"

In your other relationships, even that of a spouse or a parent, you can lay down the terms of the relationship, and even terminate the relationship if need be. If your spouse is continuously cheating on you, or abusing substances & becoming violent, you can draw a line which if crossed means you'll leave.

But you can't leave a minor child. If they cross your lines, you can't walk-out the door like on other adult relationships. That to me is the one Achilles' Heel, that's unique to children. You can't leave them, no matter what they do.
 
Helix said:
My dad and my wife's dad have set the bar so high that the prospect is a bit intimidating. I hope that helps us out assuming that we become parents, but part of it also feels like taking the stage right after JimI Hendrix steps off of it.
Click to expand...
A high bar is a good thing, and access to experienced & wizened elder resources is worth it's weight in gold.

Thing is, no matter how much unreasonable anxiety & fears we have when facing life's events, we always rise to the occasion, and then find out our fear & anxiety was largely unwarranted.

Much easier being the parent than the kid, buddy. You tell him what to do, and they've got to listen. I'll take that side of the relationship all day long! :thumbs:
 
Lursa said:
It is SO annoying when people presume and tell you you'll regret it someday.

One thing they often say is..."but who will take care of you when you're old?"

Back when we were considering having kids, I asked my mother that. And she's a nurse and was doing a stretch at a nursing home.

She said, "No, because there's no guarantee they will."

And we both agreed that that's a pretty selfish reason to have kids.
Click to expand...

You just have to make it know all their lives that according to tradition the youngest female child must care for the elder parents.

If they don't question it, you might have a chance.
 
OlNate said:
Hoping you can be a good dad is the sign of a good dad, homie. We all **** our kids up in one way or another, just like our parents did to us, it's inevitable, and we need to be honest about it. But a good parent tries their hardest anyway, and is honest about the short comings. Looks like you've got the right stuff. :)



Oh, and for the poll, I voted yes. It's most certainly worth it.
Click to expand...

That is our right.
 
longview said:
If you do it right, there is a big windfall at the end.
Once you pay the last collage bill, you realize, you have money to do things.
If you really did it right, the mortgage ends about the same time as the last kid finishes college,:lol:.
Click to expand...

Why would you have kids while you are in college?

That seems like too much too fast?
 
ChezC3 said:
I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier -- Let the children's laughter, remind us how we used to be...
Click to expand...

That is pie in the sky bull****. :2razz:
 
Mason66 said:
Why would you have kids while you are in college?

That seems like too much too fast?
Click to expand...
Not my collage bill, theirs. I paid for college for both my kids, so they could start life debt free.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom