Kids- Why do people have them?

[Slither]

People have kids for the sole selfish purpose of trying to glorify and immortalize themselves, and some even have the audacity of naming the kid after themselves, thinking it will be a carbon copy of them...shame man, how VAIN can you get. a Child may be created by the act of copulation, but YOU did not create him, it was a miracle of nature, and YOU do not own him, he is a whole new person, with his own ideas, and his own personality. Yet this is the sole reason why most people decide to have kids. Your opinion?

[Yuri]

I think your views are slightly extreme:). Its natural for people to want to have kids, call that what you want. I know couples that were dead set against having kids, yet once married it just seemed the next step to take. I also think it has a lot to do with a woman's natural desire to have a child, not all woman of course, but most.

Do I personally want kids? I'm not really sure. I've seen people have to basically give up their lives for their children, and I think that burden falls heaviest on the mother. So yeah when I'm married I can reevaluate what I want.

[Garson007]

We will have Onona in this thread in 3... 2... 1... GO!

[bullet]

sole selfish purpose

Well my kids and a lot of my freinds and families kids have been unexpected, (even call them mistakes if you wish) and there's nothing better than watching them grow and develope their own character, personality and ideas about life.

That is not MY opinion but a fact.

A large portion of our population have kids for an entirely different reason - to look after them in their old age, and the more they have the better they are looked after.

As Yuri said, most woman just naturally want kids.

The last thing I want for my kids is to be a "carbon copy of me" , I want them to do MORE!!!! hehehehe

[Kharrak]

Moved to Off Topic.

People want to have children, due to the natural drive to procreate - an element prevalent within females, but present in males as well. Some cultures and traditions build upon this, and make it more formalized, but it's all built on the biological foundations, and these tend to ensure the success of the biological trait.

In many ways, having a child, and successfully rearing a child, is the most life affirming thing possible. You've been biologically successful, and even more so if you can bring up your child(ren) up in a healthy environment where they can then go on to be healthy, successful, and have children of their own in an equally safe and productive environment.

The natural urge to pass on what the parent knows, or the rituals and mannerisms of the parents on to the children is natural. You're essentially passing on your traits that, ultimately, allowed you to survive in the word and bear children, so that your children can do the same. One wants to push their teachings on their children, because you, with those teachings, were able to "make it through" life.

A large degree of the care IS due to that sense of creation - more so for the female, due to the gestation, but a lot for the male as well, since part of him is a part of the child. That sense of creation, that sense of creating a new "you", combined with the biological drive to protect and care for it, naturally means there is a tremendous amount of protectiveness that goes on. The core aspect is that it's the most valuable object that anyone could harbour - unless the person's psyche is honed in such a way that self-preservation takes a priority over genetic and species preservation.

I also feel it's somewhat flippant to accuse the desire to have children as a selfish cause - mostly because absolutely everything anyone does is driven by selfish desire - or, put another way, all done for primarily ones own gain. The negative connotation is very misleading, and should be separated - it's just a natural drive for self-preservation and empowerment, and often results in acts that benefits others. Selfishness is what drives all living things, it's what keeps things surviving.

[KaosLord]

Reproduction mebbe?

[Squirly]

Because oops? Hey it happens more than you think.

But I have to agree with most of what's been posted in response already. It's in our nature because a long time ago we needed to reproduce in order for the species to survive. It's something built into every living being. We're well past this point at the moment and in fact, are heading in the other direction if we keep multiplying, but that's another discussion I think.

[Obi Two Kenobi]

To keep the generation/surname from dying out.

[Kharrak]

We're well past this point at the moment and in fact, are heading in the other direction if we keep multiplying, but that's another discussion I think.

Not really - that's only the situation in some places. Egypt, for example, has an exploding population, and the country can't support it (thus the current events). Other places, childbirth is plunging - particularly places within the orient, where government are desperately trying encourage people to breed.

[dark15]

That is the case with some parents... But most parents want kids because they love children... Its natural

[Squirly]

Other places, childbirth is plunging - particularly places within the orient, where government are desperately trying encourage people to breed.

Yes, but in the nation's interest, not the planet's.

[Kharrak]

Yes, but in the nation's interest, not the planet's.

When has it even been in the planet's interest? ;p

[Azimuth]

People have kids for the sole selfish purpose of trying to glorify and immortalize themselves, and some even have the audacity of naming the kid after themselves, thinking it will be a carbon copy of them...shame man, how VAIN can you get. a Child may be created by the act of copulation, but YOU did not create him, it was a miracle of nature, and YOU do not own him, he is a whole new person, with his own ideas, and his own personality. Yet this is the sole reason why most people decide to have kids. Your opinion?

Um. Just a bit extreme, don't you think?

Sure, some people have kids for selfish reasons - welfare freeloaders with ten brats come immediately to mind. But I'm sure that for many people, it's simply a natural part of growing up. People find partners, settle down, and at some point, realise that they want kids and a family.

There's also, as some people have already pointed out, a biological reproductive imperative. At its most fundamental and banal, humanity could not perpetuate as a species if we didn't produce children. Why do you think humans have sex drives?

[onona]

I find children creepy because all parents are self confessed SATANISTS. This is a fact. I have no evidence of this but will post it in every thread about children and then get really ****y and personal if anyone dares to disagree with me, and then I'll just disappear from the thread to ever avoid admitting that I am wrong.

[Jerkydarkstar]

I'm afraid of children. They look at you funny. Like , you owe them something.
NONE for me please.

[dammit]

personally, i just wish more thinking went into the process these days instead of just giving into instinctive drives.

[Zoop]

I guess Slither found out the truth his parents has been hiding from him all these years.

[Alex]

People have kids for the sole selfish purpose of trying to glorify and immortalize themselves, and some even have the audacity of naming the kid after themselves, thinking it will be a carbon copy of them...shame man, how VAIN can you get. a Child may be created by the act of copulation, 1.but YOU did not create him, 2.it was a miracle of nature, and YOU do not own him, 3. he is a whole new person, with his own ideas, and his own personality. Yet this is the sole reason why most people decide to have kids. Your opinion?

1.Yes I did.

2.Yes it was.

3 Yes, exactly.

Your idea of having kids is wrong. Most likely because you don't (yet) have them.

What's great about having kids is that you get to give someone new a chance at being themselves, have their own ideas and personality.

It is everything BUT selfish. It is giving half your life to that person, knowing they are going to make something of it, if they choose to. ;)

[Aesir]

Do I sense some daddy issues Slither? Mebbe they are tired of their dogs?

As an uncle, not a father yet ():) I can tell you that children are our biggest blessing. My friends got their little shyte 15 months ago, I thought I was going to hate him but he did really bring new life into me. (you older members will confess my drunken rants halved.) :P

What I realised in this time is that I would rather have a girl than a boy, girls are much calmer and more sophisticated than us guys. Even at such a young age. ^^,

[Slither]

I find children creepy because all parents are self confessed SATANISTS. This is a fact. I have no evidence of this but will post it in every thread about children and then get really ****y and personal if anyone dares to disagree with me, and then I'll just disappear from the thread to ever avoid admitting that I am wrong.

LOL Onona, I really GOT to you there, didn't I? OK, if you want it, here it is... I HUMBLY ADMIT I WAS WRONG, AND I APOLOGISE.
But I never called you a retard or an idiot, so I think you're the one that got personal. You REALLY tend to stoop very low in an argument. There's no need to call people names to try and get your point across, it's SO un-ladylike, you know...