What's the bare minimum (rephrased)

[infinite monkey]

My imaginary kids have the skills to defend themselves.

[Sundae]

Your imaginary kids would buttfuck mine in the mouth.

[infinite monkey]

My imaginary kids have developed problems with their self-esteem. How? I did everything I could!

This could be a great board game. You draw a card to see what fates befall your imaginary children, then you have choices like: seek psychiatric help, ground them for 3 weeks, chain them to a radiator in the attic, or have another one and hope it turns out better.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

... have another one and hope it turns out better.

Argh don't. Without too much info, there is a newborn we all raised our eyebrows at in the staffroom.
I mean bless her for trying, but the last three have behavioural and educational issues. That's some kind of optimism.

My kids are completely self-centred and outside of my family they will tread on as many heads as need be to get what they want. They are certainly not plagued by empathy. I base them on a couple of people I know who fast outstripped any financial success I had in my life. One of whom was a potential father. Last I heard of them they were very happy in their lives.

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

This could be a great board game. You draw a card to see what fates befall your imaginary children, then you have choices like

Sadly, this is a game breeders play all the time.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Sundae

Argh don't. Without too much info, there is a newborn we all raised our eyebrows at in the staffroom.
I mean bless her for trying, but the last three have behavioural and educational issues. That's some kind of optimism.

Are you sure it wasn't an accident? Most women will outwardly try to make the best of it, even if they are shit-ass terrified.

[DanaC]

Yeah. Once the initial shock and panic is done with you'd surely just start focusing on the good stuff. By the time you're in the staffroom talking to colleagues, you've already got it sorted in your head to a degree I'd think.

[ZenGum]

Posts in thread: 21

Serious posts by a person who actually has children: 1.

I think the first thing parents learn is that parenting is hard.

[Flint]

I'm teaching my non-imaginary kids that you don't get hand-outs or free rides in life, so basically your bullshit setup still sucks as much as it ever did, even with your weak "appeal to people loving their kids" ploy. How about just come out and say it--we're not stupid enough to be "tricked"

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Posts in thread: 21

Serious posts by a person who actually has children: 1.

I think the first thing parents learn is that parenting is hard.

ORLY? No! You don't say.

That's why my children are imaginary.

Jokes, peeps. They make the world go 'round.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I think the first thing parents learn is that parenting is hard.

Absolutely. It's also easy at times. And sometimes it's fun. And sometimes it sucks. It's a mixed bag.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Are you sure it wasn't an accident? Most women will outwardly try to make the best of it, even if they are shit-ass terrified.

Originally Posted by DanaC

Yeah. Once the initial shock and panic is done with you'd surely just start focusing on the good stuff. By the time you're in the staffroom talking to colleagues, you've already got it sorted in your head to a degree I'd think.

The parent isn't staff. We heard indirectly that she was "trying" but weren't sure whether to believe it until she started showing. And those of us who have no direct contact with her only heard after the birth.

Rereading what I wrote I do feel a bit mean.
I didn't know the eldest, but I have worked with the other two. In fact I was working with one of them today. He is a great boy and it's not up to me to suggest someone should or shouldn't be born.

[infinite monkey]

I think there's a bit of defense mechanism going on...well, for me anyway. Childless women tend to be judged as meaningless, cold, selfish, and having no real purpose on the earth.

It's one of those things where you can be damned if you do or damned if you don't.

For my part, I cannot imagine being the sort of person who could work through such difficulties, but thank FSM there are such people. And it's a beautiful thing to want more children, though not often understandable to me...but I see a lot of parents who maybe shouldn't be parents (I know, it's not for me to say) and I see the grown results of neglected, abused, and unloved children.

As anything, there are a million situations and a million reasons.

I can only guess that I would have stepped up to the plate if need be. I daresay I would have been a good mother. It just wasn't in my mind and it wasn't in my cards.

*shrugs*

[glatt]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Funny, I saw 5 people reading this thread immediately after my post, and just as quickly 5 people ran away from it...lending credence to ...

Lending credence to nothing.




By not responding to this post, all registered dwellars are consenting to send me their life savings. Ha ha, I'm gonna be rich!!

[Lamplighter]

Being a parent certainly has it's ups and downs.
Being a grandparent is better - you can send G-kids home when you want.

The term "childfree" is a new concept for me... my mind immediately went to:
What's the alternative ? "childencumbered", "childchalleneged"

Likewise "childless by choice" takes my mind to "parent by accident", "parent by JimBeam"

Maybe not a board game, but it could become a party game or on customized T-shirts.

[Pete Zicato]

Minimum?

3 bedroom bungalow with small yard - reasonable furnishings - probably used.
2 working economical cars
1 TV in the family room
1 computer
Everything in the house works.
Enough money to put a little into savings.

I suspect the Zings will do much better than this, but this describes, I think, a modestly successful family.

Others of their generation may not fare so well. We are headed into a global economy. Unless that changes, our kids will be in competition with Indians, Koreans, and Chinese that can work for much cheaper.