I believe the children are our future.
(-Bob Marley)
― takin care of bismuth (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:47 (seven years ago) link
Seems a bit randomly....random tbh. Not exactly first principle stuff, the aul 'arah fwy not' argument
― The night before all about day (darraghmac), Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:47 (seven years ago) link
I get the looking after me when no-one else will thing but the rest is meaningless to me.
― Ongar Is An Energy (Tom D.), Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:48 (seven years ago) link
no you definitely didn't offend me. i have smoked w/ my parents & generally i don't find it particularly enjoyable and i was wondering if my kids will feel the same about smoking with me? like is the problem that my parents are goofy stoners or does it bother me since i feel like the child/parent bond is kinda shallow when everyone is stoned if you know what i mean? like i have expectations about my parents even now as an adult such that i'm kinda disappointed when they're just dumb and obvious (excitedly telling me about some theory they just thought up is a bummer even tho like i understand - smoking w33d - we've all been there). but otoh i don't think i get like that when i'm stoned so maybe my kids will feel differently? i enjoy drinking w/ my dad so it could just be the particular personalities w/ the particular chemistry. xxxpz
― Mordy, Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:48 (seven years ago) link
Best reason to have kids is that kids are terrific awesome creatures
they can be terrific and they can be tedious. i think if you have kids because you think it's going to be an awesomefest all the time you're setting yourself up for disappointment. but you're right that there's plenty to appreciate in the moments when they're not whining, fighting, interrupting your conversation, demanding you turn off tinariwen and turn on the frozen soundtrack. i love reading books to them - my youngest loves the kate beaton kid's book and i never get tired of reading it - but sometimes they want the same terrible book for the 8th night in a row and you read it to them completely on autopilot while you think about something else. sometimes they want hugs and to cuddle up with you and it's wonderful and sometimes they've been touching you for 2 hours straight and you just don't want to be touched any more. they play nicely together and you feel really warm + proud and then one of them breaks a plate over the other one's head (don't worry, everyone is fine, it was a very fragile piece of pottery). like this goes on and on. parental pride when your kid accomplishes something is like nothing else. but you'll be disappointed too and embarrassed sometimes. so i'm just saying be prepared i guess.
― Mordy, Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:51 (seven years ago) link
All of that is still awesome because kids are allowed to be like that which is awesome rly
― The night before all about day (darraghmac), Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:55 (seven years ago) link
demanding you turn off tinariwen and turn on the frozen soundtrack
lol <3
― mookieproof, Saturday, 18 March 2017 01:00 (seven years ago) link
can't believe i just <3'd future phillies fans
― mookieproof, Saturday, 18 March 2017 01:01 (seven years ago) link
so proud when they throw their first battery at a player
― Mordy, Saturday, 18 March 2017 01:02 (seven years ago) link
"I think the best reason is meeting someone you love and thinking why the hell not? Just throwing that one out there."
I didn't even think why the hell not. I had kids with the only person on earth I would have wanted to have kids with. I didn't even think about trying to have kids or not trying to have kids. there was no hesitation or thought involved. and there is pretty much ALWAYS hesitation as far as my weird brain goes. i recommend finding this kind of person if you are gonna have kids. because there are all kinds of wrong reasons to have kids.
― scott seward, Saturday, 18 March 2017 01:06 (seven years ago) link
You know, kids can be frustrating, challenging, maddening, certainly exhausting, but there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like watching one of your favorite films, or a classic film, with them for the first time. In recent weeks we've seen "The Third Man," "King Kong," "Lawrence of Arabia" (well, most of it), "Shadow of a Doubt," "Close Encounters," "North By Northwest" ... Literally the best it gets.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 19 March 2017 02:10 (seven years ago) link
Nah I'm pretty sure the best it gets is the lime popsicle I'm having right now
― SFTGFOP (El Tomboto), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:05 (seven years ago) link
Among the possible challenges and rewards that life may present you with, I find the challenges and rewards of caring for a new human and raising that person up to be decent, sensible, creative, kindly beings calls forth most of my best abilities. One also gets a very direct outlet for one's capacity to love, and love is surpassingly good, whenever and however it is called forth.
But if you hate kids, none of the above really applies.
― a little too mature to be cute (Aimless), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:24 (seven years ago) link
I think we need some more thoughtful rumination on how rewarding the incredible responsibility of raising kids can be. Is anybody on ILX up to the task?
― SFTGFOP (El Tomboto), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:30 (seven years ago) link
I'm not sure if Thomas Edison ever had kids. But I hear he did other stuff and made some money and it all came out OK for him. He even got to meet celebrities and shit.
― a little too mature to be cute (Aimless), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:43 (seven years ago) link
Turns out Edison had a few offspring after all. Who knew?
― a little too mature to be cute (Aimless), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:47 (seven years ago) link
xpost all of us get to shit
― waht, I am true black metal worrior (Neanderthal), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:50 (seven years ago) link
But only the lucky ones get to meet celebrities and shit.
― a little too mature to be cute (Aimless), Sunday, 19 March 2017 03:53 (seven years ago) link
ppl who make a point of defining themselves as "childfree" and go around contemptuously referring to ppl with kids as "breeders" are about as creepy and unpleasant as any other subset of ppl you'll find on the internet
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Saturday, March 18, 2017 12:12 AM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
nowhere near as creepy as the "ready access to sex" post a couple above yours
― lex pretend, Monday, 20 March 2017 13:38 (seven years ago) link
Yes, that was post was, er, well I sort of wish I hadn't read it.
― Ongar Is An Energy (Tom D.), Monday, 20 March 2017 13:45 (seven years ago) link
Dating sucks, so I decided to become a dad
― SFTGFOP (El Tomboto), Monday, 20 March 2017 13:47 (seven years ago) link
The 'ready access to sex' post is so wrong on so many levels that it becomes almost amusing.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 20 March 2017 13:50 (seven years ago) link
Our main motivation, frankly (initially), was that we didn't want to turn around in 30 years and regret having NOT had kids. After we'd decided on that Em definitely got quite driven about it though, and has described it as a biological desire switching on.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 20 March 2017 13:51 (seven years ago) link
children are a great way to secure an orgasm-facilitator for an extended period
― ogmor, Monday, 20 March 2017 13:53 (seven years ago) link
"ready access to sex" doesn't really correlate well w/ marriage and kids let's be real
― marcos, Monday, 20 March 2017 13:55 (seven years ago) link
"I got married and had kids for the sex" probably the most o_O take I've seen in a minute
― waht, I am true black metal worrior (Neanderthal), Monday, 20 March 2017 13:58 (seven years ago) link
I was kind of disappointed that no one was going "wait, what" at that post when it happened
― Rachel Luther Queen (DJP), Monday, 20 March 2017 14:06 (seven years ago) link
Sex with the wife that is. I hope.
― Ongar Is An Energy (Tom D.), Monday, 20 March 2017 14:35 (seven years ago) link
I never wait what a post until i see the djp position tbh you need to accept yr position as a major influencer
― The night before all about day (darraghmac), Monday, 20 March 2017 14:38 (seven years ago) link
like this post from The Cut, in a world with no birth control!
http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/03/when-is-a-penis-too-good-to-break-up-with.html
― SFTGFOP (El Tomboto), Monday, 20 March 2017 15:36 (seven years ago) link
For emoji, try eggplant, peace-sign fingers, bomb.
― SFTGFOP (El Tomboto), Monday, 20 March 2017 15:37 (seven years ago) link
prob goes in the contro op thread but
people really shld be able to pass an intelligence exam and meet certain requirements to qualify to be a parent
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Monday, 20 March 2017 15:50 (seven years ago) link
hmm yes what could possibly go wrong with that policy, I can't even imagine
― Οὖτις, Monday, 20 March 2017 15:51 (seven years ago) link
would you like a list of geniuses whose parents were illiterate/poor/horrible
― Οὖτις, Monday, 20 March 2017 15:52 (seven years ago) link
Some of the worst parents in the world are the 'intelligent' ones.
― Ongar Is An Energy (Tom D.), Monday, 20 March 2017 15:55 (seven years ago) link
intelligence not measuring doing quadratic equations genius
as if that's the only type of intelligence
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Monday, 20 March 2017 15:57 (seven years ago) link
Eh
Kind of agree with the lefty outlook here, but would add coda
- tbh its not like less kids is a bad thing, regardless of opportunity cost in random geniuses- properly applied death penalty takes care of the offspring as and when they have it coming, removing need to regulate parental input on a predictive basis
― The night before all about day (darraghmac), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:07 (seven years ago) link
we can build a time machine and if your neglected children turn out to be the wrong kind of neglected children then we go back and zap yourich parents exempt
― SFTGFOP (El Tomboto), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:09 (seven years ago) link
also to be fair we will do the same for non-human animals
it's not a matter of producing geniuses
it's a matter of ensuring a child has parents who can teach her/him moral and ethical responsibilities
the poorest in society shouldn't be forced to abort, but they should be highly encouraged to do so, yet they are the ones who produce more offsprings than the rich
to be clear, i was referring to interpersonal, intrapersonal, and emotional intelligence
if you asked me if i prefer (subject) genius/artist or a well grounded, normal, determined, productive person, i would choose the latter
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:14 (seven years ago) link
I would much rather see more kids from the Section 8 families in my neighborhood than the Trumps and Hiltons of the world. Maybe it's just me.
― Lauren Schumer Donor (Phil D.), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:16 (seven years ago) link
you think trump would pass a morality/ethics test
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:17 (seven years ago) link
Given "I think poor people should be encouraged to abort their children," I don't think YOU would pass a morality/ethics test.
― Lauren Schumer Donor (Phil D.), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:18 (seven years ago) link
99.999999% of people are neither the next Hitler nor the next Einstein. Leave people the fuck alone.
also i'm fully aware that what i'm referring to is a highly fantastical world and completely unachievable so we put other filters in society
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:18 (seven years ago) link
pretty sure pro-eugenics opinions belong on the yr unpopular nazi opinions thread
― Mordy, Monday, 20 March 2017 16:19 (seven years ago) link
eugenics was gene selection
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:20 (seven years ago) link
F♯A♯(∞) ingeniously drawing attention to the similarities between parenting and social engineering, well played
― ogmor, Monday, 20 March 2017 16:21 (seven years ago) link
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/spongebob/images/6/6d/Geneshalit.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160517150316
― Rachel Luther Queen (DJP), Monday, 20 March 2017 16:21 (seven years ago) link
"the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics."
― Mordy, Monday, 20 March 2017 16:22 (seven years ago) link