How many kids do you want
 

Personally, I would love to have 10 kids. I come from a family with 6 kids and my mother's had even more. It just seems to me that a person should raise, whether through birth or adoption, as many kids as you can comfortably afford. If you can support, monetarily, physically and mentally the stress of a big family, I see no downside in having one. Kids respect you, look up to you, depend on you and love you unconditionaly (except when they're 16). And they're just so darn cute when they're young!

Sigh.

18 years old and already wanting kids.

p.s. I fully think that it is the woman's decision on how many kids to have. It's her body after all. Adoption, on the other hand, is a joint decision.

Never had any, and at this point we're both too old. Doesn't mean I don't like kids -- both the wife and I work with them at least part-time -- but it's such a relief, after you've had a rewarding day with kids, to see them go home with SOMEBODY ELSE.

At any rate, if you like kids and want them to look up to you and depend on you, be a (good) teacher. You'll have 20 or 30 kids of your own right away, who you'll see daily for much longer than their own parents do.

About personally raising kids -- in this crowded and expensive world, I think simply replacing oneself is enough. Of course, begin willing to adopt some else's unwanted child is extremely laudable, if you have the $$$ to provide for them well.

I would love to be a high school teacher. Social studies of some kind.

But to me there is a big differance between a teacher and a parent. Mostly that a teacher will only see any single child for four years maximum. A child never will grow close to a teacher and be able to tell him everything. A teacher will never really see himself in his students or watch them graduate college get married and have grandkids. Nobody goes crying to their teacher when they break up with their boy/girlfriend. There are so many more emotions in being a parent than any other thing you can do. To me, it just seems incomparable to anything else.

as few as possible....

while I do like them in short stints... i'm not a fan of having them around all the time. which is another reason that I'm moving back to NYC where kids are usually stroller bound, and then teenagers...

You actually get a lot of that in the lower grades. Okay, you may not see them graduate college, but you can make a big and obvious difference in their lives by giving them a little attention and respect. And if you're a guy, especially, they'll be all over you. A lot of young kids these days don't have a father at home and there aren't many male teachers in the K-3 range.

Oh yeah. And you'd be _amazed_ what a second-grader will tell you. Try stopping them...

Rodney (not a full teacher myself, but been around)

This is/was my attitude in general regarding kids. However, I find I have a much greater tolerance when the kid is my own.

I'm still not all that keen on other people's kids.


I chose 2... I have two and that is enough.

1 for sure...maybe two. no more.

(i go by the 'replacement' theory - so, one to replace me, and one for my bf)

;)

2 kids.

I'd like to have a boy and a girl. Raising kids must be the greatest thing in life. Oh well, in a few years maybe ^_^

I hear alot about the overpopulation of the world and not bringing more people onto this crowded planet, yet when I walk down any random street in my town, I can count dozens of for rent signs and even more for sale. And everywhere you look, places are short on labour. Granted, my town is only 9000 (20,000 when the university students are here), but it seems to me that overpopulation is really overconcentration of population.

I would definetly want more than one. Being an only child is just something I cannot fathom. My friend is an only child and he had major major issues sharing a room/place of residence with her. To be honest, I don't care how many I have, as long as they are healthy.

i've thought about having kids for a while. i'm only 20 so IF i really wanted one or two i've got plenty of time to really decide. kids are such a huge responsibility and they cause so much stress....but they make life so much more intersting.

i'd be happy w/ one

2 or none. i voted for none tho bcos i dont really want a kid right now. and i'm not even that comfortable around them...

2 not 1 being because i'm the only child and i wouldn't want my kid, if i had one.. to be the only child either. so that means i'd have to have another one. but thats ittttttt.

I want one... and then one more if I fuck up the first :D

2 kids, in my family its just me and my sister and i like the idea of a boy and a girl, but maybe 3 i dunno

It's pretty funny that when my wife and I started dating, we talked about having 4 kids, and many years later, we have 4 kids? Of course there won't be any more in the future. Raising children is an awesome responsiblity, you know you are doing something right when you child spends the night at a friends house, and the next day the other parents call and ask what you are doing! We've had this happen many times. I don't see it, but others do! Enjoy them while they are young though, and while you have your sanity!

3, maybe 4. I don't know what it is but watching them grow up and go through some of the same things you did, its just weird and nice at the same time.

zip. I'm in my mid-30's and I'm having too much fun being a kid...

I wanted two but got three

I hope you don't tell your third child that.

Two would be my preference, probably. I think if I had two girls or two boys in a row I might try my luck once more on the third though.

Re: How many kids do you want
 

You must've been raised "Catholic".

I like kids. Specifically, I like kids with rice, as in sushi. Especially the noisy kids, "baked" will do, though I guess "fried" would probably work too, and tied up and roasted with basting would quiet them down nicely as well. I haven't thought about it.

If he can choose which one is the "third child" on the fly, seems to me he could have some fun.

"Oh yes, you were the extra. We were gonna wait until we determined which of you was the spare, and perform a retro-active abortion. No one will say anything, later."

I have one child - under two years - and when I see her playing with her cousins as compared to when she plays alone it makes me realize that she needs a brother or sister.

In fact, here's a perfect use for 'em: http://www.adamtoons.de/games/kookinkidz.html

I'm convinced that every child does his/her best to make sure the parents don't have any more.

I don't want any, but if I did I would take the Zero Population Growth approach: one to replace each parent. I think anything more than that is a little irresponsible, globally speaking.

I'm not even going to think about taking care of kids until I can take care of myself.

I'm a only child. My husband is an only child. My father was an only child. I don't think I'd know what to do with more than one!

For some reason, I'd say either 2-3, and I'll be happy.

Got our first at 4 months, thinking about having three. We'll see.

3-4 is enough for me.

Definately 2-3, I don't think I could handle more than that.

I'd like to have three kids. Hopefully at least 1 girl and 1 boy. Three is about all I think I could handle. Kids are great and I love'm but I have my limits.

I want 3 at most, but I have a feeling that if we have 3 boys or 3 girls that I the wife won't want to stop.

I love kids, and ideally would love to have 2 or 3. But let me get past the first one and see what happens! :)

Two. I was so certain of this number I went and got snipped. There is a HUGE difference between 2 and 3. More than two and you need a bigger house and a minivan - no regular car will do. NOTGONDOIT

3 boys here. You're right about the wife not wanting to stop (i.e., try for a girl).

3 boys make us :crazy: :crazy:

None. If I ever do cave in, I'll adopt. The world does not need more people.

5 or 6. A big family that will help each other out in the future and make sure they are prosperous. Ideally. Of course raising them would be an extremely tough nut to crack.