Here are reasons why you should have kids. Yeah, you'll probably find your own justifications for not having kids, but I'm still putting this out there to counter all the arguments for childlessness/child-free.
1. Babies are adorable!
Babies are adorable! Everything about babies is just so cute! The way they smile, the way they laugh, the way the crawl. To see a tiny tot progress into a precocious preschooler must be the most significant milestone in your life.
2. Introduction of New Genes to your Family Tree!
Biology is about sex. Biology is about reproduction. Biology is about genetics. The modern world is more connected than ever before. People migrate from country to country, continent to continent. This migration brings an influx of new genes to the gene pool of a population of people. Within time, the genes of the immigrant population may mingle with the genes of the dominant population, and you'll have new alleles (variants of genes) to work with.
3. Children are assets!
While one reason not to have children is that children are considered a liability, one reason to have children is that children are considered an asset. By having children, you are investing your time, money, and energy. The fruit of your labor may be that your children become responsible, moral citizens that can contribute to make positive changes in the real world, as well as take care of you in your old age.
4. Tax Benefits!
Children are usually considered dependents, because they are dependent on you to survive. This usually means you can include them while paying your taxes or filing for that tax return.
5. A Reason To Pay For Taxes To Improve School District!
Public education is funded by taxpayers. If you are a single, childless person, then it is easy to feel that you do not have to support public education. What good will it be for you, if your hard-earned money is tossed into a void and you will get no returns? What good will it be for you, if your hard-earned money is going towards the education of young souls who may be your future competitors?
If you are a parent, then you probably want your children to receive the best possible education, which means paying your taxes and voting for/against proposals that affect public education. Your child is a constant reminder that you need to care about the education of the next generation.
6. A Reason To Get Involved With Your Children's Education!
Parents who want to be pro-active in their children's school lives, whether it is preparing for a school dance or raising money for healthier lunches for smarter brains, can participate in PTO or PTA meetings. Educated parents may use whatever little free time they have to tutor their children and give them an upper hand in academic subjects, securing a similar socioeconomic status for the next generation.
7. Sex!
All children are products of sexual reproduction. It is a process where anything can go wrong. Your immature germ cells can divide improperly, leading to more haploid cells in some than in others. A pregnant woman can be susceptible to a host of bacterial infections that can risk life-changing damage to her baby. Anything that goes wrong during the reproductive process can ultimately affect the health of the baby.
Although Geppetto (2000) has this big machine that can manufacture perfect children, the reality is that, as Geppetto finally learns, children are not made to be perfect, and that is perfectly okay. Perfection is unattainable. Children may be obese, disabled, mentally handicapped, rebellious, and disobedient. Whatever their condition is, they have to learn how to cope with the undesirable condition or reduce/eliminate bad traits to become mature adults. The ultimate goal is not perfection, but progress. As a child is a miniature image of an adult, that ultimate goal crosses over to adults as well.
8. Heirs!
People don't live forever. Sooner or later, people will die, and the property and other assets have to go somewhere. Why not to a biological child? A biological child is derived from the cells of his parents, so it's like the parents are experiencing immortality by procreating. A biological child inheriting your property, assets, looks, personality, and other stuff is like a miniature version of you.
9. Promotion of Marriage, Family Life, and Peace!
If you want to have a baby some time in your life, then you probably want to provide the best possible environment for your child. You probably want to select someone you want to live with for the rest of your life, even though this can be difficult to do because the abusive ones and non-abusive ones can be indistinguishable at first sight!
If you want to go the traditional route and arrange a marriage for your children with a neighbor of equal status, then the marriage may be a way to promote peaceful union between the families instead of bloodshed and conquest. However, this reason for marriage is mainly used by political, upper-class families, not your Average Joe.
10. You won't have to worry what to do with your time anymore!
11. You won't have to worry about what to do with your money any more!
12. They're an excellent excuse to have no social life, except with people who also have kids!
13. Need an excuse to not have sex anymore? When babies come in the picture, your sex life goes out the window!
14. Nothing makes you more attractive to potential employers than competing family obligations!
15. You can stop focusing on your own hopes and dreams in life, and focus entirely on your baby instead.
16. Is so easy to find a high paying job now days. So, we need to increase the population even further. This will increase the demand on good and services such as rent and food, and the cost of living. It will also increase the supply of labor and lower the real wage. Thus, power will remain with employers, with with laborors. And this is consistent with a capitalist economy!
I never intend to have children. To each their own! The important thing is that whatever someone decides, it's based on their own reasons and it's what they truly want.
All reasons on this list are irrelevant and redundant.
I think the "real truth" should be that people will create and bring more people into existence and into our world merely because they "could" and because they actually just "want" to, or "desire" to. It's not really a "should" but more of a "could" or "would", or "could not" and "would not".
You can't control what people desire, how they feel or what they want to do or not want to do anyway.
But for those that do have children may also regret it when some horrible and random tragedy occurs to their kid (s) or that they commit something really horrible to other people and/or themselves as that becomes a nightmare and reality check to them, because shit like that can and does happen, although randomly, and if nothing bad ever happened then they got really really fucking lucky, but the tragic and horrible situations can happen unexpectedly to anyone. You can't really control what your kids will do and want to do where they go, can't babysit them all the time.
It's either something horrible or tragic happens unexpectedly to their kids that may make them have some feelings of regret or thoughts such as maybe if they didn't bring them here into this terrible cruel and corrupt world then they would not have had to go through such horrible tragedy or suffering.
Or that it could also be unhappy and regrettable feelings that their kids had turned out to be substantially less than what they had expected of them and then they get really frustrated and disappointed with their kids.
tl;dr would just like to point out that most of these are terrible reasons to have kids.
1) yes, i find babies adorable. but that doesn't justify putting my plans on hold for 18 years.
2) this is about the only one i agree with, as a diverse gene pool is scientifically proven to benefit us. still shouldn't be your primary motivation though.
3) children are not assets; they've been liabilities ever since they started costing more to raise than they contributed to the household.
4) tax benefits should not be a reason to have kids. if you are doing it only for financial gain, then you are selfish and probably shouldn't be a parent.
5) i already have my reasons: i am a college student, plus i have many young nieces and nephews at various stages of their learning journeys. so i don't need kids for that, sorry.
6) if i want to do that, i can go to my niece's spring concert or my nephew's soccer game. again, don't have to be a parent.
7) don't know what planet you're living on, but i have tons of awesome non-baby-making sex. why would i ever give that up?
8) my sister and future brother-in-law both have kids; therefore, they can continue our family lineage, and my boyfriend and i don't have to.
What you said here is much more realistic than what had been presented in this mytake.
I agree with the whole tax benefits shit, people abuse and take advantage of the system to go on welfare more easier and work less thus fucking over hard working taxpayers and citizens.
Same goes for the thing about them being liabilities since parents are legally required to support their children financially until they reach 18 years old, unless they successfully emancipated themselves for any reason.
1 nah, annoying as hell 2 who cares 3 children are a burden 4 thats stupid 5 school sucks, its a place of stress and danger to health and well being and should be abolished, dont give them reasons to make more so called "education" 6 who cares, thats boring, notice whats in the picture more? "girls" having fun while guys are standing in the back 7 more reason not to have more people, were cursed as it is, and we dont have sex to have kids anyways, its all about pleasure 8 girls reject me and im ugly i dont want another me to experience that crap lonely life. and for my property im selling all my shit before i die. 9 nah, no family should use a kid as an excuse to stay a family, if folks do that (and if noticed it everywhere) than people have serious problems and dont deserve to have family around in the first place.
I have two kids, three and one. I had the first one so my husband can pass down his genes. I had the second one so they wouldn't be lonely and have each other as best friends. I am a stay at home mom. I feel like I am really selfless now. Everything I say is asking for my kids opinions on what they want to do and eat etc. I feel like I am always cleaning and cooking. I just feel tired all day and no two seconds to myself except at night when I finally put them to sleep. Then it is the next day. Just serving. And frustrated with them because they will throw tantrums because they don't understand how and why etc
Proper parenting requires a lot of effort and patience. If anyone thought it would be easy to be a parent then they aren't being realistic about. What you said just prove that being a parent isn't easy and parenting may not be for everyone.
Name one, UNSELFISH reason to have children. Just one valid, selfless reason. And I will consider it. Having children should not be a pastime. People don't consider the gravity of bringing life into the world and raising it. Everything you do, say, and even think will influence that child. Every mistake you make will bring repercussions for decades afterwards. It's a huge thing. And these reasons are all selfish and trivial.
It's a good way to counter argue and debate those that think or feel people are "selfish" for choosing not to bring offspring of their own into this world and reality. Well the truth is that this reality and world isn't a nice and merciful one to be brought into, comes with much struggles, and the person (s) that they plan to bring or already had been brought into existence will be subjected to all the potential harms and suffering and all the bad things that comes with this reality. But people will be people they do what they do such as choosing to have or not to have children, only because they "want" to, and only because they "could" do it.
1. Babies grow into brats 2. I don't care about passing on my genes 3. That's selfish 4. You can save more money by not having children 5. Paying for an education that is still crap 6. I have better things to do with my time 7. You can still have sex without reproducing 8. I'm dead, so I don't care where my money goes 9. I know plenty of people who are married and their kids have shitty, non-peaceful lives.
This is pretty much what everyone knows already and it's no surprise that many of them are simply related to money and assets. That's like the main reason people are having kids now; for the benefits. Kids are just being used as money bags.
Or expendable assets? Since they can have as many as possible anyway. Teak adavantage of the system and go on welfare easily because they had so many kids? I heard something about that. Or what about that whole thing with immigration or was it illegal immigration and so called "anchor babies"?
Never having kids even if I was paid. I dont want to bring another human into this beyond f**ked up world. I could never look a kid in the face and lie to them saying the world is oh so great when its not. Then I would be labeled a bad parent. I'll pass.
Nope. Still never having children. Personally I don't find children adorable. I have no interest in passing on my genes. I don't care for the tax benefits. Family life seems boring for me. But if that's what you want, all the power to you. We should all respect our individual choices.
Yeah, because we totes need more children/people in this world!!! What a grat idea!!! We need irresponsible people to read this and go, aw, babies are cute!! Let's have one!!
Tf? If anything, we should make sure people have LESS children. We can't even feed half of the world even though we have the means to, so MORE children is a typical christian thing, the dumbest if you ask me.
I only reason reason is because they fear and worry about dying alone or such as when they become old and frail in their end of life phase and dying and want a family member to take care of them in return. Other than because they really want to or just because they "could" have kids.
I think the whole natural reproduction thing is inefficient and is much more problematic now than it was before compared to the time post-World War II. I rather this whole reproduction thing be completely optional and that immortality through science, engineering, nanotechnology or whatever really advanced means necessary so those that don't want to reproduce can have the option to more or less live forever, provided it's attainable and isn't ridiculous expensive, I know it's not realistic, but that's what I would rather have instead of the whole thing of bringing someone here in this world to go through so much bad crap and eventually die themselves.
@JudgmentDay I agree, I wouldn't want to raise a child in today's world. That's selfish to me, more than nor having children while there's kids waiting to be adopted etc. Just like dogs and cats, even though they aren't comparible, lol.
I want kids bad, but finding a girl I want to have a kid with is kind of hard, especially today. I want boys in all honesty, they seem so much easier to care for in the long run. Plus I want to teach them to just be themselves regardless of what someone else thinks of them, I made that mistake when I was younger and kind of ruined my youth because of it.
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No thanks, no children for me. You forgot that children are a pain in the ass who require all your money. Do you know how expensive it is to keep one of those things alive? Plus what about the painful childbirth? If I ever want a child I'll adopt. The population is too damn high, childbirth looks too damn painful, and the idea of raising an infant seems like my own personal hell.
It's even more costly and painful if you lose a child for whatever reason. Unless if you already bought life insurance for them or something, but the pain of losing a loved one especially one's own child or children would be the worst kind of pain someone can feel. It's completely fucking devastating. The only way that kind of tragedy can never occur is if they had never been brought into existence to begin with, but if someone really wants kids no matter what then they better be ready face that kind of reality even if it's randomly possible. I hear kids and children die all the time, it's horrible.
10. Because there is nothing in this world better than holding your child in your arms and getting to say "I made that". I may have made some bad choice in life but this I did right.
@Darklydarkened why would I do that? It's not up to them. I can assure you every one of my kids I DID RIGHT. They are an absolute blessing. I don't need anyone else to tell me that, one look at them and I know.
@Darklydarkened I'm sorry... but what your saying is what exactly... that I should build a stage and walk my kids put on a leash and ask the world if they are okay and acceptable? Please. I can be the only judge of that and me and their father are the only judges that matter. This is one of those topics where it would be better for me to just stop here, because I'm not gonna be able to keep emotion out of this one. My kids a gift and one I'm so very blessed with and one I don't deserve. They saved my life and gave me happiness when I had none. They are the reason I get up everyday and they are the people I would lay down my life for. They are respectful of others and already some of the most selfless people I have ever met. They are always looking out for other people, people they don't even know that they meet in a store or on the street. They are what I did right, and I'm very blessed and undeserving. Take care.
@Darklydarkened boo hoo for what? This wasn't a sad story or comment? You think "boo hoo" because you clearly are a negative person. Your entire approach to my comment and others that you have made on this take show that. So take your boo hoo and go cry in the corner somewhere and preach about how negative the world is. And good luck with that, I hope it makes you happy. As for me, I'll continue to raise the amazing children that I have, thank God for them every day, and show them how beautiful people are and beautiful the world is. You can alwaya find negative and if you spend your every second seeking it, believe me it's there to be found. But that's a miserable existence. I prefer to seek the positive because there is so much of it out there as well. There are beautiful people, places, memories to make. So keep your boo hoo brother, and I'll keep the smile on my face that comes every time I see my wonderful children. ✌
Every reason except 4 has its negatives. But to get those tax breaks you need to have kids so no way. Some people in this world aren't meant to have children. It's not a thing everyone should experience.
It's a choice, you can't tell anyone why they should have children, no matter what you say they will make their own minds up whether they want children or not.
Pretty much. Either people want them or don't want them. And even people that do want them are not always guaranteed to have them, biologically I mean as some people have health conditions or something that prevents them from conceiving. But they can still always adopt.
No one should force their opinions or claim which is the absolute right and correct choice. I think it would only make more sense that it isn't selfish at all for both choices or that both choices just as equally selfish, if those arguments were ever brought up.
1) is fine love kids 2) is fine more humans on the planet sounds good 3) it's mandatory 4) tax benefits are bad if you study it out 5) the schools we have today are teaching religion we have to get rid of the public schools today they are making kids stupid 6) parents should be in charge of the child's education not the government 7) of course sex 8) yeah that's fine 9) she believes in GOD and I'm willing to see
@shinyunicorn It just seemed out of place to me. Everything was light and airy, I mean, reason one was they're cute, haha. And then she put a graphic image, which is real and sad, and maybe that was the intention, to shock, but I don't know, it just seemed out of place. Just my opinion, as a reader of the MyTake.
yeah I found it extremely odd as well you're supposed to put pictures like that on articles about why not to have a baby, not exactly sure what was the logic behind this lmao
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