Would you do it again?

[MountainLaurel]

Poll question: Would you do it again?

Knowing what you now do about parenthood and its impacts, would you still have had children?

[Maru Kitteh]

1. Oh HELL Yes.

Look how it turned out.



She's an amazing person, my little girl. She speaks three languages and I'm constantly amazed by her and how facinating she's become.

[Shine]

2. Absolutely. It's my biggest challenge and my deepest joy.

:hi:

[abelenkpe]

3. I'm surprised by the No Votes

Really? Why not?

[MountainLaurel]

4. Yes, please

I'd be interested to know. Although you shouldn't be surprised: One of the advice columnists asked this question back in the 1960s and was blown away by the number of people who regretted having children. It presented an interesting opportunity for conversation about the subject.

[SoCalDem]

5. Never ask that question to a parent of a teenager

:evilgrin:

Mine are all grown, and I would love to have them all small again (for a while).. I am extremely glad they are grown up and out of MY house though :)

[Ms. Toad]

7. I 'm a parent of a teenager...

http://photogroup.smugmug.com/gallery/681553/1/29767007

...and answered yes :woohoo: , without hesitation!

The more I hang out here, and the more I talk with other parents of teenagers, the more I realize what a really exceptional teen she is - and relationship we have! (And I'm feeling very sad that she will be out of the house in two short years :cry:)

[SoCalDem]

8. Three small boys was one thing, but three teenaged boys

who bickered with each other 24-7 was no picnic:)

[Ms. Toad]

9. My mother was at her wits' end with

Five of us with less than a 4 year age span between the oldest and youngest - so I can certainly relate to how much more difficult it can be with several. We had expected to have more than one, but having only one certainly makes the journey easier in some respects.

Yours was clearly a joking comment (at least looking back at it now that they are out of the house) of a loving parent. I am just always taken aback by the "I can't stand my kids/teenagers" threads I encounter fairly frequently in this forum, and it saddens me because the kids can't help but pick up on that feeling (not to mention that they might hang out here and not even have to work very hard to pick up on it).

I was trying to give a little different perspective (and my daughter does hang out here occasionally - so a little public acknowledgment that she might stumble on is a good thing).

[SoCalDem]

10. One lives in Northern Ca, another in Seattle, and the baby still

lives here..about 5 blocks away...it's perfect :) We have a regualr Thursday dinner out each week with him, and talk to the others weekly by phone..and visits occasionally by and to them.

We were never "clinging" parents, and because of that, they all grew up independent and capable.. We HAVE helped each of them at varying times of their growing up stages, but they always knew there were limits, and they were expected to carry their own loads..

It was definitely a rough patch with the middle one...living to reach 21 was a major accomplishment for him...we always kews in our bones that if he made it that far, he would figure things out and straighten out his life..and thankfully we were right..:)

So many parents consider their kids as possessions, and get all upset when they grow up, but we always figured that we were just there to raise them and launch them.. We hated parental interference in OUR lives when we were young, and we figured they would too:)

We never criticized anyone they dated, or any job they had, and tried desperately to treat them evenly..and apparently we have succeeded somewhat.. They all like each other and still like us too :)

[Ms. Toad]

11. I certainly don't have to worry about independence

with my baby...

Her first babysitter was when she was 13 months old (she nursed, and refused to take a bottle...so she just went wherever I went).

After that slow start, she's been glad to have moms around, but just as happy - or happier - to explore on her own. She cried when we came to pick her up to go home after her first day at preschool. She wanted to stay there. At age 12, when we finally reached her halfway through her 3 week trip with People to People to Australia, she asked us to call her back later - she was busy.

That's about the same time she called me up at work to ask how to upload a some digital artwork. When I asked why she needed to know, she explained she needed to put it on the web page she had designed. Turns out she taught herself HTML coding and had created her first personalized web page on NeoPets before I knew she was doing any programming.

I expect she's destined to live someplace exotic and far away - so I don't expect her to return full time once she heads off to college, and I will miss the luxury of having her close by all the time.

[lostnfound]

6. I said 'yes' but that's only by ignoring the state of the world

and at the moment I am feeling more than a little down about it.

[Ilsa]

12. My greatest joy and my deepest sorrow.

My oldest is autistic. LAtely he's been hurting other children and appearing to enjoy it. I'm really depressed today. I fear we created a little monster.

His little brother is the sweetest child, though.

If I knew this was going to be our future, I'd have skipped it.