Cost v's number of children

helpafriend

Katinkka wrote:

My bloke earns about 45k a year as well as benifits such as health insurance etc but WE can't afford anymore children either. There just isn't the money to give another child a decent lifestyle. You cannot live on love. I want my kids to have decent food, decent clothes and to afford to be able to help them follow their interests when theyre older.

My kids have decent food, decent clothes. You don't have to grocery shop at M and S or buy your clothes from Next to get good quality.

No, you cannot live on love, but you don't need £50k a year to raise a family as many people on here seem to think.

helpafriend

wigginsmum wrote:

You daft bint - you have a family already!!

For goodness sake ...

I meant the family I want. At least 4 children. My husband may be earning £40k in 15 years, who knows, but by then it will be too late.

If everyone waited until kids were affordable they wouldn't have any.

I also want a career. I would like to be a midwife. If I stop having children at 32, 33, I will be young enough to return to work and give my children all the essentials in adult life that everyone seems to think they will miss out on.

pandas66

black-saturn wrote:

I presume all the childless people on this board will all be pensioners one day. So the tax our children pay when they get to working age will be paying your pensions and seeing as you have no children of your own paying it I think this is a little selfish of you. Also when your really old you won't have anyone to come and visit you or look after you but thats OK because you will have a huge pile of money to sit in.

I don't understand the logic here
my childless by choice friends all work, therefore are paying into the pension system now available to all (heres hoping!) plus private pensions for 'top-up' when the pot looks less. Thats an approx 45 years of contributions! I think they may have 'earnt' their bit.

wigginsmum

Why should you have 4 children now when you can't afford them?

It's a simple question. Not rocket science. It involves you thinking and taking responsibility for your actions and <gasp> being mature about it.

I'd just like to know - do you have any understanding at all of why your original post has caused such controversy?

Lotta_Littlies

helpafriend wrote:

My kids have decent food, decent clothes. You don't have to grocery shop at M and S or buy your clothes from Next to get good quality.

No, you cannot live on love, but you don't need £50k a year to raise a family as many people on here seem to think.

Oops clicked on Thanks rather than quote - ho hum!

Anyway, I clothe my children mainly in Sales. I stick to a food budget. The last time we went abroad was 4 years ago when we only had three children. We don't have a flash house or flash cars but what we do have we've earned. We've not said "Oh let's have another baby. Let's not worry how to clothe it/feed it because the Government will pay".

The issue isn't whether you have more children or not. Have as many as you like... when you can support them. In the meantime, cherish the two children you have already.

Lotta

Lotta_Littlies

Wow, this thread has done wonders for my post count :rotfl:

pandas66

helpafriend wrote:

He works different shifts. What am I supposed to do? His shifts change very 2 weeks. What kind of job can I do where I come and go as I please?

work from home, set up a small typing business, you have a pc and internet access. Set up a wbsite that specialises in thesis. Or proof reading.
Just 2 suggestions.

purplepurple

helpafriend wrote:

My mum and dad don't have 2 pennies to rub together.

Do your parents live off state benefits too? They must have made many sacrifices for you and your siblings which has left them without "2 pennies to rub together". What's going to happen when they get too old/ill to look after themselves properly? Will you be taking your parents to live with you? How will you manage to support them as well as the huge family you want to have?

lizzie12_2

If you canna afford em, dunna "ave em....

Broken_hearted

helpafriend wrote:

I meant the family I want. At least 4 children. My husband may be earning £40k in 15 years, who knows, but by then it will be too late.

If everyone waited until kids were affordable they wouldn't have any.

I also want a career. I would like to be a midwife. If I stop having children at 32, 33, I will be young enough to return to work and give my children all the essentials in adult life that everyone seems to think they will miss out on.

Then work. I'm serious if you want to keep breeding go to work and make a stable home. I would love more children, I won't be having any as I can't afford it. I had a career.