05-31-2007, 06:57 AM
Well this is an easy one for me, having made the decision when I was nine....when I saw a World Population Clock flipping away madly.
Don’t have children.
And if you’ve already had children, don’t have more.
And if your friends (or children) are contemplating not having children, remaining child-free, congratulate them, support them in their decision, thank them. Please don’t make them feel that they are less of a woman, less of a man, incomplete. Please don’t tell them that they are selfish….because their decision, whether they realize it or not, is a precious gift to the planet. Easily as precious as an additional human.
Don’t give them the ol’ “But who will take care of you in you old age?”-line. And don’t give them the “Soooo, when are you two gonna give us grandchildren?”-line. Ha! Can you believe there are actually people out there who say that?! Hmmm. Talk about selfish.
You need grandchildren?
Go volunteer.
In a school, at the hospital, at a rec center.
Be a grandparent to many…as opposed to the few.
And for those folks who are absolutely convinced that they must have children; that there’s some kind of biological/psychological imperative; that the world will just plain fall apart if they are not able to parent…..please adopt …and/or encourage others to adopt.
There are countless children on the planet in need of a good home. Adopt one. Or two. Or a half-dozen. Or a dozen. And then, if, after having done a bang-up job of parenting those children, one is still compelled to replicate, make a carbon copy of one’s self…go ahead…have one. One.
And encourage your friends and family to visit this website.
http://math.berkeley.edu/~galen/popclk.html
Don’t have children.
And if you’ve already had children, don’t have more.
And if your friends (or children) are contemplating not having children, remaining child-free, congratulate them, support them in their decision, thank them. Please don’t make them feel that they are less of a woman, less of a man, incomplete. Please don’t tell them that they are selfish….because their decision, whether they realize it or not, is a precious gift to the planet. Easily as precious as an additional human.
Don’t give them the ol’ “But who will take care of you in you old age?”-line. And don’t give them the “Soooo, when are you two gonna give us grandchildren?”-line. Ha! Can you believe there are actually people out there who say that?! Hmmm. Talk about selfish.
You need grandchildren?
Go volunteer.
In a school, at the hospital, at a rec center.
Be a grandparent to many…as opposed to the few.
And for those folks who are absolutely convinced that they must have children; that there’s some kind of biological/psychological imperative; that the world will just plain fall apart if they are not able to parent…..please adopt …and/or encourage others to adopt.
There are countless children on the planet in need of a good home. Adopt one. Or two. Or a half-dozen. Or a dozen. And then, if, after having done a bang-up job of parenting those children, one is still compelled to replicate, make a carbon copy of one’s self…go ahead…have one. One.
And encourage your friends and family to visit this website.
http://math.berkeley.edu/~galen/popclk.html