15 Kids and Counting

[bookboo]

I know there has already been a thread on this but, having strong views about this I just wanted to add something and ask for other opinions on this topic.

Sir David Attenborough once said 'Fifty years ago, when the WWF was founded, there were about three billion people on earth. Now there are almost seven billion - over twice as many - every one of them needing space. Space for their homes, space to grow their food (or to get others to grow it for them), space to build schools, roads and airfields. Where could that come from? A little might be taken from land occupied by other people but most of it could only come from the land which, for millions of years, animals and plants had had to themselves - the natural world. But the impact of these extra billions of people has spread even beyond the space they physically claimed.'

IMHO we simply cannot sustain over population of the planet and it is these selfish people who ignore this fact.

[boxtops]

I agree with you, bookboo - I didn't see all the programme, but at the end one woman said "I might have one or two more" and the other said "I love that feeling when the baby's just been born" - it's just irresponsible.

[missnemesis]

So you're saying that people should stop having children to save room on the planet? Room for animals and plants?

Tell you what, how about the old farts start shuffling off like they're supposed to at a reasonable age. Save having to build old folks homes, keep them in incontinence pads and immeasurable medications eh? Then the daycare and resource centres can be transformed into something useful like shops and nail salons. Also that would mean we wouldn't have to be subjected to anymore documentaries showing us decrepid old codgers being abused, uncared for and left to rot.

What was it Scrooge said? "Then let them die and decrease the surplus population!"

[bookboo]

Thanks Boxtops. Also, clearly for the largest family this was an abandonment issue as both husband and wife were adopted. But instead of being a baby conveyor belt why didn't they just seek professional help.

[bookboo]

No Missnemesis, I don't think people should never have children, however given the state of the planet and its severe overpopulation I think 15 is extreme.

[boxtops]

missnemesis, what an extraordinary rant. Nobody's saying that - but how many couples do you know who could reasonably support 15 children, without being heavily reliant on the state? overpopulation is a massive problem - having more children than replaces the parents in due course is a luxury, not a whim.

[missnemesis]

In the UK I would imagine that having 15 children is now the exception rather than the rule. If a couple don't want to stop at 1 or 2 that's their prerogative surely. Who are we to say how many offspring they should have?

The state is heavily overburdened by many, many people for many different reasons, not merely by those claiming CB.

How many people do you know who have not had or stopped having children after thinking " but honey what about the planet?"

[bookboo]

Missnemesis, my husband and I have one child. The only reason why we are not having more is because of the state of the planet (as I said, I have strong views on this). Regardless of what anyone says there will come a time (in the not too distant future I should imagine) when people will no longer have the right to choose the amount of children they have. If it is not done by us then I have no doubt that nature itself will intervene.

[Tizzi24]

I agree bookboo - way too many children.

[mccfluff]

i didn't see the show but i think 15 kids is way to much but i don't think we can tell people how many kids they can or can't have.

out of interest how do they support themselves?

[mickrog]

didnt see it.....but guess they will pop up on the Jeremy Kyle Show sometime

[mccfluff]

thats a bit unfair, just becuase there are a lot of them doesn't mean they are JK candidates

[ummmm]

They worked Fluff. The woman who was expecting number 15 was also working. Spotless house as well...

[Ankou]

i think my opinion changed when one of them went rattling on about god's gift of childbirth and contraception being wrong. clearly they are right in the head.

if their children follow this path, this family could breed 225 children by the next generation.

[VHG]

If the white indiginous population had continued to have large families (instead of stopping at say 2) after the second world war, we would not have had to bring so many immigrants into this country who DO still have large families.

This country needs young people to grow up, work, and pay the taxes, for the ever aging population in this country.

We should be proud of people having 10 or 15 kids, not despise them.

I bet if you all looked back to your ancestors 100 years ago most of them would have had about 6 or 7 (or more) children.

[missprim]

The reason people had loads of children 100yrs ago was because they didn't have contraception.
Ankou did you mean 'they're NOT right in the head?'
It did occur to me that there is some kind of unnatural thinking in wanting to carry on having children.

[boxtops]

I can't follow VHG's argument - in my experience it's the Asian and Chinese immigrant children who are well educated (as their parents have pride in education) and suitable for jobs, unlike many of the youngsters leaving school at the moment without basic skills.
Our family, way back, did not appear to have more than 6 children - people had many in years gone by because so few survived after infancy.

[ummmm]

I know plenty of big families. My mate, one of 14, married a man, one of 16.

[bestmum]

The largest family had their own bakery and supported themselves. Some of their children were asked if they would like big famlies of their own and most of the said no. The children were clean, fed and well looked after and the house was spotless. Surely how many children they have is up to them. Not some person telling them what is best for them.

[grasscarp]

I feel sorry for the children as how much attention can you really get with 14 others also needing some.

[craft1948]

My mate Dot had 13 children, she was a stay at home mum and her husband supported the lot of them. She had a spotless house, well-behaved children, and was a very smart looking lady .............she told me she'd only wanted 2.