Ms Gooner 1

I don't beleive that kids should be banned LMAO - Although I do feel that after a certain time, they should revert to Adults only - afterall - why would you have babies and children out after dark anyway? Its always a bit different in the summer - especially in pubs that have outdoor play areas - i know that the essex scooby crew go each month to a pub like that so that the kids can come along too!
However, saying all that - there is no way on this god given earth that I would chance taking my kids to anywhere to eat - not because their bad mannered or snot munching monsters - but they are a handful and have this amazing curiousity into having to keep go to the toilet when your anywhere different! (is that ALL kids or just mine LMAO).
BUT - children are what you make them - like bank accounts - you get out what you put in - you swear and cuss at your kids - they WILL do it back! My folks never swore at me...... ever! my mum only had to give "the look" and we new we were for it when we got home! But in a society where its kids ahving kids - what hope do any of us have!?
I do have one question though thats always baffled me..... if its illegal to have sex before your 16 - how is it legal to have a child at 13/14/15?

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

I never knew any swear words until 8 when my parents let me watch land of hope and glory, a safe family film

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

When's the legal age to buy a turkey baster?

oldsplice

And that's just the parents!

Lee247

My kids are 16 and 13, thank God. I was shopping the other day and someones kid was whinging for England. It was nauseating. All the mother kept saying was, "won't be long, sweetheart". Sorry, but mine would have got a swift whallop on the backside and told to "shaddit"
Bad Mother, I think not. They are fantastic teenagers, bet hers will grow to be a right pack of trouble
Smug Mum

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

*Shock news!* No I'm not pregnant I actually held a baby yesterday and quite enjoyed it I was round at my neighbour's house for the afternoon and it just so happens that she fosters babies. She had one in her arms, the phone rang and she plonked him into my arms and ran off

Actually he's a very sweet, very calm baby and like all of her kids is extremely well behaved. I took him over to the window to look at the ducks and we had a nice one sided chat about a load of old rubbish for five minutes (nowt new there for me then ).

So to summarise I quite enjoyed my little bonding moment and now feel a lot of fondness for the little fella but still don't want one of my own. No way.

As J4CKO pointed out, I like my holidays, toys and freedom too much and have never ever felt in the slightest bit broody despite now being the ripe old age of 44 but I still can't see how that makes me selfish After all if we all had kids the world would be a bit too crowded so it's a good job that some of us don't thus leaving more room for those that do want them

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

ah bless
But to be more accurate, it wouldnt be fair for you and his lordship to bring one into this world, I mean just imagine the offspring from that mating

DCI Gene Hunt

.....*Imagines*

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

Leslie

It is a joy to see well brought up and well behaved children.

Les

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

been there past 2 weekends, nearly came away with a scalextric and some meccano Missus is only just gone 3 months

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Surely saying 'you' like your toys, holidays and freedom too much indicates a certain amount of selfishness, nothing wrong with it, there is a certain amount of jealousy from parents to their child free freinds of the same age, we miss the toys, holidays and freedom but my thinking is that I can get that later and now the kids are old its coming back a bit but it is impossible for it to happen the other way round, i.e. once the time for having kids has passed you cant un-not have them but its easy enough to book a holiday, buy gadgets and come and go as I please when I am able.

I kind of stumbled into it, got married and nine months later first one arrived, then every couple of years after until I realise what was causing it.

I moan about them, they drive me mad and I get very little peace but I really don't know what I would be doing otherwise, I suspect I would have got bored, even now I have run out of things to buy, it took longer to get there and to be honest, with most things I buy the research, anticipation and purchase are more interesting than the owning.


Could do with a holiday though. We had 2 days in the Lakes in a posh hotel, was over before we had chance to relax.


One bloke I respected for not having kids was an old fella I worked with, we discussed having kids and he said he hadnt had any becuase he had a temper and his dad had been violent with him and he couldnt guarantee he wouldnt be the same and despite really wanting kids decided not to have any.

Mitchy260

What age does the menopause kick in? Aren't you at all worried that you're leaving it too late? I know woman are having babies in their 50's etc but why, i just think to myself

This is not a dig so dont take it the wrong way

I remember in primary school with all the other kids, a little girl got the mickey taken out of her because her parents were 50+. She had to grow up with having ''grandparents'' instead of youthful mother and father. People would often ask her or take the mick that her parents were her grandparents. Im 24 now, the girl is a very close friend of mine, her mother died 2 years ago and her father has just found out he has testicular cancer at 71.

Now i dont think thats ''fair'' as such as she is pregnant at the moment and the child isn't going to have a family orientated upbringing. I personally believe gran and grandad are an important part in a childs life and by them leaving it ''too late'' the effects of this have rolled on to haunt them as such.

My 1st is due tomorrow, im 24, the wife is 26. I think mid 20's is perfect age and upto mid 30's. I personally wouldn't want children going into my 40's. My mum is 47 and my dad 49, her mum 45 and dad 46.

I dont know how people can go through the existance of life without experiencing ''supposedly anyway'' the best feeling ever, having a child of your own. Christmas for example is for children and family get togethers.

There are many career orientated women that are going to kick themselves later on in life that they've put career in front of mothering for so long.

My 2p worth anyway

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Mitchy don't worry, I'm not going to change my mind, I don't want kids, I really don't, I'm happy as I am

As for you DCI (and Swiss) that wee cutie in the pic certainly doesn't get it's colouring from me, the ears definitely but not the green

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

.........


.........


oh just me me then??


(was waiting for the punchline... sorry les)

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

thats fair enough saying mid 20's is a good age for kids, but what if you havent a well paid 9-5 job, or a flashy house etc.

remembering (and this isnt a dig at anybody on here especially), lots of people dont do the higher paid jobs, where money isnt a concern. personally being 23 and the mrs 21, we simply couldnt afford to have a kiddly at the moment. would love to be a father, and feel mature enough, as were both settled, engaged, and have the natural instincts. infact we talk about it all the time.... but financially, its simply not viable. not on £22k and £13k a year with a mortgage to pay. quality of life wouldnt be good enough for the child in my eyes.

its a shame it comes to finances, but at the end of the day, its money that pays for everything, not just kids. see where im coming from.

DCI Gene Hunt

Its best waiting till you can afford a nanny... that way someone else can do all the dirty work, you can still do what you want and everyone's a winner...

Plus a sexy nanny costs the same as an ugly one

Sonic'

An uglyh Nanny won't cost you your marriage though

GazTheHat

Don't knock it until you try it. Mind you, you'd need someone to consent first which may be a problem for you.

I notice one thing being a recent-ish parent, you become more emotional, or am i having a mid-life crisis??!?!?!!!

Mitchy260

I am yet to find out what kind of financial strain a child puts on us, my wife is due our 1st child tomorrow. We've been financially hit with her coming off on maternity leave and not sure if it will be beneficial for her to go back with childcare fees afterwards. We dont know if we would want to put baby into childcare anyway.

I dont think they'll cost as much as what people say, baby clothes are very cheap, nappies aren't too bad, the help and support you get from family and friends is unbelievable. We have enough baby clothes given to us as gifts for the first 6 months. With xmas looming it really would be a waste for us to go out and buy lots of clothes for him.

You get 70 odd quid every 4 weeks for child support which is better than a kick in the teeth and if you earn less than £60k combined you'll get some form of child tax credit. We dont get much as our combined is about £50k but again its better than a kick in the bollocks.

I dont think there ever is a ''good'' time but when it happens you'll cope. On your salary, you're far better off than some folk who manage

I wouldn't let money put you off if you're both wanting 1, as more than likely money is always going to be an issue of some sorts

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Duct tap a parents best friend

































And no thats not my kid before you start calling the nspcc

Sonic'

Nappies for newborns are about 3 quid a pack (if on offer) and you can go through nearly a pack a day

Breastfeeding will save you about 450 quid a year, then its things like wet wipes, cotton wool *****, vests, baby grows, bottles, breast pump (if expressing) it actually works out at quite a lot, and baby clothes are not *that* cheap unless you buy asda smart price

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

thats it, i dont wanna "cope". id like to have the same simple quality of life i have now. ok i dont have much money spare every week, but ive been in the situation in the past where everything is gone before i see anything for it, and i dont wanna be like that or have a child grow up in that enviroment.

my upbringing was in quite a poor household, so i have first hand experience of what its like to go without. hence why i appreciate what i have now and am trying to make something of myself before i have kids if i have to wait another 10-15 years for this, so be it.

PeteBrant

That's an easy one. Absolutely ****ing massive.

From 0-18 I would say, what, £100,000? £150,000?


Per child obviously.

GazTheHat

That's pretty sensible, some people jump in without even giving it a thought.

There's plenty of time for kids though.

Better start charging more for those drawings.

DCI Gene Hunt

Since when did the parent/child strain stop at 18??

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

i remember a certain pm from you last year that you didnt follow up.

now if people like you didint keep wasting my time.....

Leslie

No more to say Chocolate!

Let me be the straight man again for DCI then.

"Suffer little children" Gene baby.

Les

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

If you do see a child playing up, remember don't, whatever you do, approach the parents and say sympathetically:

"I bet you wished you'd used a condom"

That *really* winds them up!!

scoob_babe

Nothing wrong with scaletrix for girls!!! We have one and so do our nieces - they love it (age 3.5 and 2)!!!!!!!!!!!!

When you add things up, things do get expensive. We have twins on the way and we don't get double anything at all from the govmnt. Double the nappies, double the cots, double every cleaning thing going and I will be on Stat Pay only for most of it which is a sizeable loss. Added to that is 4 figure childcare costs per month after we've been taxed because we have the nerve to be better paid than average but we still have travel costs on a rail card to pay for too.
At least with them both being the same gender, we don't have to buy two lots of clothes, they can mix and match since we don't want them dressed identically

I'm with Andy above, we thought long and hard about the cold cost of having them. Even then, we only intended on one, not two! At age of 23, I had a 2 bed, first floor flat, not ideal for a baby. At least now we have a good sized house, reasonably well paid jobs and it will be a stretch for a bit with 2 of them - if we'd only had the one we'd have had no probs with the money.