[Turbopilot]

With respect, the Maslow hierarchy does apply to a responsible decision to be a parent; I think you may have misunderstood my point. Instilling one's values in one's children is an admirable goal, but not one on the same level as meeting basic physical needs. One is not able to teach children values if one cannot keep those children fed, clothed, sheltered, educated, healthy, or safe.

That's not to say that one needs a new BMW and a condo in Destin before one should have kids; just that a certain level of financial stability and security is necessary to meet the basic needs of children, and a reasonable decision to have children takes into account whether the parents have that stability and security or whether they should work a while longer to obtain it.

[Antoninus]

One is not able to teach children values if one cannot keep those children fed, clothed, sheltered, educated, healthy, or safe.

Read the biography of St. Bernadette Soubirous and get back to me, will you?