Posted on 10/09/2006 4:55:02 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
NEW YORK — Laura Bennett isn't bound by convention. Professionally, at age 42, she's pursuing a midcareer switch into big-time fashion design. At home, she's a mother of five — with No. 6 due next month.
"It was nothing that we planned ahead of time," Bennett says. "It's more that we were enjoying all the kids. "We have a happy home. Why not have as many children as we can?"
It's barely a blip on the nation's demographic radar — 11 percent of U.S. births in 2004 were to women who already had three children, up from 10 percent in 1995. But there seems to be a growing openness to having more than two children, in some case more than four. The reasons are diverse — from religious to, as Bennett reasons, "Why not?"
...Dr. Jeff Brown, a pediatrician affiliated with Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut's wealthy southwestern suburbs, has noticed a clear trend in recent years. "I don't hear people say, 'We'll have two and then we're done,' where I used to hear that before," he said. "People are much more open to three-children families than they were 10 years ago."
...The Census Department says it has no national data specifying which demographic sectors are having more kids these days. But a leading expert on family size, Duke University sociologist Philip Morgan, says it makes sense that some well-off couples are opting for more children as concern about global overcrowding eases because of lowering birth rates overall. "The population explosion — fears about that are over," he said. "People used to think that having more than two kids was not only expensive but immoral. Now, people say if you can afford three kids, four kids, that's great."
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Those dang breeders, don't they know they are causing global warming and destroying the earth. (sarcasm off)
Those dang breeders, don't they know they are causing global warming and destroying the earth. (sarcasm off)
Forgot to add that with more people there will be more workers paying social security taxes to keep all of us baby boomers retiring in the next few years happy
The folks who aren't having kids: 1. Liberals and 2. The Lower Middle Class.
The Mrs. and I have 5 (4 boys & 1 girl)... I'm thrilled now that the oldest is able to help mow!! Makes it all worth it!! ;o)
I envy you. We had to stop at one. That's all the good lord planned for us. He's a gem but I wish he had brothers and sisters.
We looked into adopting. But where I live, the gvt authorities in adoption are beyond repressive. They insist that, as a condition of being able to adopt, you put all sorts of limits on how you raise not only the adoptee but also your birth children. Because of the nature of the restrictions, we decided that wasn't fair to our son.
Most parents who adopt here just tell me they adopt and blow off the laws regarding raising the kids they are so ridiculous. I'm not comfortable with that.
Yep, that's her. Some of the stuff the kid Michael puts out is not bad. I would never wear Uli's designs but she's likeable and has a great eye for color.
Did you see the one with the parents and Laura's mother when she let it slip she was pregnant? You could tell her mother thought it was a bit much lol!
Where are you?
Ding, Ding, Ding!! We have a winner!
Same here. I wanted 4 initially, then after the 3rd one, I actually wanted 5. Unfortunately, I then had 4 miscarriages....so 3 it is, especially since I just turned 53!
Mr. Don-o and I adopted our second son from Russia (with the homestudy done through Catholic Social Services) partly because going through the Tennessee Dept of Whatever was so restrictive, just as you describe.
When people ask how much the Russian adoption cost, I always answer, "Less than our vinyl siding." And Vanya is --oh! so precious!
I sometimes wish we had a third one, but I knew it wasn't going to happen. There were 3 1/2 years between one and two. Three years later?? Nah, not to be. The younger one is 10 now, so it's over. Two and we're through.
Excellent and encouraging find!
The greatest gift parents can give to their child is many siblings...
You're ahead of me. We only have eleven grandchildren. But we're working on it, or rather our children are.
The greatest gift parents can give to their child is many siblings...
I agree. We've just had our tenth about a month ago. Our children are closer to each other than my brother,sister and I were growing up.
Reminds me of when I was a kid, my next door neighbor had 11, a bunch of other families o the block had 5, one boy I went to school was 1 of 14, etc. etc........
More power to them, and I mean that. At 46 and 51 my husband and I have no intentions of having anymore than the 1 we have.
Friends at church just had baby #13. Cute as a button at two weeks old.
We have 10 and five are voting in Nov. So seven votes (with mom and dad) will give the republican a land slide here.
Move.
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