[martin_fierro]

I like where this thread is going.

[xsmommy]

as the mother of 3, i find the whole breeder vs. freerider debate incredibly stupid. i think people who don’t have dogs as pets are shallow and self centered : )

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

FREERIDERS ROCK!!!!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I don't understand why this becomes such an issue. If you want kids, have them. If you don't want kids, don't have them.

We'd all be much happier if we handled our own lives and didn't let others tell us what we should be doing.

Disclaimer: I love my kids, but really don't like too many other children. ;^)

[Tijeras_Slim]

FREERIDERS!

[Pining_4_TX]

I have been wondering about this lately, and I agree with many of the comments people have posted. One more thought - women who don’t have relatives (parents or in-laws) nearby have fewer children. What I think people fail to appreciate is just how grueling and somewhat lonely it can be to be a stay-at-home mom. Having female relatives in close proximity is a definite plus, so when our society became more mobile and people moved far from parents and other relatives, they had fewer children.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I note the publisher is "Reason" magazine. I do wish they had included somthing we could reason about, like, for instance, evidence: longitudinal studies, matched control groups, statistical data, objective criteria, replicable results.

"Indeed, looking after the kids appears to be only slightly more pleasant than doing housework," asserts Gilbert in his bestselling, Stumbling on Happiness (2006). Of course, that's not what most parents say when asked.

So the researchers proved their conclusions... how?