And Baby Makes How Many?

New York Times ^ | February 6, 2009 | Kate Zernike

[reaganaut1]

One should not make the important life decision of having a large family just to piss off liberals. But it is a bonus.

Having more kids does cost money, but if the Dems are going to tax away your savings anyway, why not? As they raise marginal income taxes on the "rich", more working wives are going to ask why they are working for Uncle Sam. Caring for a large family is easier when one spouse can stay home.

[Hazwaste]

In the old days, a comment in public about a mother’s sex life from a strange man would have received a slap in the face in reply...or a punch in the nose from the husband if he were there.

We’ve become a society of gutter dwellers.

[Bubba_Leroy]

One should not make the important life decision of having a large family just to piss off liberals.

I don't know, I base many of my important life decisions on what will piss off liberals.

[vladimir998]

There’s nothing wrong with having 12 kids...one or two at a time.

Having 8 at one time, on the other hand, with no husband in sight, while depending on your own parents for support, and having 6 other kids at home under age 8 makes you look like an alley cat having a litter.

[wastedyears]

I can’t fathom having children right now, but I’m only 23.

[NCjim]

Do you get any time for yourselves? “Obviously, or we wouldn’t have six kids.”

Great comeback!!!

[Squantos]

“Are these all yours?”

No I am a condom salesman and these are just customer complaints !

[hoosiermama]

Things haven't changed that much....There will always be noisy poor spoken people:

My grandmother had seven children (dad the oldest born in 1920)...One day a neighbor commented how much they all resembled my grandfather.....Her retort: “Well they don't look like the butcher, iceman, postman or grocer!”

[mockingbyrd]

that’s awesome!

[gidget7]

I quite agree. For the record, I was raised in a large family, there were 12 of us kids, and we always had a couple extras staying with us at one time or another for various reasons. Family, friends, one parent in the hospital or something like that. I wouldn't have had it any other way. No we didn't have much, but what we had we were grateful for and we never went without needs of any kind.

[gidget7]

My Grandmother and Grandfather had 21! Not all survived but she raised 11 I believe.

[pbmaltzman]

There’s nothing wrong with having 12 kids...one or two at a time.

Having 8 at one time, on the other hand, with no husband in sight, while depending on your own parents for support, and having 6 other kids at home under age 8 makes you look like an alley cat having a litter.

The real problem is that a lot of people don't distinguish between the two situations!!

[Bigg Red]

Big families rule!

I was raised with 4 brothers and 4 sisters. In so many cases, parents have 1 or 2 and then treat them like little toy poodles. They do not learn the many life lessons that a full house brings, and they do not have the comraderie that comes with such numbers. My remaining siblings and I are quite close and most of us see one another quite regularly.

[eclecticEel]

Well, having 8 kids (at once) is unnatural; that never just ‘happens’.

[Lizavetta]

Can you imagine going up to a woman with no kids and saying:

"You must be infertile."
"How many abortions did you have?"
"You know, there's books that tell you how to do it."

[gidget7]

Yes they do rule. We lost Daddy several years ago, but whenever Mom comes home for a visit, everyone fights over who she will stay with LOL unlike today's family where the Mom is a nuisance. We all adore her. She and Daddy moved south about 20 years ago, several brothers followed one at a time, and I intend to the same. We all stay close, in spite of the miles. Some in the area we don't see often enough, but we are still close.

I was only able to have the one son, but he is my greatest blessing. Hoping by the time I am ready to relocate, he will too! Don't know if I could bear being that far from him.

[metmom]

When I had two toddlers and was pregnant with my third (at 35) some old guy jerk in the supermarket said to me, "Don't you know what causes that?"

I never came so close to punching someone in the mouth as that.

I had plenty of retorts I would have used if I hadn't had my kids with me.

*sigh*

[tinamina]

I’m the eldest of 12, my mother had 8 children in 5 years and everyone thought THAT was a marvel. But now that I am nearing 60, I feel so blessed to have so many built in best friends to grow old with. I just cannot imagine how sad it must be to be an only child in old age.

[gidget7]

No of course they don't. Even when I was young people always made assumptions, and even rude remarks. Especially growing up in the late 60’s early 70’s. Feminism was taking hold, and some of the rude comments classmates made and assumptions made by school teachers and administrators were downright hurtful. But we would go home and get the correct moral code after school. You know, back when parents told kids things of real values. Like “sticks and stone” etc. and that we were all blessed.

[Cicero]

We have a ton of kids. They are a blessing.