If you knew what you know now would you have had them?

Absolutely yes! I love my kids.

9&7 btw. The next few years may test me…

made me a better man undoubtedly first 6 months were touch and go though !

We have 5 of the buggers and will be entering grandparent territory next year, have caused some grief in the past and probably will do in the future but wouldn’t be without them… parents on the other hand 😉

If you knew what you know now would you have had them?

No. The police were not understanding at all, and the parents had no chill.

Different angle as I didn’t have kids but knowing what I know now I still think that was the right decision for me.

Nope. Regretted it from first few months and didn’t get any better over last 24 years.

If I had the time again I would stick to cats and dogs.

I don’t know. I often feel that I’m one of those people better suited to a solitary life rather than the chaos and stress of family life. But obviously now I have them and know them I wouldn’t want to be without them. Maybe it depends if you go back in time with or without your memories of the present?

yes .. there is light at the end of the tunnel. And finally they do actually sleep through the night ! And a lot less worrying.

Started late and wish I’d started sooner…

Absolutely yes! I love my kids

+1 The hardest but most rewarding job ever.

Yes, although the stress levels can be through the roof, I guess I’m lucky in that I’ve never had a seconds doubt.

yes, I worry about what the future will bring them, but I guess that’s probably what every parent has said.

Yes and I would have started earlier and had 2

If you don’t have kids, then who is going to look after you in your old age?

My missus was pretty clear from the outset she was going to have kids so if I wanted her then they came as part or the deal.

Wasn’t at all sure at first but wouldn’t change it for the world now, can’t remember the last time I was actually bored, never a dull moment.

Yes, but…. for me I’m glad I did it when I did at 32, some of my mates are only getting going in their 40’s/ Glad I now have the efficiency of having twins, would never have any more. Love them, but looking forward to them gaining more independence, so I get mine back before I’m an old git, ultimately they should have left for uni when I’m 50.. There are elements that I will miss terribly when they are too old, like reading bedtime stories, I have done it almost every night for 9 years now and one day it will end and that will make me sad.

If you don’t have kids, then who is going to look after you in your old age?

Android wives.

I have 2 stepdaughters (18 + 21) so missed all but the last 8 years. I kind of take some responsibility for them being nice, normal, rounded young adults both at uni so although not exactly mine I’m glad I know them. I don’t have my own offspring so these two will have to do.

My wife and I always wanted 2 children.

Now we have 3, we only want 1.

Got 3 of the little blighters, all boys, 5 1/2, 3 1/2 and 17 months. They’re all nuts and I can see us having to teach them to hunt and kill to sustain what will inevitably be three 6 foot plus lumps, given that the wife is 6ft and I’m 5’11”.

Already the eldest can munch his way though a small adults sized food portions 3 times a day as a minimum.

They’re ace mind

41 and not had any.

Might regret it but I’m not having kids to look after me in old age as said above.

What to do… think I’ll go out and have fun!

I like ’em

Couldn’t eat a whole one mind

Yep. It’s a young man’s game though so I wish I’d had them a wee bit earlier. I was of the opinion I didn’t want kids so it’s unlikely I’d have had them any younger.

Got one, aged 2.5. Awesome little fella and wouldn’t be without him, but don’t want another one.

Yes.
Without them I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.

Didn’t really enjoy the baby/toddler years (as my EX-wife will testify), but now, wow, couldn’t imagine life without him. Actually, to be completely honest I might not have a life without him.

No kids here. Knocking on for 41. Who’ll look after me when I’m old? I reckon I’m gonna move to a warm, sunny country and buy a proper fitty in to look after me, what with all that dosh I’m not spending on kids.

Hands down, yes. In fact, I was never actively interested in having as many kids as I do, but – honestly – I wouldn’t change the choices we made for anything.

8 kids, ranging from 20 to 4 in age.

I’m 45.

2 daughters here aged 10.5 and 7.
I wouldn’t change this for the world.
Sometimes I wish we’d had them a little earlier (I’m 45 now) but I’m not sure I’d have been ready for it much sooner.

Our only regret is that we didn’t have a third.
My wife had a miscarriage following a car crash 18 months before we had our second, and birth complications meant the baby factory had to close for good after she was born.

I’d have started younger I know that much. 🙂

After watching the program the other night, I’d adopt also.

8? EIGHT? Blimey, did you not realise what was causing it? 🙂

2 here. 18 and 16. Not without significant challenge especially the elder one. But they’ve enriched our lives (and made us financially much poorer!) in ways I wouldn’t want to change.

And I like to keep them healthy in case I need to harvest a compatible organ 🙂

In fact, I was never actively interested in having as many kids as I do.

You must have had some input?

😛

You must have had some input?

….and also output. 😯

I would definitely have them again, the person I had them with would be changed if that is an option though? Im kind of glad I had them young as I think I wasnt headed in a very good direction before they came along

I was 20 when my oldest was born, he is nearly 7 now and his brother is 5 and I have them both on my own and I wouldnt change them for the world.

We spent 5+ years and many £10000s trying to have them, but to no avail. If I’d known what I know now at the start we’d have saved ourselves a lot of money & heartache.

Considering adopting, but I’m getting on. If we adopt now, I could be in my 60s before they leave school…

Have two – now 14 and 11. Was never a right time to have for me but so glad they came along. Ridiculously proud of them both.
They don’t get any cheaper as they get older mind!

I can’t say as one of them may read this thread.

I have warned him that if he (the non gay one) has kids I’ll disown him.

Couldn’t be without them now.
Especially when the youngest (3) wakes you up @ 12.30am as she needs a poo.
20 minutes later of random talk about poo she tells me she doesn’t actually need a poo, just wanted to sit down and talk about it… 😆

Not a bloody chance!

With that knowledge I could probably do something much more constructive.

I love my boys, they are endlessly fascinating and wholly beautiful and they have unlocked hitherto undreamt of levels of compassionate adulthood in me.

But the eternal guilt and shame at the inadequacy of my parenting skills, the utter impossibility of preparing them for a world that is spiralling dangerously off course, the stress, the torment and the futility of it all makes me rue those naive and arrogant moments of passion when I briefly believed that we stood a chance of doing this job proficiently.

I could have saved them and myself a lot of anguish and used the knowledge I now possess, to turn my brief material existence into an endless celebration of the gift of my own life and influence on the earth, without the crushing doubt and anxiety of relentless daily failure.