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Large families

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I was watching a programme this evening about large families and was wondering what people think about them. Things like should the state support large families ? If people want 10+ kids should they only get family allowance ? Should the council rehouse them to maybe two houses knocked into one ?

I have to admire this family that the programme was about. The wife stayed at home whilst hubby worked. They worked so well together and the kids all looked really clean and stuff. The house was really tidy, mine can be in a shit state with only one child. The main weekly shop came to £185 (I think) and then she could spend £10 per day on other fresh stuff like bread etc.

They save all year round for the annual holiday when they go to a caravan site and have to rent 3 caravans for he whole family. The kids get treats for their birthdays like a day at a family farm which they thoroughly enjoyed. The children tend to get a big present for their birthday but for christmas they tend to get lots of smaller ones.

Some time ago I would be against big families like this but this family changed my view. It was a very interesting programme and I have to give credit to the parents for bringing up I beleive 13 kids (there was that many and ive forgotten exactly how many) lol.

so what do you think about families this size ?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well I would not ban anyone from having large families, but I would certainly penalise them financially.

    For exactly the same reasons as we penalise financially cars with very large engines.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I seen that program, cant decide on what I thought but I was suprised how happy they all were....only because I could only imagine myself as having at the very most 2 kids and ive only just come round to the idea of one day, in the distant furture, doing it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    From a personal point of view concerning society I don't mind people getting as many kids as they want. I start minding when they need state support for their kids.
    Quite controversial, but maybe people who don't have the means to raise kids shouldn't get them?
    Extremely selfish as most people want to reproduce, and one or two kids is bareable, but 3 and up is not something I condone when thinking of the ressources they'd demand if supported by tax-money.

    From a demographs point of view people with that many kids should be hailed. Even talking about giving extra child support to those, as it helps lessening the problems society will have 20 years down the line, when there are less supporters than supportees.

    P.S. Damn you for making this thread. Shouldn't be on thesite in the first place, when I am struggling with my assignment, and have school tomorrow :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    big families were the norm when i was a kid but i think people should be a bit more responsible these days. when i was a kid it was rare that your mum had to go out to work. now there is so much to buy and own etc that both parents have to work.
    the dream that was pumped into my generation in primary school was that we would be working less and less hours in the future. well that future has arrived and everyone seems to be having to work harder and harder!
    i read today that within 15 years we are going to be facing some very serious problems cos not enough women are having anywhere near enough children to keep the system going!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Jacqueline the Ripper

    P.S. Damn you for making this thread. Shouldn't be on thesite in the first place, when I am struggling with my assignment, and have school tomorrow :p

    Jacq in a nice way, piss orf and get that fecking assignment done :p

    This family were a credit to themselves. as Vicky said they seemed lovely, normal kids and they didnt feel as though they missed out. It didnt make them want large families as they were asked and they said 2 or 3 kids is all they would like (that was the older kids).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I really don't know why people would want more than 3 kids.
    I don't agree with the kind of famillies you see on wife swap, a dirty old trollop who smokes 40 a day with a deadbeat husband who is on the dole. Not all big famillies are like that, but the ones that are just milk the system dry.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The family who used to own our house in Ireland had 13 kids with no state benefit!! Catholics you see.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think some fairly nasty sterotyping is coming out here. Granted some big families are on benefit, but not ALL. And as for "milking the system dry" I think benefit fraud does a lot more of that than anything else.

    I really have no objection to people wanting a big family, however as with any people (family or not) they should only be claiming benefit if they need it. It is not there to support those who for whatever reason just dont want to work.

    We need lots more children, just look at whats happening in Italy, their birth rate is so low they are having a crisis. In ten to 15 years time they're are going to have one worker to each pensioner!

    And as for not seeing why people would want more than 3 children, so? I cant really understand why people do needle work, or play bingo. But that doesnt mean either activity should be restricted.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I never said anything about it being restricted.
    But a lot of people do feel it's their to support them if they don't want to work.
    It's OK for someone to have a big family, just so long as one partner is making the effort to get up for work each morning, just like the rest of us do, having kids isn't an excuse.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my great gran had 18 kids, and they really struggled without any help but they made it through

    its just a bit greedy to have so many kids, they will eventually go without if the family arent millionaires, every kid wouldnt be able to 'keep up' with the other kids at school (eg they wouldnt have the same toys and hand down clothes, not that kids should be spoilt, its just peer pressure can get to a lot of kids) theres the money issuse and i dont see why the state should pay for every child anyway, i think only deprived kids should get extra money

    but thats because ive known familys who will have another baby because that way they can stay at home and do fuck all
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I would agree with Aladdin, we should not have to pay for someone else to go out and have 13 or 14 children. Its a waste of our money, if they want more than three then they should ahve to pay for it.

    It might make them think twice.

    Except my only concern is that the average family size is now only 1.8 children. That means there are less children than parents, which proves a problem later on when there are as many old fogeys dodging coffins as there are useful people who serve a purpose.

    The 14 children, all being well, will pay for themselves later on by paying taxes. So its swings and roundabouts I guess.

    The big families where neitehr parent goes out to work piss me off though. They should have their benefits stopped.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    Well I would not ban anyone from having large families, but I would certainly penalise them financially.

    For exactly the same reasons as we penalise financially cars with very large engines.

    Not a good idea AL, we need more children.

    Avert the lomig pension meltdown!

    Those kids will pay your pension, it makes no sense to disencourage people to have children given the situation we are in.....

    Be grateful to these people for bringing up the people that will pay for your retiremtn at no cost to yourself, you are very lucky! :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Kermit
    Its a waste of our money,

    Like you suggest yourself that is precisely wrong Kermit.

    Not sure what the benfit payments are for a kid but given that childs lifetime earning potential having a kid is a brilliant economic investment in the current situation.........
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Toadborg
    Not a good idea AL, we need more children.

    Avert the lomig pension meltdown!

    Those kids will pay your pension, it makes no sense to disencourage people to have children given the situation we are in.....

    Be grateful to these people for bringing up the people that will pay for your retiremtn at no cost to yourself, you are very lucky! :D
    Well that's what immigration is for isn't it? :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Toadborg
    Like you suggest yourself that is precisely wrong Kermit.

    Not sure what the benfit payments are for a kid but given that childs lifetime earning potential having a kid is a brilliant economic investment in the current situation.........
    about fifteen quid a kid i think? perweek.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by morrocan roll
    about fifteen quid a kid i think? perweek.
    a bit more for your first born
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the looming pensions crisis is ver very real but as usual most people can't see beyond the end of the week. it is such a serious near future problem that it would be worth considering financial incentives to have more kids.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    Well that's what immigration is for isn't it? :D

    Very true, a bit of both maybe?

    Apparently the Japanese need thousands of economic migrants every year for the forseeable future just to sustain the current dependancy ratio, and still the right-wingers rant and rave; bonkers.............
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    happy birthday!
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