tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post358188001787068750..comments2024-03-28T07:49:04.960+00:00Comments on nickhereandnow: On not having childrennickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472673041193755894noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-54561011780780702962007-10-20T19:20:00.000+01:002007-10-20T19:20:00.000+01:00Hi again, it's Emilia. Just one other thing: poll...Hi again, it's Emilia. Just one other thing: polls can be misinterpreted the other way around as well. For example, New York Times conservative columnist David Brooks reported that 70% of women in their 40s without kids "regretted" their childless status. However, the original Gallup poll did not use the word "regret." As well, no mention was made of how many of the 70% truly made a conscious decision to forgo procreation or how many intended to have kids at some time but put it off until it was too late. Or how many were infertile, for that matter. I suspect if the poll were limited to women who had made a definite choice not have to children, the 70% figure would be much lower. Moral of this story: be cautious about polls!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-89439719499298205102007-10-20T18:58:00.000+01:002007-10-20T18:58:00.000+01:00Hi, it's Emilia again. (This is a repeat.) I must...Hi, it's Emilia again. (This is a repeat.) I must say however that even if the number of parents who truly regret having children are a minority, in my view it is better to regret never having children (which I don't believe most voluntarily childless people do; for example, one sample of 25 "childless by choice" women found only one said she would have kids if she had to live her life over) than regret having a child that is already born. Moral of the story: whenever we make a decision, we may regret it later on. But I think in terms of having or not having children, most people - whether they are childless by choice or have ten kids - know what they are doing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-26915365706983255472007-10-20T17:32:00.000+01:002007-10-20T17:32:00.000+01:00Thanks for that update, Emilia. See my reply on On...Thanks for that update, Emilia. See my reply on On Not Having Children (2)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-43307982399981474702007-10-20T11:01:00.000+01:002007-10-20T11:01:00.000+01:00Ann Landers debunked:http://score.kings.k12.ca.us/...Ann Landers debunked:<BR/><BR/>http://score.kings.k12.ca.us/lessons/wwwstats/voluntary.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-19181780680002404382007-05-07T19:07:00.000+01:002007-05-07T19:07:00.000+01:00Mr. M and I also chose not to have kids and the ex...Mr. M and I also chose not to have kids and the explanations were always a pain in the ass. I think I got more grief about it than he did. Men are not expected to desire children in the same way that traditional gender norms regard all women as future moms.<BR/>There are plenty of studies which show that couples without kids argue less and are happier in their relationships. I'll testify to that.Megan McGurkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09673489472490377198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-3795199240166259922007-04-17T23:20:00.000+01:002007-04-17T23:20:00.000+01:00Very good! Another quote, from Clarence Darrow, th...Very good! Another quote, from Clarence Darrow, the American civil libertarian: "The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-70633109235098178982007-04-17T17:34:00.000+01:002007-04-17T17:34:00.000+01:00Alexei Sayle - also childless - says the only diff...Alexei Sayle - also childless - says the only difference is that in old age he'll be swindled by Filipino maids rather than by his own offspring.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-45510604002617746642007-04-10T14:00:00.000+01:002007-04-10T14:00:00.000+01:00Thanks for that very interesting pointer to Ann La...Thanks for that very interesting pointer to Ann Landers, which I've followed up in my next blog! Have been to Toronto myself, as my partner Jenny has two cousins living there. Glad you enjoyed your trip to Northern Ireland - you must have noticed how rapidly it's changing now with the accelerating peace process. Hope you come back again.nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10472673041193755894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-18506315121689376182007-04-10T05:01:00.000+01:002007-04-10T05:01:00.000+01:00Hi Nick:Just tumbled on your blog and enjoyed it. ...Hi Nick:<BR/>Just tumbled on your blog and enjoyed it. I'm originally from Ireland myself but living in Canada now. We did a wonderful tour of the North a few years back (last time before that was in the late sixties).<BR/><BR/>Re kids, as per the Ann Landers survey taken in 1980 I believe, 80% of people polled who had adult children responded with a resounding "NO" when asked if they would do it again. I'm with the 80%.<BR/><BR/>SlainteWisewebwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281689872840844191noreply@blogger.com