Who on here doesn't have children?

[Old Hack]

Have 3, lost one. Wife also had one ectopic.

As for not bringing them into the world for fear of not being able to give them enough, well kids need feck all but entertainment, love and guidance, most of which is free. I have taken my kids to Florida to a beach villa, and camping in Cornwall in the hooning rain, and they preferred the camping. To be honest, they aren't that expensive, as you don't really do much on your own anymore, so when before you and wifey went out to the restaurants and bars 3, maybe 4 times a week, you do it once, en famille, and don't drive £40 bottles of wine. This morning I took them swimming, then to a roller disco, next week we're going canoeing and cycling.

They just want as much of your time as you can give; I know many, many poorer working class families who do fine and the kids are great.

[fullyautomatix]

Indeed I have, if by employer you mean client. No issues there.

Ok. Sure.

[MarillionFan]

Have 3, lost one. Wife also had one ectopic.

As for not bringing them into the world for fear of not being able to give them enough, well kids need feck all but entertainment, love and guidance, most of which is free. I have taken my kids to Florida to a beach villa, and camping in Cornwall in the hooning rain, and they preferred the camping. To be honest, they aren't that expensive, as you don't really do much on your own anymore, so when before you
and wifey went out to the restaurants and bars 3, maybe 4 times a week, you do it once, en famille, and don't drive £40 bottles of wine. This morning I took them swimming, then to a roller disco, next week we're going canoeing and cycling.

They just want as much of your time as you can give; I know many, many poorer working class families who do fine and the kids are great.

All swings and roundabouts. Was supposed to be getting married in March but somehow knocked the missus up again in July which hit the wedding date. So initially told people we were most likely going to have to change the wedding because of work. Of course we had to tell some people and the wedding venue who on the rebooking had us over a barrel as I paid the deposit on the Friday, the missus telling me when I was in the US on the Monday. She freaked completely out and was going to head to the doctors to get rid, not what you want to hear 5000 miles away on your first day abroad. Having changed everything & set for a new challenge in life the opportunity was taken away recently. As someone so eloquently says on here 'sh1t happens'

I'm a great believer in you have control over your own destiny & so if you want kids later in life then assuming all the plumbing works(you'll only find out later) then it's fine to save up or wait for the right time. If on the other end it's unplanned, deal with it. That's the idea of life you deal with stuff as it happens. It's part of life's tapestry. The worse must be for people who want kids, leave it to late in life & find they cannot or just couldn't. If you don't want them don't have them but rest assured if my kids are playing up on the restaurant table next to you and you look across and tut, i won't give a sh1t.

[formant]

Then you suspect wrong. Religious people I know some who've adopted faced the same kind of suspicion from social workers as UKIP voters.

Much than the faith, I meant their activity in the church community that's likely to have earned them brownie points (leading youth groups and all). It's text-book happy family kind of stuff. I don't doubt that religion in itself doesn't help much, if at all.

[mudskipper]

Yep, things don't always go to plan. Not sure there's ever a right time. I was 'too young' but I've got 3 kids and no real regrets. A lot of my friends of a similar age are starting families now - some want to and it's not happening for them (who knows if it would have 10 years ago?). I have to say I don't envy them still having teenagers when they're 60 and having uni expenses etc at a time when they're thinking about retiring.

[formant]

Ok. Sure.

I'm still so niche, I'm near impossible to replace and yet too crucial to the project. I'm also basically a disguised permie, likely to move to proper permie with the client soon enough. News have spread to more senior management, have had a few congratulatory emails since.

Disbelieve as much as you please, even I'm surprised it's been so much less of an issue than I expected.

It may have helped that my "boss" at ClientCo happens to have a self-employed wife who also didn't take much time off after having her little one.

[mudskipper]

Much than the faith, I meant their activity in the church community that's likely to have earned them brownie points (leading youth groups and all). It's text-book happy family kind of stuff. I don't doubt that religion in itself doesn't help much, if at all.

Went through the slightly bizarre situation of adopting my own son. Basically (I don't know if they've changed it now - this was over 20 years ago) for a step-parent adoption, you have to adopt as a couple, so I had to both put my son up for adoption and adopt him with my husband in order for my husband to be his dad. Had to go through months of assessment, interviews with social workers etc, but I am officially a 'suitable parent'.


Edit: It changed in 2006. Good thing too - it felt very wrong at the time to adopt my own child.

"Until 2005 the law required a parent and step-parent to apply jointly as a couple because the making of an adoption order would cut off the child’s relationship with his or her original parents.

Since 2006 a step-parent or the unmarried partner of the child’s parent can apply on their own to adopt. If an Adoption Order is made it only cuts off the child’s legal relationship with his or her ‘absent’ parent – the one who is not the partner of the new adoptive parent."

Link

[fullyautomatix]

I'm still so niche, I'm near impossible to replace and yet too crucial to the project. I'm also basically a disguised permie, likely to move to proper permie with the client soon enough. News have spread to more senior management, have had a few congratulatory emails since.

Disbelieve as much as you please, even I'm surprised it's been so much less of an issue than I expected.

It may have helped that my "boss" at ClientCo happens to have a self-employed wife who also didn't take much time off after having her little one.

You couldnt possibly take a picture of yourself along with a card with CUK written on it and post it here, could you ?

On second thoughts, never mind.

[Spacecadet]

You couldnt possibly take a picture of yourself along with a card with CUK written on it and post it here, could you ?

On second thoughts, never mind.

Where did she go and why was she banned?

[MarillionFan]

Where did she go and why was she banned?

She asked too many questions...