Babies. Forum

[dominkay]

Luckily the guy I am with actually likes the prospect of staying home. He jokes that he will raise the kids and play world of warcraft. If that does happen, I will jealous of him.

Children and MMORPGs are actually not all that compatible. WoW doesn't have a pause button, and neither do screaming infants.

[slider]

LOL @ people who think kids will cost $600K+. My parents would have gone bankrupt long ago.

yes but we were planning on being good parents.

Oh wow, you're right because being a GOOD PARENT involves paying for an expensive wedding and a live-in nanny and an ivy league education. Anything less and you might as well give up the child for adoption.

[IAFG]

LOL @ people who think kids will cost $600K+. My parents would have gone bankrupt long ago.

yes but we were planning on being good parents.

Oh wow, you're right because being a GOOD PARENT involves paying for an expensive wedding and a live-in nanny and an ivy league education. Anything less and you might as well give up the child for adoption.

i was j/king

[historyholly]

Luckily the guy I am with actually likes the prospect of staying home. He jokes that he will raise the kids and play world of warcraft. If that does happen, I will jealous of him.

Children and MMORPGs are actually not all that compatible. WoW doesn't have a pause button, and neither do screaming infants.

I have a couple friends that manage to play with us and raise children of various ages. And it doesn't have a pause button if you have a guild that is hardcore and unreasonable. Either way, stay at home dad that plays video games seems awesome to me either way.

[IAFG]

< last comment >

i would edit this out before every geek on The Internet PMs you

[vexion]

Luckily the guy I am with actually likes the prospect of staying home. He jokes that he will raise the kids and play world of warcraft. If that does happen, I will jealous of him.

I have a couple friends that manage to play with us and raise children of various ages. And it doesn't have a pause button if you have a guild that is hardcore and unreasonable. Either way, stay at home dad that plays video games seems awesome to me either way.

Girls like a guy to do this?

LF1M accomodating wife.

[historyholly]

< last comment >

i would edit this out before every geek on The Internet PMs you

Part of the risk of playing unfortunately.

[dominkay]

Luckily the guy I am with actually likes the prospect of staying home. He jokes that he will raise the kids and play world of warcraft. If that does happen, I will jealous of him.

Children and MMORPGs are actually not all that compatible. WoW doesn't have a pause button, and neither do screaming infants.

I have a couple friends that manage to play with us and raise children of various ages. And it doesn't have a pause button if you have a guild that is hardcore and unreasonable. Either way, stay at home dad that plays video games seems awesome to me either way.

I guess I'm skeptical that Guy Who Wants To Be A Stay At Home Dad and Play Video Games isn't actually Lazy Guy Addicted to Video Games.

[historyholly]

Luckily the guy I am with actually likes the prospect of staying home. He jokes that he will raise the kids and play world of warcraft. If that does happen, I will jealous of him.

Children and MMORPGs are actually not all that compatible. WoW doesn't have a pause button, and neither do screaming infants.

I have a couple friends that manage to play with us and raise children of various ages. And it doesn't have a pause button if you have a guild that is hardcore and unreasonable. Either way, stay at home dad that plays video games seems awesome to me either way.

I guess I'm skeptical that Guy Who Wants To Be A Stay At Home Dad and Play Video Games isn't actually Lazy Guy Addicted to Video Games.

So, would mom's that stay home to take care of the kids and happens to watch soaps or even maybe play video games be lazy?

[slider]

I guess I'm skeptical that Guy Who Wants To Be A Stay At Home Dad and Play Video Games isn't actually Lazy Guy Addicted to Video Games.

This is 100% on point.

[IAFG]

Amy, I am sure what you describe is something you could have. The question is why you would want to.

[chicagolaw2013]

My sisters both had children in their thirties. One sister is 38 and has children that are 8 and 5, and the other will be 41 in August, and her son is 4 and daughter will be 2 next month. My mom had my sisters when she was in her early 20's, and me when she was 37. To the person who said that birth defects go up, that may be a theory, but all 4 nieces and nephews are quite smart. The 4 year old reads at a 3rd grade level...we're convinced he's going to cure cancer or something, the kid's a genius. It's sort of creepy how smart he is, actually.

I've had to actively try NOT to get pregnant...apparently we are a fertile bunch hahaha.

Oh, and on the job or kids note, my hubby to be is in outside sales, so he works from home most days anyway. He hopes to be the stay at home dad some days, and we'd have a nanny when he must be out on client calls.

Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.

As for the bolded: Do your research. I'm not spouting off my personal theory, I'm telling you the consensus of the medical community based on extensive data collection. See the link above, and an intro level child psychology/development class.

And I'm telling YOU that genetics has a lot to do with it. I'm a psych major, I've taken the class, and I've read so many research findings on genetics and child development I could vomit.

[chicagolaw2013]

My sisters both had children in their thirties. One sister is 38 and has children that are 8 and 5, and the other will be 41 in August, and her son is 4 and daughter will be 2 next month. My mom had my sisters when she was in her early 20's, and me when she was 37. To the person who said that birth defects go up, that may be a theory, but all 4 nieces and nephews are quite smart. The 4 year old reads at a 3rd grade level...we're convinced he's going to cure cancer or something, the kid's a genius. It's sort of creepy how smart he is, actually.

I've had to actively try NOT to get pregnant...apparently we are a fertile bunch hahaha.

Oh, and on the job or kids note, my hubby to be is in outside sales, so he works from home most days anyway. He hopes to be the stay at home dad some days, and we'd have a nanny when he must be out on client calls.

Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.

As for the bolded: Do your research. I'm not spouting off my personal theory, I'm telling you the consensus of the medical community based on extensive data collection. See the link above, and an intro level child psychology/development class.

Pretty sure rock is right. That is precisely why they test eggs for down syndrome after a woman turns 34/35.

And you are correct on the testing, but genetics deals a heavy hand in these types of things as well, which is why many babies born after a mother is of a certain age DON'T have defects. So, I should say that I agree with you that perhaps incidence goes up, but it's not a reason to forego having a child if genetic evidence is on your side.

[yinz]

LOL @ people who think kids will cost $600K+. My parents would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Google it.

[IAFG]

Amy, I am sure what you describe is something you could have. The question is why you would want to.

Different people want different things. I think if men want that situation, it is totally normal. If women do, society/others view them negatively. I am more of a to each their own kinda gal.

it isn't really the "society" element that gives me pause so much as the hardwired biology part

[dominkay]

So, would mom's that stay home to take care of the kids and happens to watch soaps or even maybe play video games be lazy?

I've never heard a woman say, "I'll raise the kids and watch Days of Our Lives." Probably because women tend to have a more realistic idea of what being a stay at home parent entails.

[theLastZion]

This thread makes me want to get a vasectomy.

hth.

[IAFG]

This thread makes me want to get a vasectomy.

hth.

no one's stopping you. in fact, my dad's friend gave himself one (they're both surgeons) so it's possible.

[theLastZion]

This thread makes me want to get a vasectomy.

hth.

no one's stopping you. in fact, my dad's friend gave himself one (they're both surgeons) so it's possible.

Cool, I don't have health insurance so that sounds like a good plan. Just give me some numbing gel and a pair of scissors!!!!

[IAFG]

This thread makes me want to get a vasectomy.

hth.

no one's stopping you. in fact, my dad's friend gave himself one (they're both surgeons) so it's possible.

Cool, I don't have health insurance so that sounds like a good plan. Just give me some numbing gel and a pair of scissors!!!!

family guy has an instruction manual set to song. you'll need towel clamps.

[slider]

LOL @ people who think kids will cost $600K+. My parents would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Google it.

No one needs to google this. It is common sense. Something that seems to be disappearing these days.

[Rock Chalk]

My sisters both had children in their thirties. One sister is 38 and has children that are 8 and 5, and the other will be 41 in August, and her son is 4 and daughter will be 2 next month. My mom had my sisters when she was in her early 20's, and me when she was 37. To the person who said that birth defects go up, that may be a theory, but all 4 nieces and nephews are quite smart. The 4 year old reads at a 3rd grade level...we're convinced he's going to cure cancer or something, the kid's a genius. It's sort of creepy how smart he is, actually.

I've had to actively try NOT to get pregnant...apparently we are a fertile bunch hahaha.

Oh, and on the job or kids note, my hubby to be is in outside sales, so he works from home most days anyway. He hopes to be the stay at home dad some days, and we'd have a nanny when he must be out on client calls.

Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.

As for the bolded: Do your research. I'm not spouting off my personal theory, I'm telling you the consensus of the medical community based on extensive data collection. See the link above, and an intro level child psychology/development class.

And I'm telling YOU that genetics has a lot to do with it. I'm a psych major, I've taken the class, and I've read so many research findings on genetics and child development I could vomit.

I was referring to the bolded portion of your post. Older moms presenting a higher risk is not a theory, it's an observation. I would expect someone so experienced with research know this.

[Sammi]

Wow... my boyfriend and I have been talking a lot lately about the possibilities of our future kids even coming into being... He's a consultant and flies out a lot, and then I'll be a lawyer. However, he just got a promotion and will be traveling less, so his ability to work from home will hopefully help us out a lot. He's a bit naive when it comes to having a baby right after law school--he thinks he can be done.

Edit: I will be 30 upon graduation... which means that I'll need to put in 3-5 years just to pay off debt: 35 to start with? My mom had me when she was 36, but I was the last one out.

[nygrrrl]

Wouldn't this be very different for women who 1) aren't as emotional, 2) don't view being a mom>having a great career, and 3) have full time, round the clock help (nanny, mother in law, stay at home dad, etc) so you don't have to leave work if your kid is sick or whatever? I was also basing the 3-4 weeks off of my half dozen friends who have had children, maybe that is not a representative sample (and I don't have any girlfriends who had C-sections, which yeah, I've heard is longer), I don't know. But that was what they took before they went back. Given, they all tend to be in the situation described above.

My dad raised me as a single father (mother out of the picture) who worked very long hours and has a very successful career. And he never left work if I was sick, since I had a live-in nanny. I think that experience might also be skewing my view.

Amy, you've kind of described ME, tbh. I LOVE my job, figured I'd spend maybe 6 wks at home with the kid, then get baby sitters... not how it turned out AT ALL. It was 16 weeks before I felt ready to leave my 1st kid (I was stunned by how much I WANTED to be home with her) and then I stuck with PT sitters for a year after that. Not until she was 18 months old did I hire a FT nanny/sitter. Mind you, I was able to do a lot of my work from home, but I was blindsided by how different motherhood was from what I'd envisioned. I agree with IAFG - you can create the kind of parenting environment that works for you - and in this, "What works for YOU " is the key phrase. I know lots of parents and we pretty much all have different styles - and our kids are pretty much all healthy, happy, well-adjusted. It's the imposition of hard and fast rules about things like this that is a problem, imho.

[Connelly]

Amy, I am sure what you describe is something you could have. The question is why you would want to.

Different people want different things. I think if men want that situation, it is totally normal. If women do, society/others view them negatively. I am more of a to each their own kinda gal.

it isn't really the "society" element that gives me pause so much as the hardwired biology part

+1

Anyone here read The Disposable Male? It's a nice evolutionary look at modern gender roles. The author basically suggests extreme right-wing family values based on how evolution has developed each gender.

I just don't understand the mentality of planned outsourcing of child raising along the lines of, "We're both going to make 6 figures working 50-60 hours a week and hire a full-time nanny." Obviously, we all make do with what we are given under the circumstances, but I can only imagine (as a non-parent) that there isn't anything more valuable for a parent than time with one's children, even ignoring the IQ, emotional, and other benefits gained from parent-child interactions.