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thanks dibs,
My mother stopped smoking during pregnancy-cold turkey 3 times, but the booze flowed. She was hung over driving herself to the hospital with first child. Though the minute we popped out there was a doral in the left hand asap and second hand smoke was inevitable for my childhood.
if your kids want to experiment with mind-altering drugs,
put your foot down and insist they you try them 1st to make sure they are safe. that’s what makes a good parent.
Oy, I refuse to watch that Killing Fields clip, because it was horrific enough the first time. I actually attended the film’s premier at which Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran talked afterwards. Talk about heart-wrenching.
“why on earth would that kid be in my kid’s Brady Bunch lunchbox or anywhere near my kid’s sammich???”
I’m not defending extreme nut prohibitions (although I imagine the RNSC might right about now), but until you’ve seen it, you just wouldn’t believe how much casual food trading there is in pre-school and grade school lunch hours. You just can’t expect a 4-year old with an extreme allergy to say no to a PB&J or a peanut butter ritz or an oatmeal cookie with a stray nut in it every time out. My problem is when they impose the erstrictions even on classrooms or entire buildings without a known case of a severe allergy. My daughter’s school started out with classroom bans for classrooms with a kid with known severe allergies, but later capitulated and went building-wide. that, I imagine, was insurance-driven. Someone, somewhere, sued a school and got a big verdict. Insurers never roll the dice on stuff like that once there’s a verdict somewhere.
“having a baby = Best thing that’s ever happened in my life. So much joy. I want another one.”
So it’s one of those, “can’t really explain it, but you should probably do it” kind of things. It’s very interesting to hear your take, as a fellow tough-cookie.
*******
Couldn’t agree more — and with rf. When I was younger, I didn’t see the point in having children. It just seemed like something most people do because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do, and that wasn’t a good enough reason for me.
That’s not to say being a parent is for everyone. In fact, I daresay there are lots of people who have no business being parents at all. And certainly, it’s nice that we live in a society where it’s possible for people to survive economically on their own, to live in all kinds of ways (single, married, same-sex relationships, communal living situations, etc.), and to make the free choice not to reproduce.
But for me personally, I feel incredibly grateful when I realize how close I came to missing out on the most profound, loving and most meaningful experience of my life.
Thanks, RF. I don’t really think I need tons of money but am more concerned about whether I have the chops to be a parent given my worldview (life scares the crap out of me). Reality is really freaky – do you educate your kids about that, try to protect them, or just be supportive when they experiment with mind-altering drugs?
thanks dibs,
My mother stopped smoking during pregnancy-cold turkey 3 times, but the booze flowed. She was hung over driving herself to the hospital with first child. Though the minute we popped out there was a doral in the left hand asap and second hand smoke was inevitable for my childhood.
if your kids want to experiment with mind-altering drugs,
put your foot down and insist they you try them 1st to make sure they are safe. that’s what makes a good parent.
Oy, I refuse to watch that Killing Fields clip, because it was horrific enough the first time. I actually attended the film’s premier at which Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran talked afterwards. Talk about heart-wrenching.
Biff- I shouldn’t have watched- I still have chills going up and down. Tough to watch doesn’t begin to describe it.
“You’ll never regret having kids, but you may regret not having them.”
Exactly.
“why on earth would that kid be in my kid’s Brady Bunch lunchbox or anywhere near my kid’s sammich???”
I’m not defending extreme nut prohibitions (although I imagine the RNSC might right about now), but until you’ve seen it, you just wouldn’t believe how much casual food trading there is in pre-school and grade school lunch hours. You just can’t expect a 4-year old with an extreme allergy to say no to a PB&J or a peanut butter ritz or an oatmeal cookie with a stray nut in it every time out. My problem is when they impose the erstrictions even on classrooms or entire buildings without a known case of a severe allergy. My daughter’s school started out with classroom bans for classrooms with a kid with known severe allergies, but later capitulated and went building-wide. that, I imagine, was insurance-driven. Someone, somewhere, sued a school and got a big verdict. Insurers never roll the dice on stuff like that once there’s a verdict somewhere.
“I have two; take your pick.”
The one least like you 🙂
“having a baby = Best thing that’s ever happened in my life. So much joy. I want another one.”
So it’s one of those, “can’t really explain it, but you should probably do it” kind of things. It’s very interesting to hear your take, as a fellow tough-cookie.
*******
Couldn’t agree more — and with rf. When I was younger, I didn’t see the point in having children. It just seemed like something most people do because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do, and that wasn’t a good enough reason for me.
That’s not to say being a parent is for everyone. In fact, I daresay there are lots of people who have no business being parents at all. And certainly, it’s nice that we live in a society where it’s possible for people to survive economically on their own, to live in all kinds of ways (single, married, same-sex relationships, communal living situations, etc.), and to make the free choice not to reproduce.
But for me personally, I feel incredibly grateful when I realize how close I came to missing out on the most profound, loving and most meaningful experience of my life.
Thanks, RF. I don’t really think I need tons of money but am more concerned about whether I have the chops to be a parent given my worldview (life scares the crap out of me). Reality is really freaky – do you educate your kids about that, try to protect them, or just be supportive when they experiment with mind-altering drugs?