More Kids = More Gratitude | Hacker News Reader

More Kids = More Gratitude

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15 pointsmustafabisic111 comments

This is very true. I have 5 kids and foster 2 more. I love to see them learn from each other, I think they learn more from each other than they do from me!

Agreed. I feel like I'm there as a side-quest for them and them learning from each other is the main point of the "game".

There's a lot of generalization from a single sample here:

> The world of single-child parenting, at least in my experience, was a doting dance. A universe where our child became the sole moon, and around him, our world orbited. ...when everything is handed over without a slight struggle or effort, it becomes the expected norm....[with multiple kids] Gone were the days of extravagant games and toys. In their place, the charm of simple play, conversations, and basic fun thrived.

A single child need not be a helicoptered princess/prince. That's a cultural or personal choice on the part of the parents. They can just as well grow up to be a happy, well adjusted adult experienced in both love and challenges.

I have 4 kids. My wife and I joke that if anything happens to one that we have spares. It’s a joke but there’s truth in it.

It got me to think about parents with a single kid. Parents carry the burden to keep their kids alive to survive them and help them thrive.

I’ve noticed that my single child friends are a lot more protective…and I realized I probably would too if (for lack of a better phrase) all my eggs were in one basket. Makes sense.

That’s another angle. Love it

I tend to agree. It feels like more of a potential pitfall to watch out for than an eventuality. There’s also something to be said for knowing your limit. Growing up, a good friend had a large family, and it was like Lord of the Flies at his house. It, unfortunately, did not end well for any of them. There are plenty of stereotypes around siblings: oldest, youngest, oops baby, only child, middle child, etc and the distinctions feel a bit more like horoscopes than anything solid. I’d bet that any real trends could be changed with a little awareness.

Agreed, it’s a balancing act and it’s quute individual.

Great commeny. Of course they can grow up to be happy. My wife is the only child and she’s great. I’m just talking about pronciple and more of a feeling. It’s not a law nor a rule .

Pardon the presumption, but based on the name, probably a man of an Islamic tradition, which values children as blessings and gifts from God.

I have seen an alarming rise in propaganda in Western media, which depict motherhood and parenthood as drudgery and a chore, a thankless job that nobody wants anymore. Pregnancy and childbirth are depicted as the worst thing that can happen to you, try to avoid it, but ugh here's my horror story about barely surviving it so I can warn you away. Children shown as burdens, as little terrors, as "another mouth to feed" that definitely parents can't afford two or one, much less a whole "litter full".

It seems like there is a movement bent on doing anything it can to prevent people from reproducing or forming strong, committed and faithful families (and they have plenty of other strategies I don't need to mention here), and frankly, it's working a treat currently! Good job!

Yes, I agree a sentiment against having more children is dominant mainstream. My experience has been that more and more people are ignoring this sentiment and going after it.

It’s an idividual thing and for myself I’m grateful to have as many kids as God gives me.

There is no shortage of people or children on the planet. Having children -- if you live a western lifestyle -- is the most destructive thing a person can do, in regard to carbon emissions and damage to the earth. What about your duty to protect the Earth, that God gave you? Why not adopt? There is a shortage of children that need parents. Wouldn't God prefer that you do that?

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