13 Children and Wanting More

[pookie1968uk]

did any one see this cutting edge documentary on channel 4 on thursday?
what did everyone think of these families with masses of kids, some on benefit?
i cant really comment as the third family featured was my brother in law's foster sister! but i certainly dont agree with it.

[Abigail]

I caught a few minutes of it so I can't comment on the program.

I don't mind people having lots of kids as long as they can provide for them. I don't think people should keep having children just to get more money from the state.

[Jojo]

I agree with Abigail - people can have how many children they choose, as long, in my opinion, that they provide for them themselves and don't rely on total state handouts and benefits.

I get frowned upon for having 4 children, yet the only money I receive from the state is child benefit and that I can't refuse.

Of course, its not just the financial side of things that you must be able to provide the children aswell - you should be able to provide for them emotionally aswell, and you do have to wonder if any of the children are missing out on love and support etc.

[Pinkbanana]

I agree with Abigail - people can have how many children they choose, as long, in my opinion, that they provide for them themselves and don't rely on total state handouts and benefits.

I get frowned upon for having 4 children, yet the only money I receive from the state is child benefit and that I can't refuse.

Of course, its not just the financial side of things that you must be able to provide the children aswell - you should be able to provide for them emotionally aswell, and you do have to wonder if any of the children are missing out on love and support etc.

I agree....it's up to the individual how many children they have....as long as they can support them...I don't think, I as a tax payer should be keeping their children. Its more common than you think, people on benefits having large families, in order to get more benefits and housing....it goes on a lot where I teach. Not only that but also trying to get perfectly normal children labelled as ADHD etc...in order to get more money from the state.

I have a friend who was one of 10 children :eek: and she said that her childhood was spent bringing up the younger siblings and money (her father worked and they weren't on benefits) and her parents' time and affection was in limited supply...

[Chloe O'brien]

I am in agreement with everyone else if parents want to have large families then that's up to them but they should be able to support them finacially and emotionally not leave kids to hang as they grow, but the sad fact is that there is families who just keep having children to get the benefits so they don't have to work and claim that their children have a behaviour problem as PB said.

When Marley was two my sister's ex partner's twin sister had a grandson the same aged as Marley, because Marley was always active she told me I should go to the doctors and tell them she has ADHD and get more money, which was so wrong because Marley didn't have it she was just a normal two year old but that is what is happening in today's society.

[Abigail]

I agree Kath. Once you have a child statemented or give them a medical diagnosis they can use it to get out of all sorts.

My mum's sister (she's a serious headcase btw, unfit to be a mother) claims her son has ADHD. Granted he was a bit of a hyperactive toddler but now he uses it as an excuse not to go to school and is being home tutored. Not that he actually does any work :rolleyes: He doesn't have ADHD; I know a kid who does and he has serious problems in sitting still and paing attention, even on ritalin.

I think every parent should get child benefit. It helps those families who are working but are on a low wage to buy clothes, shoes and maybe the odd school trip. There are some families who can get by without child benefit but at what financial boundary do you say, "you can get the benefit but the other family can't"?

[Chloe O'brien]

I myself keep no secret that I am a single parent and sometimes when I look at my income think I would be better off on the dole, but I think a lot of it's down to my upbringing when I left school none of my sisters, brothers or me were allowed to lie around in bed or in front of the TV. We had to find work or stay in education and even now I couldn't stand being stuck in the house with nothing to do.

A lot of it comes down to role models if you come from a 1 or 2 parent family and they are working and providing a good moral and stable upbringing to their children then it's going to encourage the children to do well in school and in adult life, but if you lounge around all day doing bugger all and show no intrest in you're children's education or upbringing then it's obvious that the children are going to copy the lives of their parents as it's the life they know.

[Abigail]

I myself keep no secret that I am a single parent and sometimes when I look at my income think I would be better off on the dole, but I think a lot of it's down to my upbringing when I left school none of my sisters, brothers or me were allowed to lie around in bed or in front of the TV. We had to find work or stay in education and even now I couldn't stand being stuck in the house with nothing to do.

I agree. Why would any parent want to sit on their backside, living off benefits for the rest of their lives when they can get a job and make a better life for themselves and their family?

My cousin has just had a baby. She's 18 and people automatically assume that she's going to claim every benefit going and get a council house. The only benefit she's claiming is child benefit and she's getting SMP from her job at Tesco. Doesn't amount to much at the end of the week when you have a newborn to provide for and fuel for hospital visits every few days. Next year she's going to uni, her son will be going in a nursery paid for by the university. She doesn't want to live on benefits, she actually said, "I'm going to make a good life for my son and give him the best I can."

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, is a different story :rolleyes:

[di marco]

i was gonna watch this but forgot it was on! might watch it on 4od


My cousin has just had a baby. She's 18 and people automatically assume that she's going to claim every benefit going and get a council house. The only benefit she's claiming is child benefit and she's getting SMP from her job at Tesco. Doesn't amount to much at the end of the week when you have a newborn to provide for and fuel for hospital visits every few days. Next year she's going to uni, her son will be going in a nursery paid for by the university. She doesn't want to live on benefits, she actually said, "I'm going to make a good life for my son and give him the best I can."

shes lucky then, at my uni you have to pay if you want your kid to go in the nursery

[Katy]

I think that is just what you find in todays society unfortunatly people see additional children as a way of getting more money either that or they have got the idea from shameless!

Seriously though it depends on the family in question. i have a very large extended family as most mydads cousins have had 7 or 8 kids. thats just the way they are. They love there family.

[Jojo]

I think every parent should get child benefit. It helps those families who are working but are on a low wage to buy clothes, shoes and maybe the odd school trip. There are some families who can get by without child benefit but at what financial boundary do you say, "you can get the benefit but the other family can't"?

Every family does get child benefit. Any child that is living at home with the parents aged under 16 or under 18 and in full time eduction - you are automatically paid - although its a measly amount and doesn't pay for anything tbh.

[Trinity]

I think every parent should get child benefit. It helps those families who are working but are on a low wage to buy clothes, shoes and maybe the odd school trip. There are some families who can get by without child benefit but at what financial boundary do you say, "you can get the benefit but the other family can't"?

Every family does get child benefit. Any child that is living at home with the parents aged under 16 or under 18 and in full time eduction - you are automatically paid - although its a measly amount and doesn't pay for anything tbh.

Kath was saying that everyone with a child gets it, and that it would be really hard to set a boundary where you would cut child benefit.

I agree, although to be honest it is something that I don't really think I should get. I have two kids and the child benefit is less than 2% of our take home monthly income. For some people it is a much higher percentage.

[sindydoll]

i missed it :(

[di marco]

i missed it :(

its on 4od if you wanna watch it