Reasons to Have Children

Was wondering today about reasons to have children.

Before coming up with my own list, I did a quick Google search and decided to cut and past what others have said.  Yes, yes, I know it's not creative or original.  I just am busy, and find it easier to have it all in one place...  I'm not saying I agree with all the below points, but I haven't time to cut out the bits I don't like...

http://www.playagaingames.com/interesting/children

1. They're cute. In fact, your own child is adorable. Every sigh, every laugh, every motion is bliss. You fall in love with them.
2. Re-experiencing childhood. Regardless of how good your own childhood was, your child allows you to vicariously relive childhood. Usually it's much better the second time around, when you have all the wisdom of age but can enjoy the energy of youth. Playing with a two-year-old feels like being two years old again.
3. Learning. Watching your child learn is fascinating and fun. Each new skill or idea or word learned is a little victory. If you watch carefully, you will see that something new is discovered or conquered every single day. Your child will need to learn a lot from you, as he or she starts without much knowledge at all except for perfect sense of his or her feelings. While you are busy teaching your child about practical aspects of the world, your child will be teaching you emotional sensitivity. The active teaching and learning process is rewarding and fulfilling.
4. Reflection. Everything that you already can do probably take for granted, but your child will remind you that all those skills had to be learned. It reminds you of how far you have come in life, and shows you the sorts of difficulties you probably had when you were your child's age. Your child will also notice things that you have long since filtered out. I didn't realize how many birds there were outside my house until my daughter showed me.
5. Reincarnation. Your genetic makeup is a small part of your identity. More important are your ideas, beliefs, manners, and stories. All of these things will be taken up by your child and then changed around. Your child will never be a clone of yourself, fortunately, but instead will be a new variation of you and the other people that raise him or her. If you like yourself then this is very satisfying.
6. Socializing. Every society has a subculture for people who raise children. At every age you can find people also raising a child in a similar situation. You can make many new friends with whom you have a lot in common. The comradely and shared experiences ease some difficulties.
7. Control. You must not tell other people how to raise their own children. However, if you raise your own child, you get to do it your way, which you presumably believe is the right way. People might disagree with your methods, but if you have thought at great length about it--and you should if you plan on having a child--then you probably have good reasons for all the decisions you will have to make. When you find that your methods are not perfect, which you will, you can change them appropriately.
8. Adoption. There are lots of children in the world without parents. Adopting a child is an excellent way to greatly improve the life of someone who would have a very hard time otherwise.
9. Entertainment. Children have lots of energy and can be lots of fun. They develop imaginations, a sense of humor, and lots of excitement. Little kid laughs are infectious. Playing with children is very enjoyable.
10. Love. You are the center of your child's world, and as much as you may love and need your child, he or she will love you more. Children that are shown love and affection show it back many times over.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061220104247AAaVMAZ
posted by BUSY

• You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
• The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
• You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
• You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
• You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
• Every day is a surprise.
• Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
• You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
• You become a morning person.
• Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
• You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth
• You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night
• You discover an inner strength you never thought you
• You realize that you can love a complete stranger

also from Yahoo answers, by Wildcat9
The joys of having a raising a child are unmeasureable! First, it changes the whole way you percieve life. Now, I have someone who needs me and watches every move I make. I am their whole world. I can show them and teach them. I get to watch every little discovery along the way, which is pure joy. Then, I am the one they turn to when they need something. My kiss can fix anything, in their eyes. The responsiblities are tremendous, but the joys outweigh any kind of doubt or pain or worry. My children will be my legacy in life. What I teach them they will carry forever, pass on to their own children, and hopefully make the world a better place to live in. As far as handicapped children, one of mine is. she wears a prosthetic leg. First, she is not handicapped, she is handicapable! Second, a child with special needs somehow teaches you more than you ever knew you could learn. Those children, are the happiest children you will find. They don't care about why they are different, and sometimes they don't even notice. But they are happy and it spreads to others. I understand that having a child with special needs is difficult, but it is a joy as well. I would not trade any of my children for an easier day or a less hectic one. I hope this tells you how I feel. Children are the world's future, and as parents, we get to shape that future. It is an awsome thing.

http://domestic-vocation.blogspot.com/2007/10/another-40-reasons-to-have-children.html

1. You can't understand unconditional love until you look at the trusting eyes of your infant.

2. "I love you" takes on a whole new meaning.

3. Sudden bravery: timid women can suddenly become bears in defense of their babies!

4. Realizing that God has entrusted a living soul to you and your husband!

5. Realizing that God has not left you alone to tend that soul.

6. Tiny fingers grasping yours as you feed her in the middle of the dark, silent night.

7. Piles of drawings and love notes that say things like "I LOVE YOU MOMMY LOVES LITTLE GIRL" - and having them taped up around the computer, all over the bedroom, in the bathrooms, in the hallways...

8. Priceless art looks a lot like crayon on computer paper instead of oil on canvas.

9. You really don't need those shoes as much as the growing-like-a-weed children! And you suddenly find that you don't mind having ratty old sneakers.

10. Your children are ready to call and complain to Wal Mart that they cannot nominate you for Teacher of the Year because you homeschool.

11. Soft baby skin against your own.

12. That sweaty spot under your chin that comes from the baby falling asleep on your chest while you were dozing.

13. Remember how great it was the first time you received Holy Communion/went to Disney World/sat on Santa's lap/grew something in the garden/rode your bike without training wheels/sat on a horse alone/jumped a wave at the beach? It's junk compared to watching your children experience the same childhood joys for the first time! (Who would have thunk that the character parade at Disney World was a cause for tears??)

14. You don't have to feel guilty for singing Veggie Tales songs.

15. You also don't feel guilty any more for reading The Giving Tree again and again.

16. You get to read all the children's books you missed the first time around!

17. Your children think you are the prettiest woman in the world.

18. They also think you are the best artist in the world.

19. You suddenly appreciate your own parents much more and realize that they weren't really too strict most of the time.

20. Cuddling under a big fleece blanket while watching movies together.

21. Remembering why it's fun to play in the snow.

22. Listening to their prayers.

23. Watching them do a silent acting show where they dress up to be Indians and take turns hunting and then use the stuffed puppy dog as a "deer" because they have no stuffed deer and then they gut the stuffed puppy and roast it on a spit that is actually a stick-horse and then proceed to eat it but that is not as funny as when they decide that the deer should be bigger so the younger daughter becomes the deer and gets shot with an arrow and gutted and eaten in the second act and you have to control yourself and not laugh too much or pee yourself because that will only serve to embarrass them. (shhhhhh...don't tell them I told you that)

24. Little smiles that light up the entire world.

25. When you add more children to your family, the love mulitplies - not divides.

26. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other big holidays would be very lonely if you didn't have anyone to share it with.

27. Your mundane childhood is so much more interesting to your children than it is to you.

28. Laundry was never as fun as it was when I was folding those teeny, tiny clothes - especially the socks!

29. First steps.

30. Birthday parties at your house where you have Yard Olympics and the kids have to do a relay race and run in Dad's boxer shorts and T-shirts.

31. Realizing that a party in the park or a party where kids trip um, run in Dad's boxer shorts is actually at least as much fun (if not more) than the party with the juggler or the magician.

32. Watching them win at sports. (Or watching them lose with grace.)

33. Your husband is never as manly as he is when he is being Daddy with the kids.

34. Your dream vacations actually consist of doing things with your family instead of sunning yourself on a beach alone with your husband. And you don't care. You actually like it better.

35. Your husband becomes the strongest man in the world, and your daughter tells you that if he weren't already married to you, she'd marry her Daddy. Because he is perfect. (Which you always suspected, anyway.)

36. When your husband travels for work, you've got plenty of company!

37. What other reason do you have to read Beatrix Potter books out loud?

38. You get to skip through Wal Mart's parking lot while singing "Here We Go Looby-Loo."

39. You get to watch your husband skip through Wal Mart's parking lot. (No singing.)

40. Some day, when you are old and gray, little babies will come and visit you again, brought to you by the very same people who were once so small and tiny. And you'll get to experience so much of this list again. And, if you are blessed with a long life, again with your great-grandchildren.

http://karenedmisten.blogspot.com/2007/10/40-reasons-to-have-kids.html
40 Reasons to Have Kids.
(loosely based on her 40 reasons not to ....)

1. Desiring children with the man you love is as natural as breathing.

2. The experience of delivering a new life to the world is singularly exhilarating. If you fear pain, there's this lovely thing called an epidural.

3. Breastfeeding: it's not only economical, efficient, and good for the baby, but it releases hormones that relax and calm both mother and child, lulling both of you to sleep. Who wouldn't want a natural nap-inducer?

4. The world doesn't revolve around me and my daily desires.

5. Every human being has dignity and worth.

6. A child is an unbreakable bond between husband and wife. Love breeds love. And more love. And more. There's nothing more desirable than the father of your children.

7. A couple becomes a family  -- the whole becomes greater than its parts.

8. Having a child is a cooperation with the sacred.

9. Children are some of the most charming little people I know: full of wonder, curiosity and innate kindness. Properly nurtured, they become equally charming adults.

10. You get to read all the favorite books of your childhood all over again.

11. Children naturally grasp the lesson that people are more important than things.

12. Children teach us the freedom that comes with self-discipline and self-sacrifice.

13. The biggest drudgery is facing no one but myself day after day.

14. I am not ideal ... why should I expect my children to be? Kids teach us the joy of unconditional love and acceptance.

15. I will inevitably disappoint my children because I am not perfect. But, along the way, I'll be able to teach them that -- while nothing on this side of heaven is perfect -- the journey and the perfection that awaits us are worth every moment of trial on earth.

16. To remain or become a self-centered, self-enclosed egotist: what horror!

17. Taking time to care for the gifts I've been given ... yes, thank you.

18. Motherhood is a vocation: fulfilling, rewarding, and full of unpredictable surprises.

19. Families: they are a reflection of the Trinity.

20. Relive childhood and all of its innocent wonder and mirth.

21. To persist in saying "me first" is a sign of immaturity.

22. A child will ignite the fond memories of your own childhood.

23. While you cannot ensure that your child will be happy 100% of the time, the desire for her happiness is a good, admirable and unselfish thing.

24. The enchantment of being with one's children outweighs any and all other difficulties.

25. If you worry about sending them off to school, homeschooling is a delightful, intellectually stimulating option.

26. Do something to change the world. Have a child.  Raise a saint.

27. Revel in the simplicity of a child's unconditional love and trust.

28. Parenting will soften your hard edges and sharpen your compassion and empathy.

29. Motherhood is an insight into one's soul.  It's better than analysis.

30. Success is not defined only in terms of what one does for money.  To succeed as a mother is beyond worldly success.

31. When your husband becomes the father of your children, a new man appears: fiercely loving but practical and still-logical, nurturing but fiercely strong and protective. You will fall in love with him all over again.

32. The child to whom you give life may be the one to fight the culture of death and the notion of a brave new world.

33. "How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers."  -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

34. Children whittle away your time in ways that are ultimately beneficial: they have an uncanny knack for getting rid of the meaningless hobbies that used to consume you.

35. Watching a child grow into a caring, sensitive soul is a reward that cannot be measured in book sales.

36. It's an awe-inspiring thing to have a child and the experience of feeling, "I didn't think I could ever love anyone that much."

37. Already have a child? Have another. Siblings are the best birthday presents, Christmas presents, Father's Day presents, Arbor Day presents ....

38. Baby toes.  Need I say more?

39. Okay, I'll say more.  Watching your baby sleep: You didn't know that angels could be held in your arms.

40. Worried about money?  What's worth more than a soul?

http://playthedad.blogspot.com/2007/10/40-reasons-to-have-child.html

1. I don't know why they say grown men don't cry.
2. Children are much more fun much longer than any new cell phone or Ipod.
3. Put that geekiness to use, have a daughter and teach her how to use that GPS so you can GeoCache together.
4. A small voice in the middle of the night, "Daddy, I'm scared."
5. You always remember the first time that 1 month old fall asleep on your chest.
6. Have you ever seen a smile that will break your heart? You Will.
7. A kiss is a terrible thing to waste.
8. When you are carrying a baby, you always have an excuse out of any awkward social setting.
9. Candy Land; Chutes and Ladders, need I say more?
10. Someone to mow the lawn with you.
11. 7 minutes old, they will try to get your glasses but already have your heart.
12. Late night television is much better while holding an almost asleep infant.
13. You change their diapers today; you will have someone to change yours in twenty-forty years.
14. No better gift than someone to stand by them than a sibling for your kids.
15. The first time you see your newborn child is thirty times more intense than your first love.
16. The pitter patter of your child’s steps when you come home from work will brighten your day.
17. Really tight and snug bear hugs.
18. Someone that wants to hear all those exciting stories of your childhood over and over again.
19. Learning to love was never this much fun before.
20. Nothing quite like having someone that truly believes you can pull a quarter out of their ear.
21. The enjoyment of having someone steal your nose.
22. The ability to kiss a bobo and make it all better.
23. Because you love their smile when they beat you in a race or any game for that matter.
24. The feeling of them clinging to you the first time a pet or someone they love dies.
25. From the mouth of babes come truths that are beyond their years.
26. Milk and Oreo tea parties.
27. Licking the bowl while the cookies are in the oven is more fun when its shared.
28. They are cuter covered in mud than your dog is covered in mud.
29. Better than a cat, plus no litter box.
30. Immortal soul = Eternal relationship.
31. Become closer to God, create something with him.
32. The only thing more beautiful than your pregnant wife is when she is holding your new child for the first time.
33. You like pickles and when your wife is pregnant you will have a good excuse to go get some in the middle of the night.
34. Teaching a child to mow is a very rewarding experience.
35. Playing patty-cake with an 11-month old never gets old.
36. Perfect reason to pop popcorn and watch a favorite classic childhood movie.
37. Children know you are invincible and you have the privilege of wrestling the monsters out of their room.
38. Butterfly kisses.
39. The perfect reason to get out some coloring books, crayons and have fun.
40. The realization that fulfillment in life is found in living it for someone else is priceless, so is the value of your child’s immortal soul.

http://www.jenniferfallon.com.au/blog/index.cfm/2007/1/24/Top-10-Reasons-to-Have-Children

1. There’ll be someone to look after you in your old age
2. No one will think it strange when you buy comics
3. Children will love you unconditionally (right up until they become teenagers, at which point the rules change dramatically and for a while there, you won’t be able to do anything right)
4. You can justify having all manner of junk food in the fridge on the grounds that the kids put it there
5. You can go to the movies to see really dorky kids films, sighing with long suffering patience, all the while secretly having the time of your life
6. You can buy a “family sized” pizza and not look like a glutton
7. If you’re really lucky, you'll be able to live your life vicariously through your children as you watch them achieve all the things you wished you’d done
8. No one will think it strange when you buy that really cool, fully functional, replica lightsaber toy that  even makes the right noises when you swish it through the air (unless your daughter is only six weeks old or your son has just graduated from university)
9. You can always blame the mess in the house on the kids
10. If they grow up to be Nobel Prize winners, you can take pride in the fact that it was your DNA and superior parenting which made it possible (if they don’t then it’s all the fault of the ex, the education system or the preservatives they put in foods these days)

http://cause-of-our-joy.blogspot.com/2007/10/40-reasons-to-have-children.html

1.You learn to pray the rosary under wartime conditions. Susie Lloyd in her book. "Please Don't Drink the Holy Water" has entire chapter on this. She named it; "The Family Rosary and Other Near Occasions of Sin".
You learn to ignore minor swaying, nose picking, and sibling jostling while you focus your mind on Heavenly things and try to unite your distracted thoughts to the Cross.
You try to only pounce on: injuries which require treatment, rosary eating where parts of the rosary disappear, and children over 2 who fall asleep, or pretend they have.

2. Your ability to do "dirty jobs" wihtout flinching is greatly enhanced. My family loves to watch the TV show by that name. I don't need to. I live it. I have just finished cleaning up a potty training five year old, whose pants were much more than wet, know what I mean?!

3. You feel the world's greatest peace as those soft little arms fling around your neck, as you pull her from the bathtub after her bath!

4. You learn to smile when you would rather lose it. Like when those clean face and hands are in need of another bath after snack 20 minutes later.

5. You learn to love serving others. You run out to teach a class with nice clothes on, and decent hair, for a classroomful of respectful adults and are reluctant to leave the kids behind!

http://ukbookworm.blogspot.com/2007/10/thursday-thirteen-20-40-reasons-to-have.html
1. Stuff your pockets full of conkers.
2. Ride rollercoasters
3. Eat more ice cream
4. Re-read beloved books from your childhood.
5. Find new beloved children's books.
6. Have tickling fights.
7. Play on the swings.
8. Whizz down slides.
9. Visit the zoo.
10. Watch fun movies.
11. Jump in puddles.
12. Enjoy sloppy kisses.
13. Cuddle a lot.
14. Play board games.
15. Tell stories.
16. Sing songs.
17. Listen to jokes.
18. Bake cakes.
19.  Ride bikes.
20. Row boats.
21. Draw and paint.
22. Make scrapbooks.
23. Throw parties.
24. Take picnics to the woods.
25. Play on the beach.
26. Borrow your daughter's iPod.
27. Have your nails painted by your own personal manicurist.
28. Have your hair arranged by your own personal hairdresser.
29. Go clothes shopping with your own personal fashion adviser.
30. Kick balls.
31. Throw frisbees.
32. Fly kites.
33. Go swimming.
34. Pick blackberries.
35. Watch fireworks.
36. Play in the snow.
37. Visit Father Christmas.
38. Fill stockings.
39. Make new friends.
40. Laugh a lot.

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/blog/2007/03/75-reasons-to-have-child.html

75. The smell of a baby's head. Yes, the rumors are true. It rocks.
74. Pudgy hands.
73. Chubby feet.
72. Tiny toes.
71. Buying cute outfits at Baby Gap.
70. For mom, the exhilaration of knowing that you've made it through labor and delivery—something your husband could never, ever do.
69. Guiding another human being towards independence.   
68. Looking forward to the day when you and your child are truly friends.   
67. For mom, getting flowers and gifts on Mother's Day.
66. Being able to choose a name for someone else that they'll use for the rest of their lives. Oh, the power.
65. The first smile.
64. Whipping photos out of your wallet and bragging about your kid may not make you popular, but it sure is fun.
63. The first "mama".
62. The first "dada".
61. Not having to answer, "When are you going to start a family?" from nosy aunts at family reunions.
60. Being able to live out unfulfilled dreams through your child (the fun of a Thomas the Tank Engine train table with all the accessories cannot be described, only experienced).
59. Finally being on the "parent" side of parent-teacher conferences. What do they talk about, anyway?
58. Seeing what you and your spouse's features look like when combined.
57. The first hug.
56. The first steps.
55. Being perfectly justified in buying all the art supplies you've ever wanted. Finger paint, play dough, scented markers. Bring it on.
54. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child. They really are wide-eyed and innocent.
53. Baby's first kick during pregnancy. It's the neatest thing you'll ever feel.
52. Letting other people feel the baby kick during pregnancy.
51. Pregnancy: the total, absolute freedom to eat anything, in any quantity, at any given time, without so much as a raised eyebrow from anyone in the vicinity. Luscious!
50. For mom, seeing a new side to your husband: being "daddy" brings out all the right things.
49. Instant ability to connect with any parent, anywhere. You both know exactly what the other is feeling.
48. First tooth.
47. First word.
46. Cuddling with your baby.
45. In the early years, being thought of as the smartest, strongest, bravest person alive.
44. Being able to commit to, and follow through with, the decision to not make all the mistakes your own parents did.
43. Knowing there's someone to take care of you when you get old.
42. Rejoicing in all your child's achievements: graduation, marriage, starting a website.
41. Being able to comfort your child when they're down.
40. Knowing that your needs don't have to be the first thing you consider when making a decision.
39. The fun of playing at the park with your child.
38. Getting to tell someone something they didn't already know (Why is the sky blue?)
37. Helping with homework keeps your math and grammar skills sharp.
36. The first time your baby laughs. 
35. You know how when a baby starts crying, you can hand it to his/her parent and it stops? It's neat to be that person.
34. After years of being a "couple", finally becoming a family.
33. Being a parent doesn't make you realize you're selfish; it cures you of your selfishness.
32. The pride you feel the first time your toddler scribbles with a crayon.
31. Seeing your parents as grandparents enriches your relationship with them.
30. The opportunity to observe, firsthand, the incredible stages of development unfold during the first five years. It's like having a Piaget workshop in your very own home.
29. Vowing to dress your child normally, unlike your own mom who made you wear polyester.
28. Reading your child all the books you loved as a child (starting with Pat the Bunny and ending with the Lord of the Rings trilogy).
27. While not abusing this power, the opportunity to say "Because I said so" every once in awhile. And having that be the last word.
26. Taking your child to all the places you've been (your favorite countries, cities, and landmarks).
25. Someday, your child will probably give you grandchildren. According to grandparents, they're even better than your own children.
24. The first cry in the delivery room. You feel like your heart will explode with excitement and love.
23. Watching in amazement as your child learns to read. 
22. Easily explaining those stubborn, extra 20 pounds as pregnancy weight you just haven't shed yet (both dads and moms can use this excuse).
21. Decorating with the help of Pottery Barn Kids—making sure your child's room is the coolest ever.
20. That moment when your child picks your face out of a crowd and runs toward you with arms outstretched.
19. When you tuck your child into bed, and then hear the crash of thunder outside. Right then, you know that you have the power to keep another human being safe from harm. It's a rush.
18. For a husband, having your respect for your wife quadruple after watching her give birth.
17. Giving and receiving unconditional love.
16. Teaching your children what you believe about God.
15. They love your singing voice no matter what it sounds like.
14. For dads — receiving Father’s Day presents (even the ubiquitous tie).
13. The joy of baby’s first Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah.
12. Sparkly eyes.
11. Pudgy knees.
10. Tickle fests.
9. Finally being able to understand some of the decisions your parents made when you were a child.
8. The pleasure of watching your baby fall asleep in your arms, then kissing baby’s chubby cheeks.
7. Teaching your child all the things you’ve learned throughout your life — not letting that hard-earned knowledge go to waste.
6.  Silky baby curls.
5. Claiming your child as a dependent on your tax return.
4. Bath time! Bath toys! ‘Nuff said.
3. Dimples at the base of every pudgy finger.
2. Insuring that your genes will carry on to future generations.
1. Making sure your child is educated using the Montessori method!

http://cmerie.blogspot.com/2007/10/40-reasons-to-have-kids.html

1.  The smell of babies
2.  Having your baby reach his arms up for you because he wants only you
3.  My life would be pretty boring without my baby
4.  The love my husband has for my son
5.  The love my husband has for me that is renewed with our baby
6.  Making babies is fun
7.  Feeling your baby kick inside your womb
8.  How excited your husband gets when the baby kicks him from your belly
9.  The love you feel when you hold your child for the first time
10. Taking time out in you and your child's busy day to snuggle and nurse
11. The trust your child places in you
12. The never ending amount of cute face they make
13. Reading some stories you never read before, and revisiting old stories you love
14. The chance to raise a little person to love Christ
15. The chance to make the world a better place
16. Baby bellies
17. Baby toes
18. Baby waves
19. Slobbery kisses
20. Seeing your child interact with another for the first time
21. Picking out baby names
22. Wondering what your child will look like
23. Finding out your child looks nothing like you imagined
24. Stuffed animals
25. Seeing their face when they try a new food
26. Seeing their face when they don't like peas
27. Having an excuse to make cookies
28. The pride you feel when your baby takes his first steps
29. Baby claps
30. Having an excuse to go to the park on a nice day
31. Watching your baby sleep, because you will never see anything more peaceful
32. Knowing that your child is completely untainted by anything more than original sin
33. Watching them play and explore
34. Knowing that only you can comfort him
35. Being loved by someone so unconditionally
36. Having a purpose to your life
37. Baby clothes
38. Baby showers
39. Baby shoes that they never wear but are still really cute
40.  Snuggly baby blankets

Comments

[The Parents Zone]

Wow what a fantastic post... hats off to your patience...

It is the lovely feeling of parents to be able to love their children, help their children be who they are, while still being able teach them to stand on their own as much as possible, and being wise enough to know the difference.

http://www.theparentszone.com/