Man is told he is too fat to adopt

[Knigar]

Having recently adopted children myself I can fully see the point of the council on this. .

wow congrats

when did you adopt? did you adopt a boy or a girl? how old is he/she?

sorry for all the questions just interested

and yeah i agree, the council are right, its not stated that he has tried to lose wait just complaining he's a fat bastard

[Coyote Smith]

We could sterilise everyone at birth so people would have to consciously make the decision to have a child. Anyone who wanted to have a child would be unsterilised no questions asked.
It would completely eliminate the problem of unwanted children. Would that be a bad thing?

We need a license to drive a car, how about a license to have children? A 3 day course in which potential parents are taught skills that will benefit both them and their child? Makes sense to me...

Isn't that all a bit....fascisty?

Abso-bloody-lutely. Having children is a natural process, driving is not.

[BertyBottyBiter]

Abso-bloody-lutely. Having children is a natural process, driving is not.

Neither is child benefit so I guess you could force people to get a parenting license before they get access to any money. It would partially remove the incentive to produce sprogs just for funds.

Also, people must be suitable for parenthood before they are granted IVF treatment. Do you think that anyone should be granted IVF who needs it, no questions asked?

Don't take my sterilisation comments seriously - it's an interesting idea to think about, and the positive effects it may have on the society are appealing. But you are right that such a system would too open to abuse and manipulation by politicians and doctors. Ultimately it is someone's right to have a child, it just grates that these children are often unintentional and unloved and we are left to pick up the bill.

The grumpy old sod in me sometimes feels that having children should be privilege, and not a right.

[Bilge Rat]

I guess you could force people to get a parenting license before they get access to any money. It would partially remove the incentive to produce sprogs just for funds.

But it is penniless, unfit parents who have the most children anyway. Not paying them benefits wouldn't stop them having children because they are too fat and stupid to do otherwise. It would just lead to more children being taking into care or dying of starvation because mummy can't afford both food and fags without her benefits cheque.

As for your sterilisation plan, I would worry that this would hugely reduce birth rates (I think only about 50% of pregnancies in this country are planned) and that would cause labour shortages and pension deficits. You also run this risk of being overrun by other cultures who do not subscribe to this system, either through war or simply gradual immigration.

[aidanon]

Just to clarify, what I'm suggesting is that we need to prepare people for parenthood. If someone is raised by shitty parents they're more likely to be shitty parents too and a lot of people don't have the basic skills that parents need to look after their children. Perhaps it wouldn't be mandatory, but maybe included for first time parents as part of the mum's pre-natal care.

[Bilge Rat]

Yeah, I agree with you there. I hate to think how much child care money really is spent on cigarettes and alchohol (or other drugs).

[OnThinIce]

Its harsh, but ultimatly the right decision.

If he wants a child enough, he will make a effort to loose weight and change his bad lifestyle and in turn proving he would make a good father

[Bob Syko]

That's why the government should only give out tokens good for food, clothes, energy bills and rent.

What about when it comes to Christmas and Birthdays? I'm pretty sure any child would be destroyed mentally if they got a Snickers and a pack of socks off Santa.