How many children do you want to have?

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

None would be preferred, but maybe one adopted. Folks who want three or more tend to frustrate me.

Why?

[RogueBeaver]

Probably 2. 3 if financial circumstances permit. Definitely more than 1 at any rate.

[Redalgo]

None would be preferred, but maybe one adopted. Folks who want three or more tend to frustrate me.

Why?

There are a lot of kids out there who need adopting (i.e. bearing several offspring is very selfish), having fewer children allows parents to focus more resources on a smaller number of people - improving kids' prospects for healthful development and success in life, and having a small number of children is responsible family planning from a perspective of economic sustainability. I'd also prefer the States allow for a lot more immigration without incurring severe problems with urban planning and infrastructure.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Exactly 2.4.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Exactly 2.4.

Is the magic 2.5 number down to 2.4 or is there another point I'm missing (as usual). 

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

None would be preferred, but maybe one adopted. Folks who want three or more tend to frustrate me.

Why?

There are a lot of kids out there who need adopting (i.e. bearing several offspring is very selfish), having fewer children allows parents to focus more resources on a smaller number of people - improving kids' prospects for healthful development and success in life, and having a small number of children is responsible family planning from a perspective of economic sustainability. I'd also prefer the States allow for a lot more immigration without incurring severe problems with urban planning and infrastructure.

I see it very differently.  People who bear several offspring and don't adopt aren't being any more selfish than anyone else that doesn't adopt, and aren't any less likely to adopt from what I've seen. Wanting to have children usually isn't a selfish act, especially these days when it's less common for people to rely on their children for economic security in old age.  It may be Social Security has even contributed to the demographic trends toward below replacement birth rates, which is itself unsustainable for Social Security.  There isn't going to be an explosion of population growth if a few families decide to have more children. Some will have less, some will have more - I don't think the first formulation of the categorical imperative is operative here. As far as growing up in a large family, siblings can in many cases be a good experience for children and give them a greater network of family support.

[anvi]

My ex-wife had a daughter from her previous marriage, who became my step-daughter and who I still think of as my own.  Being a step-dad was a wonderful experience for me.  But no more kids after that.  I'm in my 40's, and my approach to the rest of my life will probably be mostly, if pathetically, selfish.  One was enough.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Exactly 2.4.

I didn't think that sitcom was your sort of thing Al.

[Badger]

Had 2, got snipped, end of story.