Congratulations Sneaks! And as for the children - there was a discussion on another thread of the ads and disads of having a baby during the PhD which noted the favourable maternity leave on some funding boards so there are definitely people on this forum going for it!

Lol, some of the posts here made me laugh - hypothesis - I always thought you were a she.....

Most of my friends have only just got married or will get married, only one has a baby but they are all professionals or have higher degrees. On facebook, only one girl I went to school with has children, I'm wondering if that's to do with it being a public school. (I'm in my late 20s btw)

I love kids but increasingly I'm so put off by the whole motherhood thing, I'm not sure I want to bring children into a world like this and in fact I think I would prefer to adopt an older child when I'm in my 40s - too many kids needing parents.

The ones from my class that hve kids are the ones without careers or the overtly religious. But primarily they are the ones without careers, most that I know of arent with the fathers of their kids. So I wouldnt want to be in that situation. Anyway they do say writing a PhD is akin to having a baby, long gestation, painful delivery, sleepless nights you see you have all of that only without the nasty nappies!

I dont intend on having babies till im in my thirties, im much too selfish lol and I like holidays too much. Pets for me till then.

Hehehe....
You know, it's probably better than actually trying....
I went to a wedding last weekend, my husband having told his mates that we were gonna start trying from September (well done him! not....).
So we were being quizzed at said wedding as to whether I was pregnant yet..... note the problem!!!

Hahhahaha....
In my college most of the supervisors are young ...and it seems that there seem to be an outbreak of pregnancy among them... So all my collegues are franctically in search of another supervisor to 'adopt' them....
Although, i find kids very cute.. I wanna grow up before I have some!!!:p

smoobles that's so funny!!!!! My PhD is terribly clingy, a bit co-dependent at the moment, perhaps we could do with a bit of marraige guidance.
:p

My PhD is misbehaving. Anyone know how I can discipline it?

I have to say, that I have exactly the same issue with my old school friends. I frequently question about what I'm doing! At 28, some of my school friends have 2 kids, most are married, some are divorced! On the other hand, I'm 28, single, no kids but with approaching four degrees under my belt! (and I'm looking at a fifth degree- clinical psychology training! eeeek). It's very interesting to see how our lives are very different. I do wonder whether it's a case of is the grass greener, but I would like to get all of my selfish urges with regards to my education and career out of the way before embarking on marriage and kids! Although I spoil my partner rotton when I see him! From my own experiences I would like to give my children (if I ever have them!) the kind of start in life I never had, and I see the eventual career I've laid out for myself important in meeting that objective.

Having said that, the old biological clock seems to be ticking, I can get very broody some days and the thought of approaching 30 is a VERY scary thought indeed!

I LOVE this! great metaphor for everything PhD related! lol :D

I think its the credit crunch..."hey, shall we go out tonight?" "No, let's stay in and do something free..."

:-)

great to see some of the old forum regulars in this thread :-) *waves*

bobby - i'm 33 - still a student - always been a student - and would like to always stay a student! as in: someone who still has the capability and will to learn.
turn it around on them (in your head, i mean) - they are only what, in their late 20s, early 30s - and they are already too old to learn??? who's ridiculous now?

i should rather hope that having kids won't stop me from being a student!

btw: i know of only two women i went to uni with who have a child (apart from those who had children before they started uni). peeps from school-days are a different story. well you know, nearly half of all academically educated women in western europe never have children. so if you're feeling troubled by the comparison, just shift your comparison focus - compare yourself to others in a similar situation to you! and you'll stop feeling left out.

Some of us actually do this with children. Two of them. I'm 31, I'm not religious. They were planned.

But everyone else I know is pregnant at the moment, just as I'm able to go out again.

Don't leave it too late tho!

im doing both! Writing up mt thesis and have a super beautiful 5 month old and its great! Even though i seem to dream of box and plot diagrams chasing her. I also work part time so it can all be done!!! :-)