[lettie]

It's the same with the kids round here too. Allowed to play on the streets until all hours of the night and the parents couldn't care less what they're up to. A lot of people see having children as a career these days, not just young girls but lads too.

I love children but have never wanted them for myself. I love my life and have a good job which takes me out of the house at all hours of the day and night. I have a good social life and like to travel (a lot). I know that to some people it sounds selfish. By some people I mean my mother who used to berate me for not having kids until told that it was selfish of her to try and make me feel guilty for not providing grandchildren.

I don't want my lifestyle to change and I know that if I did have kids it would, because I would have to know where they were and would probably be pretty strict. So you see, there is a choice. My friends who have children envy my lifestyle but know that they can't have it both ways.

I think that some young people don't realise that the choice is there for them. Believe me I found nothing sadder in my job than the mother of a 14 year old girl as excited as you can get because she was going to be a grandma..... To whom I pointed out that she should be upset at the loss of her daughter's childhood...