In this hypothetical future, the only way to have children is to have them designed by genetic engineers. You start by filling out a simple form as to what you want your child to be like, but you must answer all questions, you are limited to the choices given, and any write-ins or skipped questions means the form gets tossed. Let’s begin:
Sex-male, female
Hair color-blonde, brown, black, red(you may choose the particular shade from the attached chart)
Eye color-hazel, brown, blue, green
Skin color-choose from attached chart
Sexual orientation-straight, gay, bisexual, nonsexual
Facial structure based on-mother, father, random combination of both
Potential heighth at age 18-pick a heighth between 4’5" and 8’2"(give or take 2")
I already have a son, and would love to have a daughter as well. So…
Female
Brown
Green
Pale white
Straight
Mother
5’11"
#5 bothers me too in that I don’t believe sexual orientation to be entirely based upon genetics, so I’d question the integrity of Build-a-Kid for pretending they can guarantee such a result. Nevertheless, I’d choose straight since it would give them a much easier life in many respects.
Sex-male (girls ARE harder to raise, at least based on my sample of one of each and lots of playground observation)
Hair color-blonde (easier to dye whatever shade he wants someday without frying it with lighteners)
Eye color-green (I just like green eyes)
Skin color- dark “white”/light caramel that tans easily (dark enough to provide some skin cancer/sunburn protection, but light enough to easily see potential skin problems so they can be treated early)
Sexual orientation-bisexual (no reason for me to limit his choices for him)
Facial structure based on-random combination of both (why not?)
Potential heighth at age 18 [within 2"] - 6’3" (studies show tall men are treated better and more successful in business and in dating; can’t think of a downside until you get taller than 6’5", so there you go.)
Okay, gross, but I’m putting off chores, so I’ll play along, with commentary:
Sex-female. I don’t much care, though.
Hair color-black. I almost chose “red,” since I’m a redhead and it’d be awesome to have a redhead kid, but see #4.
Eye color-green, just because green eyes are awesome. Again, though, don’t much care.
Skin color-olive-toned. Darker is fine. I don’t want my kid to be cursed with my redhead glow-in-the-dark skin that can burn in fifteen minutes of direct sunlight, thus my answer to #2.
Sexual orientation-bisexual. If I gotta choose, maximize those choices!
Facial structure based on-random combination of both. Of course.
Potential heighth at age 18-5’10". I’m pretty short, and I know that while it doesn’t have a huge effect, it has a few minor deleterious effects in life. I’d want my kid to be just on the tall side of average.
Waitaminnit! Everybody’s responding by saying how they would answer the OP’s proposed questions for their dream-kiddo.
I interpreted the OP differently. I thought he’s asking for additional suggestions as to what questions should be on that kiddo-questionnaire. I envision such a wunder-kind application form would eventually have umpteen pages with hundreds of detailed questions to answer, so the applicants would be able to design their dream child in exquisite detail with fine-grained resolution. Not too unlike that hours-long questionnaire (as mentioned in a current nearby thread) that eHarmony wannabees have to plow through.
[sub]Not that I myself have any suggestions to suggest, to be clear. A kiddo is among the last things in the world that I would want.[/sub]
I create a red-haired green-eyed bisexual male with a random combination of mother/father facial structure who is 6 feet tall exactly. (Because that’s how tall his dad is; seems fair enough.)
For the second child, I do the same, except female and 5’7". (That’s how tall I am.)