Hell no. I might do it for an immediate family member, but that’s it. I’m not really the motherly sort (yet anyway, no kids of my own).
My nearest and closest friend has two children, both of whom are over 21. I would have no problem “raising” them, since they are already raised.
However, I would have no problem taking over whatever parental role there is-- which is mostly just being there when needed and giving some elder advice. I’m actually pretty close to both of these people, so this wouldn’t be a big change.
If the children in question were minors, I’d find a more suitable parent than myself, if I could. If I couldn’t, I’d do it, but only as a last resort. I’m not really set up to be hosting children.
I would but I’ll never get the chance to, if anything happens to either of my closest two friends there are family members who could and would step in.
I expect that if something happened to my brother and his ex wife didn’t step in that I might be asked to raise my nieces and nephew but my brother and I are not close and for their sake I hope he has someone in his life who knows the kids well and could take on that role. I would but it would be much harder than taking on my friends kids since they live so far away and we’ve only met a few times in their lives. I am essentially a related stranger.
Many of my husbands relatives are in the military, and have spent time overseas. At one time, we were named as guardians for his brother’s 2 kids, his cousin’s 3 kids and a close friend’s 2 kids. We joked that the 6 parents were not allowed to take any plane trips together.
No. I am single, have never had children, and don’t have a lot of structure in my life. Sorry, but it’s not going to happen.
I’m currently the go to person for both my nephews’ kids- 2 each. I’ve already told them they’re not allowed to travel on vacation together! 
Yes, I’d take my closest friend’s kids.
ETA:
Yup!
I would take in any of my siblings kids and one has asked after the sudden death of a mutual friend. So we have an agreement to raise each other’s kids and will put it in our will. But for a friend probably no. I don’t see it happening because they all have siblings and big families who would take them in.
Yes, we both have agreed to be the “backup” for a few close friends and relatives, if necessary.
Decades ago, I agreed to do this for my sister’s daughter if my sister died. She didn’t and my niece is full grown now, but yes. I would agree to do this if somoene wanted me to.
I don’t have kids and don’t want kids, but I would do my best for them and love them and care for them to the best of my ability.
Of course, I probably should have asked my husband what he thought before I wrote this post.
Thank you. That was exactly what I hoped readers could get out of it. That the complications, issues, and decisions are very complicated. For example, what do you do about family of origin? What do you do about your own family of origin? Your child’s grandparents may have trouble taking on a new grandchild. Do they start an education fund for her, too, now?
Your own child(ren) are a big concern too. I remember asking Eli if he’d like to have more time alone with mama, and Maura could have her own time, too. And he said, very gravely, No, I would like it if Maura could just have her own house.
p.s. If after consideration, you need to say no to taking on a child, then you are doing the absolute best thing you can. Finding out that circumstances need to be rectified by further change and upset down the road is more likely than not to do harm to the child, and maybe everyone.
Anyway, I am glad you said something about my story. And I’m glad the OP brought up the issue. These are huge events happening more and more often in our lifetime. Thoughtful consideration can only help all involved.
If my twin sister had a kid and something happened to her, I would feel obligated to step in. I’m not maternal. I don’t think I’d be a great mother. But I would feel like I owed it to my sister. And a big part of me would feel like it should’t fall on anyone else in my family, since they have been burdened by their own children and family headaches and here I am, a perpetual teenager. (This all assumes that the kid’s father or his family isn’t in the picture.)
But I’d be a single parent, and like I said, I’m very NOT maternal. I’d have to seriously bone-up on my domestic habits and “grow up” a lot.
A friend asked me to and I said yes, but I also told him I thought that was a mistake - he’s got a sister, married and successful but unable to have kids, who dotes on his daughter. I would hate to hurt her that way. The issue is she’s a devout Catholic while he and his wife are atheists like me, and he’d rather his child not be raised in the church. I’ve pointed out that me, him, and his wife were all raised in the church and we got over - it’s not a deal-breaker, imo.
You bring up a good point. Another thing that crops on in taking on another’s child. Maura’s family of origin was very religious; Eli and us, his parents, are avowed atheists. What then do you do? Everything is a consideration, day in, day out, it seems. It’s tough. Altho eventually you just have to make some sweeping decisions and stick to them.
Personally? Of course I would. It wouldn’t even be a question.
Yes, absolutely. Not even a question.
Now if my friends would just have kids.
Only if they had made arrangements for me to do so or requested that I do so in their will. Otherwise I would assume that their family would do so. Of course, if there were no other family, I would probably offer myself up, but I expect the State would have other ideas.
I did agree to do so and my wife and I were the “go-to” child raisers form my and her brother. But the youngest of the children is now of age so it’s no longer an issue. At my age the only child I wold think of taking care of would be a grandchild and there aren’t any of those yet. And I suspect there will not be any until I’d be quite reluctant to agree to things as we’re both over 60 and I’d hate to think an orphaned child might be orphaned again before finishing college.
Could I do it? Yes, I guess so.
Would I want to? Probably not.
As I’m over 50 and none of my immediate friends has kids the question doesn’t really apply to me anymore, but as an academic exercise it’s interesting.
Never wanted kids myself, and my friends all know that. I taught a lot of kids (riding horses) but that’s as much interaction as I was comfortable with. I think, well, I hope that my friends would probably have respected that enough to not leave the kids in my care in a Will, at least I hope so!
Frankly, the prospect terrifies me, even though it’s unlikely to hPpen.
Absolutely no one who knows me even slightly would give me a child to raise.
Interesting. A lot of people are just Sure! You betcha!