I don't kill cripples, instead I make a special "cripple ward" where they're allowed to hang out. Just laying around and being fed and watered every day.
I don't recall ever having a completely crippled dwarf, but I'd be inclined to do the same
.
How do you get your kids to stay in one place?
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=126178.msg4256498#msg4256498Sometimes they do run around for a bit, but as soon as they get thirsty, hungry, or in the mood for a party (which is often), they scurry back to the day care center
. I usually have around 10 children in there and at any given time, only 2 max are wandering. A cool bit about their parties is that adults are very rarely invited. I have a population of 78 dwarves, and I've seen at most 2 adults attending the kids' parties. There can be over 20 haulers standing by without jobs, but they'll leave the party to the kids for the most part.
I'm personally a very caring overlord. I felt terrible when poor little Doduk was kidnapped just recently!
Yeah, I HATE kids getting snatched, but at the same time, some of my strongest, most military-minded migrants are female. In a previous world, there were more than enough migrants with military training that I only drafted males, but in my current one, military skills are relatively uncommon. That's what put me on a quest to figure out a more benign child care option for military dwarfettes. These days, when they have a baby, I change their profession to "Maternity Leave," then add them to the day care center (sometimes extending the burrow to a workshop or two). Once a year passes, their babies are added to the day care burrow and the moms are sent back to the barracks without having to worry about their kids following them into battle.
anyone who visits their friends in hospital are rewarded with an upgraded bedroom for their compassion.
Oh, I like that idea! Might start doing that, too.