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I remember seeing all those episodes, but I was young enough I feel like I can't trust my opinions of them. I remeber Deathwish being a very good, interesting episode. I enjoyed all these episodes a lot, but the balace of comic<->threatening for Q's characterization seemed a little off with the latter 2. As far as I can remember, which could be totally wrong. In TNG Q was amusing, but felt more dangerous, I think. Q having a child I liked at the time, but now I have a funny feeling that if I saw it again it would be put in the "should never have gone there category" especially with the episode where the son is suddenly older, stripped of his powers, and sent to Janeway to gain maturity or something. That was...it came out of nowhere a bit.

In Deathwish Q started off the episode somewhat...well..."reserved" I suppose would be a good word. He was representing the Continuum against the "rebelious" Q and just seemed to have his "spark" taken out of him...that and he had blue lipstick...it was odd. But by the end of the episode he shifts back slightly and you can almost see the old Q peeking through.

The other two episodes had glimers of the old Q poking through here and there though it was not the same without Picard for him to shoot back and forth with. Q and Picard creates a repituare. Q and Janeway creates sexual harassment (sorta).

As for Q having a kid--I didn't consider it a bad thing when I first saw it, but now looking back it did kind of ground the character in a way that I did not want him to. Having a kid suggests "maturity" and that is one quality that I never really saw, nor did I want to see, in Q.

As far as being older so soon, Q does explain it's because of how time runs in the continuum. And seeing the Q and the Grey explains why Janeway has to help him. And Deathwish? I think Q just finally "grows up". Besides, they say that he was punished for his irresponsible use of his powers (the TNG Q)

I read the novel I, Q before I viewed any of the Voyager episodes, so the concept of Q having a child was not surprising to me (q and Lady Q already exist in the novel). I thought the episodes with de Lancie's character were well-handled. As to Q behaving in a more serious manner in Voyager than in The Next Generation- humans have several dimensions of their personalities, so why would the Q not be the same way?

Robyn Spruce - To my understanding, Q sexuality (or the lack thereof) is more complicated (or less existent) than human.
The Q have no need for procreation, and apparently never engage in sexual relations (one of the reasons Q wants to have a child with Janeway instead of with another Q). By having a child, Q is being particularly deviant, so we cannot view his actions as an example of the overall mind set or sexuality of the Q.

My biggest issue with Q and his child are that they act exactly as humans would act. My biggest issue with Q in Voyager is that he's much more human than in Next Gen. First of all, the fact that young Q would choose his human form to be an adolescent boy is a bit... well, I find it stupid. If this Q is attempting to defy everyone at every turn, why not take on a more powerful form? He also seems to go through stages quite similar to human children. I just think that a child of the Q would be... I dunno, different in some way, simply because of the fact that they have unlimited control over space, matter, and time.
I think if some human children had such powers, they'd grow up differently than the rest of the children.

I also have issues with gender and reproduction in the Q Continuum. If you recall, Q had no ideas about attractions between genders in Next Generation when Picard is dealing with the return of Vash. Why would the Q have need for gender?
I also have slight issues with the fact that Q got kicked out of the continuum in (was it Deja Q?) and sentenced to life as a mortal. Wouldn't the balance be off then as well? He could've died very easily as a human and the Q only seemed to be worried about the fact that he would've died performing a selfless act, not that the power balance would be off. I could be mistaken though, I don't recall if they ever explained why that other Q couldn't kill himself in Voyager and why Q could've died in exile.

I still love Q, more in Next Generation than in Voyager. But I do think there are places they never should have gone. I liked the story lines, they just aren't consistent with what I think/know of the Q.