During the 1950's and 1960's a typical family consisted of a family of four; mother, father, boy and girl. Don't forget the pet dog. The father worked long gruesome hours and read to his children at night whereas the mother was either a stay at home mom are part time and always cooked a lovely meal and cleans all the time.
HOLD UP. . .but is it a mothers duty to clean up? But more so is it a mother's duty to bear a child(ren). Well in the terms of the world yes. Before I get some nasty comments I thiught of it as: women can only produce; males can't. So is it a duty, or a choice? Is there a excuse or an answer to this? This is a free country but somebody has to have children. If you are in a lesbian relationship what are your options? What if you can't bear children due to bodily conditions?
All these questions spring into my mind when I see/ hear a new-born. Does our society pressure women to be the housecleanrer and always have kids. With the world becoming more unorthodox as ever how do we approach the situation and are our views changing? Will we see a decrease in births trend with so many women being single/ having the attitude of independence and "anything you can do I can do better" attitudes? It is definately true women can do everything a man can do with the same quality. I think this is a major breakthrough in society due to our "stubborness" (as a society) because we are very set in our ways but that is our we are taught. So does the pressure on women to have children vital to continue the success and growth of our world or will mother nature handle it!
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Because some women really want the whole family thing, or even are out to prove that they can do both, have the career and the family, those of us who aren't so sure about our maternal future won't have to feel guilty about threatening the livlihood of the country. Maybe we should actually be relieved that we aren't contributing to some sort of population control problem.
My roommate last year said that she wanted like 6 kids. Seriously. I'm happy with 2. Some don't want any. We're quite diverse as a gender.
~C
Visit my blog.
Sounds like my sister and myself. She has her 2 and doesn't want any more. I want 6 and would love to be a foster parent.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of the sun fall upon your home."
Of everybody I know the desire for children range from no way to already have them. Over the years (and while raising my own) I have learned that just because you can....does not mean you should.
There are plenty of women who want to have children, I don't think that the human population is going away any time soon.
Let's analyze this issue. Is there a definite answer to this question? No. I have a lot of strong opinions about this issue, as do many other women and even men, but it would be idiodic to discuss them here when this is an issue concerning free will. Fact. Women can give life and/or take it away(abortion). Fact. It is up to each individual woman to decide if they want to give life(birth), end life(let's not start this conversation again) or not initiate the processes of life at all(not have children). Fact. It is also up to each individual woman to decide if she wants to be a stay-at- home mom, a mom with a job or career, or not a mom at all. Fact. There is no definite answer to what a woman should do ro what her "place" is. I see nothing wrong with a woman having kids, and choosing to be a stay-at-home mom. Neither of these are options I would choose, though. I would say, a woman should have a strong sense of self; which too many(though not all) stay-at-home moms are lacking. Not having kids is considered selfish. I'd say "pretty much" to that. I could just as easily say that limiting my life experiences to pretty much diapers and a chef's apron is selfish. Fact. Women have the freedom to choose. Use it and don't live by those passages in the Bible which say that a woman is not suppose to "dress"(act) like a man. But if being a [insert combination of options] is truly in your heart, then go for it.
I fear no man(Nazgul)...i'm no man(Eowyn) -LoTR
Since you said women and didn't mention a particular group of women, you made me think of an interesting concept.
Bear with me; this all has to do with childbearing. Just on a broader level.
Without meaning to offend anyone, I would say, as i'm thinking of this concept now, that the majority of men of the patriarchal Christian religion seem to allot power first to the European/Caucasian men to control "their" women as if they were an actual possession; then those men preach to other groups of men, such as minorities, like African-Americans, Hispanics, etc. etc. to have authority over "their" women. Obviously they are not as potent as the Caucasian domination of womanhood.
Well, this power pyramid goes on and on, from majority to minority man, so that each man on any level or class in society has in their mind the idea that women *all* are a certain way.
Thus, where childbearing is concerned, you will see that on any racial level, there will be lots of angry men or people, who think that *women* are suppose to have children.
If this made sense *looks around at progressive group*, then isn't modern womanhood and ideas of childbirth a social construct meant to appease men on all levels of society?
It's like a chart with the lord at the top, vassals beneath, and sub-vassals or whatever would be beneath. This gives other men the illusion of having power. This would relate to the issue of childbirth because it is a
I fear no man(Nazgul)...i'm no man(Eowyn) -LoTR
Regarding the "will one child per family equal a decrease in population" thing, I'd have to say yeah, but.... There are so many people in the world and overpopulation is so crazy...everywhere...that I doubt you need to worry about too few people.
Families make choices, and one of them is how many children to have. Some parents want many children, some want a couple, others don't want any. I don't know how that can be seen as "selfish", but hey-everybody's entitled to their opinion.
When you think about it, the world population keeps getting larger and larger asa it is. While women won't completely stop having kids, less kids isn't such a bad thing. Everywhere around us, new housing projects are constantly going up. We're making houses and businesses out of every last bit of land that isn't explicity a park. Maybe the population slowdown will benefit the population in that we can use less of our precious natural resources, not find ourselves in a housing crisis in the future, and appreciate nature for what it is without disturbing it.
-Danielle-
There are all different kinds of cultures and for some families thats their tradition. In the late 40's to mid 70's that whole perfect family look was huge nation wide. I personally can't wait to have children(2), but my husband does great at helping out around the house already so working fulltime won't be bad when we are both trying.
I believe that it is a choice when it comes to motherhood because there are women who will have children, so there is not a problem with the population decreasing any time soon. Also those women who do not want to have children will more than like not be the best parents, but I cannot say that without saying that is not true for everyone. My mom wasn't ready for kids and she had me and she was a great mom. In the end every woman is different and wants different things. choice is the only way when it comes to having children.
~Maybee Sinclair~
GO ME----Plant A TREE !!!!!
SOme women cannot have children, should they become lesbiens so they take care of one? I could understand two women getting together so one could have a child. The family would still be the same. One parent goes out and works and the other stays home to clean and take care of the children.
I struggle with that question myself - I am a very independent person and so one day I look forward to a promising career, but I also want to one day get married and have a family - but many job markets see you differently if you take off time to be a stay at home mom. There has to be some way to balance the two, hopefully society will figure it out.
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
- Albert Einstein
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/blonde-bickerman
Gbrown888,
My Mother was a stay at home mom.I have all kinds of funny stories and momories because she did.I know some family single moms and other where both mom and Dad have to work to pay the bills.Thoes families my heart goes out to them.
To the familes who don't need to have two working parents Women why would you want to miss your children saying their first word,taking their first steps,going to their first day of school.You can always get a job after the kids get out of the home or,get a job where you can work from home.
Children are a blessing from the Lord. God know that men could not handle everything a woman goes through to have a baby.Then agin all the pressurs men face we women can't handle.That is why God made us both and created a thing called marige between a man and a woman.A family with a Mom and Dad.
To all the women who love children and thoes who want lots God Bess you and your household
All the power to your mom.
"You can always get a job after the kids get out of the home"
Of course, nowadays, if a woman was a stay at home mom, then if she should ever have a divorce, she might end up completely without skills or experience to get a job, especially if there were many more qualified applicants that are younger. That's not to say all women should get jobs just so they can be prepared for divorce, it's just something that is possible. And the career that I want couldn't be run from my home, and I would be at quite a disadvantage if I were to stop for 18 or more years at a time. At the rate I'm going though, I may end up being in business with my sister-in-law.
"God know that men could not handle everything a woman goes through to have a baby.Then agin all the pressurs men face we women can't handle."
I don't know about your mom and dad, but my mom can handle anything my dad can, and more.
~C
Visit my blog.
For me personally, I loathe children. Yes, I know many of you are falling out of your chairs and thinking "how can she say that?!?", but the fact is I just do not like kids. I don't know why, it's just how I am. I do not plan on having any and I am fine with that?
Why?
Because many other people are having kids. Granted, many (like my nephew) are unplanned and are the result of lust rather than love, but the planet is still being populated.
As far as other women, there's not going to be a mass movement of people not having kids (Someone is always going to be demonstrating their "love"), so if they opt for no children, things will be fine. .... From there, if a woman wants to stay home, cool.
Now, if mom wants to go out and work, let her....so long as the kids are taken care of. Too many parents have no idea what to do with their kids and stick them in day care and school and playgroups to get away from them so they can work. Then when they HAVE to deal with them, they can't control them and the child suffers from a lack of appropriate attention (be it discipline or a more positive form of attention).
I am by no means a feminist, but having children should be completely the woman's choice. It is true that less and less people are having children in this country, but it will never get to the point where no one is producing anymore. To say that it is a woman's duty to have children because her man is not able to is like saying that it is her duty to have sex just because her man has a penis.
First of all, I would like to point out that if you are going to write a blog, it would be appreciated if you used correct grammar and spelling.
Second of all, it isn't as though the world is suffering from a population deficit. There are thousands of orphans and homeless and/or unwanted children, and not enough willing adults to take care of them. By mandating that every woman should have a child, not only do you violate her rights to take care of her own body, but you also add to that problem- do you think that a woman who is forced to have a child against her will is going to be a good, productive mother to that child? All that such a law would do would be to add to overpopulation and child abuse.
Abby
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"In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." - Ambrose Bierce
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If you don't want kids then don't have them, it's that simple. There are men out there who don't want them either. As for me, I do want kids, but on my time. Let me get out of college and get a real sense of self before I bring another life into the world and ruin mine. Have kids, don't have kids, have a whole hockey team, have one...no one cares any more. Be who you are and make your decisions based on what you want and not what your grandma, mom, or T.V says. It's your body.
Random yet insightful?
I agree with the person above me with a few added points... have kids if you can take care of them and provide them with everything they need.
My brother and his wife....well, let's just say that my nephew runs around and acts more like an animal than a child...and they constantly try to get someone/anyone else to watch him because they want to do something. Like my mom pointed out, if you don't want the problem, don't have the kid.