The Benefits of Smaller Families

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   
   With the advent of contraception, higher levels of education for women, and the widening and lessening of traditional feminine roles, small families are now normative.  Small families have myriad benefits and overall advantages.   Here are the links to articles..............................
   http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/135 … ppy-Family
   http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov/pubmed/12318959
   http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ … mics/types

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2. 82

   Peggasuseposted 10 years ago

   I totally agree.  My grandmother had five children and except for the last one, all of them experienced need.  By the time that last one came, things were getting better for my grandparents, so the youngest child was given what the other four never got.
   
   Being an only child, and having only one child myself, I completely agree that small families do better financially.  The parents have only one child to give their attention to.  They have only one child to worry about and only one major responsibility when it comes to parenthood.
   
   Of course there are pluses to having multiple children but these days when everything is so expensive and both parents have to work to make ends meet, one child is enough.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Totally agree with your premise, my dear.  I, too, am an only child and had many advantages that those from large families did not have.  In fact, the latter often resented the advantages we had.  In my elementary and high school, the ones from small families were the more affluent, we had individualized parental attention, and massive intellectual and cultural stimulation.  We were also the highest achievers.   The ones from large families were poorer, not exposed to cultural and intellectual things, were rough and hardscrabbled in addition to being low academic achievers.  They also did not receive the prerequisite parental attention. They had to raise themselves and each other.  Yes, small families, particularly being only children, ROCK!
      
      My maternal grandmother had TEN children.  They experienced MORE than WANT.  All the clothes they received were from donations.   They barely had food.  Two of the daughters become pregnant early because of lack of parental attention.  As related to me, there was no parental closeness whatsoever.  Children had to raise themselves and each other.  Out of the TEN, only THREE are highly educated and reach middle class status or better, the majority are impoverished or near it.  The other seven expect the more affluent siblings to support and look after them. 
      
      Large families are poor and are detrimental to all children involved. They have the worst food, clothing, and medical care, if any. They do not have the things that other children have.  They have to work to purchase things that are normal for other children.  I had a classmate, who was one of 20 children, who started working while in elementary school.  Since parents of large and very large families are unable to support their children, the chidren HAVE TO support themselves.  Many have to drop out of school to support their families.  Peggasuse, I bet you that although many from large families endure impoverished conditions or worse, they will tell you on countless occasions, how "happy" they were.  Talk about being in denial.   However, when you dig deeper, they will tell you that they were miserable.

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      1. 79

         Uninvited Writerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Again with the mass generalizations.

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         1. 83

            gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Not generalizing at all but speaking the truth. Did studies on small and large families in college.  Also read extensively on the subject. Also had firsthand experience by observing friends and relatives from both large and small families.  There is a MARKED difference between those from small and those from large families.

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