To deep thinkers out there, do you strongly contend that poor parents in the Uni

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   gmwilliamsposted 6 years ago

   To deep thinkers out there, do you strongly contend that poor parents in the United
   
   States are thoughtless, uncaring, & irresponsible? If they weren't these things, why would they WILLINGLY bring children into the world knowing that their children will have LIMITED options & opportunities in life.
   
   

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   lisavollrathposted 6 years ago

   I think if people only had children when they were financially stable, owned a home, had good jobs, and were mentally prepared, they'd never have them.
   
   I think people have been having children at the wrong time, without the means, or the support system, or the conversation about when to start their family, for centuries. It's not thoughtless, or uncaring, or irresponsible to discover you're pregnant, and decide that, despite the circumstances, you're going to do the very best you can to give the child that's coming a good life.
   
   I think that people have very different ideas about what makes a good childhood, or a good parent, or the perfect situation to start a family. Obviously, yours is based on money. If my grandmother, who came to this country as a young woman, without two dimes to rub together, had thought like you do, I and dozens of my cousins wouldn't exist.
   
   My grandparents had children, because that's what good Italian Catholics did, regardless of their income. Their children grew up poor, went to work or joined the military, and took night school courses to make up for the fact that none of them could go to college. They got married, and had children of their own. They became, for the most part, middle class. They made sure their children went to college. And now, two generations later, my cousins and I are teachers and paramedics and nurses and veterans.
   
   Poor people have children. It's not the end of the world. And I think my family illustrates how it probably makes our society better.

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      Craig Easomposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      A clear difference in generations, as the young generation of today (including myself) would probably come to the agreement that children should be had at a later stage (perhaps 30 and above), so that the parents have time hit career goals.

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      lisavollrathposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      The trouble with women waiting until their 30s (or 40s) to have children is that the longer they wait, the more likely they are to have fertility issues, complications during pregnancy, and children with developmental issues.

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      Craig Easomposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Huh, I suppose that's a fair point to make. This kinda reminds me of my uncle and aunt, both of which have been high-risers in their respective fields. They held on till their careers had fluttered, and in their 40's, unable to conceive.

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   Wesman Todd Shawposted 6 years ago

   Children born of poor parents in the USA will still have vastly more opportunities and comforts than children born in much of the rest of the world.

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      gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      However, they HAVE LESS opportunities than their solidly middle, upper middle, & upper class counterparts in America.  Poor children are DOOMED to a future of very little to no opportunities. They will continue the poverty cycle of their ancestor

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   Craig Easomposted 6 years ago

   Ahhh, the US parenting crisis. A little on the side of irony, in that the parents who give birth to children they care nothing for are those individuals that would spend even an hour of their day watching daytime TV.
   
   Not sure about America, but here in the UK it is clear that where the country's residents are failing their children can all be witnessed on daytime TV. Have you seen the reality shows; something about Jordey Shore, Big Brother, The Only Way is Essex, heck - MTV. The crisis is clear, it is the virtual reality of negative influences, most prominently depicted on daytime TV which is failing society.
   
   What do the British commonly understand about American culture? Evil, maleficent corporations which never pay our country a fair share of corporation tax. Google, Facebook, and Apple - they remind me of chronic pain, as we face the pain of losing out on our well-spent money, and all it leads to is suffering for 9 months waiting for a new phone to release, new Google stuff to emerge, and a social media site to save us from the pain of returning to the satirical Facebook site. I'm fed up of seeing baby photos, new mummies and daddies to celebrating their second child... for the love of all that makes a man sane, can we get a Facebook site alternative. Friends forcing you back onto the dreaded site for messaging and organising get-togethers, and every time I enter onto the site there is a new post from someone that I barely know making me want to blow my brains out. Oh, wait, this is England - not America, here in the UK we don't have easy access to loaded weapons.
   
   Sorry, I drifted off point. But, Grace you're both correct and spreading the disembodiment of the working man/and woman who work hard to provide for their children in the US (and quite frankly, the UK). Cheer up, there is a lot of good in people from all backgrounds, and many children who grew up in hostile home environments grow up to be fine parents.

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      gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Since the 1970s, people who are highly successful are from at the minimum solidly middle class backgrounds.  Poor children will only grow up to take the crap jobs that no one else wants or they will descend into an underclass, WAKE UP PEOPLE!

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   second2noneposted 6 years ago

   I am a very positive person, therefore, I have always thought it is hope that drives them. They are already aware that they are not going to do anything well. However, it is how they are, a new child may give them a ray of hope. However, not every parents thinks that. Many a times it could be just a mistake.
   
   However, there is a lot of hope of an independent strong minded child will try to get out of the mould. It is the weaker children that may get stuck and suffer their parents' lack of responsibility.

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      gmwilliamsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      In the olden days, that would be fine when people didn't know better but in this postmodern era, poor parents are putting their children at a severe disadvantage.   They CAN'T give their children anything so they SHOULDN'T have children.

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   tamarawilhiteposted 6 years ago

   The lower someone's IQ, the more likely they are to be poor AND not have full control over fertility. In that regard, those least able to afford mistakes are the most likely to make them.
   A solution would be free long term contraception to anyone who wanted it, so that women who are too stupid to use the pill correctly or cannot plan ahead don't have to worry about it. Requiring long term contraception you cannot flub as a condition of receiving welfare would also reduce the incidents of multiple generations dependent on welfare. It also incentivizes either getting your life together to support your children or marrying someone to support you while reducing the burden the rest of us have to pay.

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