Almost 3/4 of are population are parents. Becoming a parent can come through many different avenues: planning to do so, surprised but welcoming of a pregnancy, mixed feelings about a surprise pregnancy, or one partner may not want the child. The benefits of having a child include: "being happier than ever before" being "in love" with their baby, being "completed" from the child in their life, and having a more fulfilling life. The costs of having children though include: the expenses, the added household chores, the more stress added to their lives, forgoing educational pursuits, and interpersonal relationships may become strained. The average American feels that having two kids in an ideal number. However, couples 30 years ago felt that 3 or more kids was a good household size. Some reasons for a decrease in household size include: population growth, technology, social classes, access to healthcare, and better contraceptives. However, some people decide to postpone parenthood--the classic "babies vs career." Some reasons for this include: careers, don't want to have a child without a partner, they don't want to send a child to day care, save money, balancing career and child, married couples living with their parents, concerned with high divorce rates, and advances in reproductive technology. Unfortunately, many couples cannot have children even if they want. Infertility can be caused by each sex equally--40% of the time, the male is the cause, and 40% of the time, the female is the cause. The other 20% is caused by idiopathic infertility because the doctor cannot determine why the woman is not getting pregnant. Adoption is another option: both for people who infertile, single individuals who want children, and fertile couples who want to help the life of a child in need. Transracial adoptions are difference in race from the adoptive parents and the child. Some feel this is not a good idea because the child can feel alienated, while others do not see the harm in this option. Some advantages of adoption include: love for both the parents and children, the kids are wealthier, more likely to complete high school and less likely to do drugs. Some risks involve health problems for the child and potential for severe behavioral conditions. There are also other options for infertile parents such as in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, and prenatal testing. A very touchy subject is abortion. It is most common in young women, come from a wide range of religious backgrounds, and it usually occurs because the woman feels they are not ready for motherhood, they would have to leave their job to care for the baby, not wanting to be a singe mother, choosing they simply do not want the child, they have a responsibility for raising other children, and not wanting others to know about their pregnancy. Less than 1% of women say they only had the abortion because of an outside pressure such as parents and husbands.
2. Interesting
I found it very interesting than on page 303, the book says that the reason many African American children have to stay in a foster home until they are 18 years old unless a white family adopts them, is to lower the adoption rate. The more kids in foster care, the more funding they will receive. Are they allowed to do this? This is so unbelievably immoral if it is allowed to happen.
3. Questions
Do you want to have kids? If so, how many? Would you ever consider adopting? What about transracial adoptions? Open vs closed adoptions?
I think at some point in everyone's life they imagine that they want children. Personally I think once I get my career set I would love to have a child. Although this is my opinion, the method on how I would have a child would depend on my situation. For instance, I would not want to give birth to a child unless I was married, but if I was financially stable I think adoption is a viable option. I believe that adoption has many benefits not only for the person who is adopting a child but also for the child. It may be a hard transition, but if I was a single adult and wanted to have a child by adoption, I would not care whether it was a transracial, open or closed adoption. All of these have their own benefits and costs, but I think as long as your intentions are pure and you only want to adopt for the right reasons that none of the details should matter. One of the other options that I have also thought of is foster parenting. One of my mother's coworker does that, and I know that not all of the children have had good relations with her, but those children who have all gained something out of having that parental figure who cared enough about them to look after them and have their best interests at heart.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your questions I do want to have children and around 4 kids. I am the oldest of 4 and I think it was a great experience and I would not just like to have one kid. I probably wouldn't consider adoption because I know it sounds bad, but it almost like I want them to be my own kids.I just feel that it wouldn't be the same.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have children, but if for some reason I am unable to conceive a baby, I would be very open to adoption. I myself am adopted and I have numerous cousins that are also adopted so it's a very common thing in my family. However, I know for sure that I would like to have at least two children. I am an only child and I grew up always wanting siblings and I think that having a brother or sister is a very important bond.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely like to have children (maybe three?) someday. I'd prefer to have biological children, but would certainly consider adoption (and plan to be a foster parent, either way). As far as transracial adoption is concerned, I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I think it comes with its own set of challenges beyond those of a same-race adoption (not that they would be insurmountable or have any effect on how much you love the child/vice versa). I would be more interested in pursuing an open adoption, because I think it's a benefit to all parties involved. The child can have a better sense of his/her history (for medical reasons, etc.), the bio parents and child get to forge a relationship from the outset, and the adoptive parents & biological parents are able to be a part of the kid's life.
ReplyDelete