Posted on 08/30/2007 9:06:05 AM PDT by qam1
This is being counter-balanced by all the adults who refuse to grow up.
Both partners having to work full time just to pay the bills makes it harder for people my age to have kids.
I don’t blame young people for not wanting kids and having to put them in our dumbed down schools. The teachers in our schools today don’t care about the kids and rip off the state for most of its money. I think we would find better education if people had to pay for their childs education and those that don’t have children, shouldn’t pay anything. Those that had to pay would make sure they would get their moneys worth.
Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.
You make a really good point. This is why homeschooling is becoming a gargantuan hit and will continue to do so.
“In dozens of sit-down interviews with childless individuals, Scott also found generally high support for public education and community programs for children. “
Funny how it’s the childless couples who want the most government intrusion into child rearing.
I think society should be adult-centered, not child-centered. “Back in my day,” parents were not so uber-involved in all the extra-curricular activities of their children, like most parents are today.
My BIL just moved his daughter into college last week. He says he will have a very difficult time with empty-nest syndrome, because he and his wife spent so much of their time going to all of her basketball and volleyball games, which were several nights a week. Now I supppose he and his wife are just going to stare at each other across the table, not knowing what to talk about.
A healthy family is one where the marriage is at the center, not the kids. Just my humble opinion. :-)
Here in New Jersey, we've taken to voting down school budgets because we're voting against high taxes. We're not voting against children.
The article missed that point. In NJ we pay the highest property taxes in the nation (hence my screenname), and the property taxes consist mostly of school tax.
Amen! When parents make children (as opposed to the marriage) the center of their lives, it puts a huge burden on the kids, from childhood through adulthood.
Quite true. There are a lot of adults who don’t want to grow up and put the burden of being adult on their cihldren.
There are alot of adults that SHOULD NOT have children.
I didn’t really grow up until I had a child. Childlessness leads to childishness.
When we were first married, my lovely bride and I knew we couldn't afford kids. My sister-in-law commented that if we waited until we can afford them, we might never have them.
Our first child was born nine days after our first anniversary. We struggled for decades on my job plus Mrs. Chandler's providing day care for other folks. We drove some pretty crappy cars over the years. Our home was small. We didn't have the latest toys or go on expensive vacations. But our kids all turned out great and we have a very close extended family.
It's all in your priorities.
When I was in college, it was all AIDs and STDs and a nice recession when I graduated. Liqour and cigarette ads were banned.
Now that I'm an adult and have kids, there aren't that many other couples with kids, people don't want them around and TV is all Viagra and retirement ads....
That's what it is to be a Gen-Xer.
Well....I went out to lunch last week to a pizza joint. As soon as I walked in, I noticed 15 to 20 children in the place. I turned right around and went somewhere else. I don’t hate children. I just don’t particularly like them. Not all the time....
You're both close to the truth. There is a time for everything. When children arrive, the focus of the relationship naturally shifts to them because by their very nature they require the attention. But the parents shouldn't substitute the childrens' lives for their own. Part of child rearing is modeling a healthy marriage. And I agree that parents who are emotional parasites of their children do no one any good.
I think kids are great, but sometimes I prefer peace and quiet, too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.