Hot Topic (9/6): Should Government Limit How Many Children You Can Have?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

Should Government Limit How Many Children You Can Have?
Excerpts from here

For decades China has had this “One China” policy, which permits each woman to bear only one child (with some exceptions in rural areas), has resulted in forced abortions and sterilization. While Chinese officials congratulate themselves on reducing population growth, China has become a country full of spoiled brats with no cousins, aunts, or uncles. Each precious only-child rules his or her household.

Moreover, since cultural tradition establishes a desire for at least one son, couples have used abortion if they have girls, to the point that the country has  more eligible bachelors than potential brides. One Chinese professor publicly wondered why people see the birth of a cow as an asset, but the birth of a human being as a liability.

Thank goodness we live in the USA where we are free to make the intensely personal and sacred choice of determining family sizes ourselves. Or should we?

With the Duggars, Jon and Kate and now OctoMom glorifying multiple births and large families does it stress us, as a nation, to take care of these kids, of parents who aren't as capable to raise them? Should we limit parents, in how many multiple births or how large there families can be?

What are your thoughts?

[purestambition]

I don't know if China is full of spoiled brats or not...but thank god I don't live in China.  Nor do I even want to visit.  I think part of living in the US is freedom...so it would be unconstitutional to take away the right to bear children and I wouldn't agree to it.  As far as the celebrity parents of multiples, I think they are getting by just fine...even octomom got a deal.  As far as other parents of multiple children I know the treatments are very expensive...so for that matter I don't think they would be much of a burden...I think Octomom is the exception, not the rule...as far as her situation was before she became a "celebrity".   There are people who abuse the system, but I wouldn't take their right to bear children.

[Mergath]

I wish people had the common sense not to have gigantic families, but I also don't think it would be right to limit family size.  Given what has happened in China, I also think that would, in the long run, cause more problems than it would solve.  What we need to do is to educate children about the consequences of overpopulation so that when they are older, they will make an intelligent decision.

The only situation I would advocate for a legal limit on family size is in cases of severe abuse.  I really don't think abusive parents should legally be allowed to keep popping out children every year or two.  I'm not sure how you'd go about enforcing something like that, though.  Forced sterilization in cases like that seems to me to be a rather slippery slope. 

[mamaof2angles]

No I do not think that the government should limit how many childern someone can have, I am the oldest of 3 my dad is number 4 of 5 childern and my mother was an only, she rembers what it was like being an only child and did not want that for her childern.  I have *tons* of aunts uncles and cousions and I could not imgaine life with out them, it made childhood fun and bearable in some cases.

[BrunetteMomma]

China for one, is allowed to have one child per house hold but not limited to how many children they give birth to. If for say the family wants a son and has 10 girls in trying for a boy, they can give up the daughters which are put in houses where they literally just wait for the babies to die. Its horrific. Then here in our states people have children beyond children for whatever their reasons are and half of the parents cant take care of them, dont take care of them, do drugs, put themselves first, have kids to replace their childhood issues, or whatever the reason. No matter what country it is we're taking about, having children seems to be a huge issue.  There are TOO many children in need of help that are already here and yet everyone continues to birth and leave these other children behind. Idk. just have a burning thing in my heart about the kids who are left with no families. really hurts me.

[IhartU]

Common sense should tell you when to stop popping them out.  

[mamaof2angles]

For the average american yes but im not sure about others like oh idk *octomom* LOL

Quoting IhartU:

Common sense should tell you when to stop popping them out.  

[IhartU]

Quoting mamaof2angles:

For the average american yes but im not sure about others like oh idk *octomom* LOL

Quoting IhartU:

Common sense should tell you when to stop popping them out.  

 

So true!

I like the idea of filling out an application before you pro-create to weed out the loonies...

 

[home-sweet-home]

That would be going against many peoples religious beliefs.

We do not believe in birth control. The  hormonal forms are abortificiant and I do not agree with that. Even so, God has said children are a blessing and I am not about to limit the blessings God wants to give me. He also sayd He will not give you more than you can handle.

We do not make much money, especially while I am in my midwifery training (we will do better when we finish), but we have 4 still at home and we have never had to do without. We are tight, but we do it and if God were to bless us with more, He would make it to where we could handle it and He has proven this over and over.

We are actually in the process of adopting 2 from Russia and may adopt more from foster care (our 5 yr old is adopted from foster care.)

[hsteele]

of course not. People need to realize on their own that they need to slow down the baby factories.

[resamerie]

While I don't believe the government should be able to limit the amount of children you can have, I really wish that more parenting lessons were given in high school or some other forum. Something to drill in their heads that this is a baby, you have to take care of it. Not just nurture, which I see a lot of moms with big families fail at (How can you give 8 children at a time all of the love and attention that they deserve?) But also financially. We have one child. We knew that was all we could afford to make sure that she was properly taken care of including the little extras such as dance school, nice clothes, etc. Yes, I would have loved to have more children. But, it's just not practical. I would rather give allof my love to my DD and support her where she doesn't go without anything.