Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Projected population for 1985 was 835 million but it wound up being about 250 million. Projected population for 2000 was 920 million but it was actually 290 million.
The goal in 1970 was that a worldwide propaganda campaign, with plans to incentivize low birth rates with financial contributions to other countries, would reduce world population growth rates to 1.7 by 1985 & that goal was met.
A goal for 2000 of replacement level fertility was also attained. But it keeps dropping.
All through the 1970’s, in almost every city, newspapers published the same Associated Press provided propaganda article, calling it “a new study”, which was actually a study criticized as non-scientific & done in 1955. The basic contents of which rambled:
“ Children from small families had better relations with their parents than those from large families & children from small families had better relations with other children...
... Children from small families have better emotional health ... are brighter . . . bigger . . . taller... ...Dr. Lie-berman says. Children from small families consistently outscore those from big families. Children from small families test smarter every time, no matter what income...
... Children from small families are more energetic, poised...
... The children from large families are not happier and better adjusted ... The children from large families show depressed academic achievement and personal adjustment ....”
I mean good grief. Then came the onslaught of AP “advice columnist “ articles singing the praises of tubal ligations & much less often; vasectomies.
This campaign continued on for 3 decades ... And that’s just a few examples from printed media. The actual campaign was more interested in satellite television that could send the “message” to every corner of the world. I mean; this isn’t hard to figure out.
What's your point. You've already stated many times before how many kids you have.. I prefer living in rural areas with few people given the fact that too many areas of the US are overcrowded.
These women aren't going to get compassion on a parenting group where someone says "I would have aborted a child with Down Syndrome". You can not be their voice, as you do not have a child with special needs. You don't know anything about parenting at all, as you are not a parent. Make any sense?
I'm glad you didn't wind up having kids, when you did not want them, but your perspective on special needs children has little or no value here.
Give it a rest. You're the one who makes no sense.
To begin with, you have no idea what my expertise with children is or what my parenting experience is or anything else. To you, anyone who doesn't physically birth a baby is automatically a non-parent, no matter how many kids they've taken care of or raised. In your world, foster parents and adoptive parents know squat about kids because they're not real "parents" either, I suppose.
More to the point, how many kids do you have? If the number is over 5, I'll grant that you may be someone who knows something about kids. But women who have one or two kids and then proclaim they're experts in raising ALL kids, even when their own kids are just a couple years old, are ludicrous. Doing something once or twice never makes anyone an expert.
You're also setting up your little clique of parents that only accepts the parents who think and feel like you do. You wouldn't accept a mother of three living children but who aborted one who would have had Down Syndrome into your snotty little group because you don't agree with that mother's choice, would you? And who are you again to dictate the choice of every woman on the planet?
Because you don't seem to know everything about Down Syndrome, let me inform you that not every Down Syndrome child is like the one you see in the Special Olympics. Some of them are never able to learn to walk or talk or feed themselves or take themselves to the bathroom. Some of them need around the clock care. If you want to support a child like that, feel free. If you want to pay for the special nurse or the special equipment to help a child like that, feel free. But until you do, don't you even dare tell another woman that because of your beliefs, she has to spend the rest of her life caring for a child she may not be able to care for or afford, many times at the expense of the children she already has. You don't get to make that choice for anyone, especially for a woman who probably wanted her child with all her heart and soul, but knew she couldn't give her Down Syndrome child the sort of life and care he might need. So she has an abortion. And then you use your holier than thou attitude to say she wouldn't get compassion on a parents' board? What kind of a woman are you?
And why do you and all the other snoots here keep saying you're glad I didn't have children since I didn't want them? That's not an insult to me, but you do have it backwards. I didn't want children, therefore I didn't have them.
If both your kids (male & female) were in their mid thirties and did not want to get married or have kids, would you think that was unusual as a parent? Would you assume it was something you did that made them chose that path?
No, my husbands has 2 sisters and neither has kids. We are the only one. It's normal I think.
That describes most of the 20-30-somethings I know. It's less of a reflection of parents then it is of societal norms these days perhaps?
Divorce? Child support? Alimony? $300+/week for day care for a child? Yeah....I can't imagine why people would be opposed to it.
Honestly, had I not met my wife, I'd be perfectly happy not getting married. It's not for everyone.
As someone whose age fits this demographic, you hit the nail on the head. It's much more of an inconvenience to get married. I love the idea of marriage but hate the idea of divorce, child support and especially alimony. The courts made it a money game.
I never had children. I make 12 an hour and about to lose my job due to massive revenue loss (of course my evil managers think my measly salary will even make a dent in the poor decisions they made) I can live in my car, if I need to, and worry about my cat and myself...but cannot imagine, in this life, having kids. It seems no matter what sector I go into...there seems to be money issues/ job loss.
I can go anywhere I want - live in my car if need be...my heart melts for people with kids laying awake worrying. I do believe the economy isn't as good as people are seeing. I work in an industry that deals with businesses and so many are closing/ no money.
If both your kids (male & female) were in their mid thirties and did not want to get married or have kids, would you think that was unusual as a parent? Would you assume it was something you did that made them chose that path?
Only if you blame yourself for not being able to overcome broader societal trends.
You're also setting up your little clique of parents that only accepts the parents who think and feel like you do. You wouldn't accept a mother of three living children but who aborted one who would have had Down Syndrome into your snotty little group because you don't agree with that mother's choice, would you? And who are you again to dictate the choice of every woman on the planet?
Because you don't seem to know everything about Down Syndrome, let me inform you that not every Down Syndrome child is like the one you see in the Special Olympics. Some of them are never able to learn to walk or talk or feed themselves or take themselves to the bathroom. Some of them need around the clock care. If you want to support a child like that, feel free. If you want to pay for the special nurse or the special equipment to help a child like that, feel free. But until you do, don't you even dare tell another woman that because of your beliefs, she has to spend the rest of her life caring for a child she may not be able to care for or afford, many times at the expense of the children she already has. You don't get to make that choice for anyone, especially for a woman who probably wanted her child with all her heart and soul, but knew she couldn't give her Down Syndrome child the sort of life and care he might need. So she has an abortion. And then you use your holier than thou attitude to say she wouldn't get compassion on a parents' board? What kind of a woman are you?
I had an uncle with Down Syndrome. There was no "special nurse" taking care of him. He was semi-independent. He even worked various jobs.
You are the one who knows nothing about Down Syndrome. These children are very desirable and there are waiting lists of people who want to adopt them! Oh, I'm sure you don't believe that and will dispute it since you think people like this are defective and drains on society.
I don't care if other people choose to abort for whatever reason, but a mom coming into a mom's group and saying she would abort a child with Down Syndrome would not be a socially acceptable comment to make, given that some people have children with special needs. It's an offensive thing to say. That's what you aren't getting.
They are in LTRs with like-minded bf/gf. My daughter got her tubes ties at 28. Son got a vasectomy at 30.
Economically wife and I could afford more children, but not from a time standpoint nor a skill standpoint. Friends used to just think it was nuts that we didn't have children as they'd be blended Euro-Asian which generally turns out pretty cute. Would be grandma and grandpa were disappointed as my sister didn't have kids because of economics either. Our bloodline stops...though both of us have a stepchild.
I have a step-daughter. However my wife admit it was her ex that did most of the raising in the early years while she brought home the paycheck. Between the two of us, there's just not that great parent during the early years. Plus, both us moved to this area, leaving behind the family and lifelong friends in order to pursue careers. California is just too competitive to be a half-arsed parent. It's not fair to the kid. Plus I don't like the nearby churches. They're fine for me to remember my already formed beliefs, but they're just crazy in terms of would I want a child to use that to build their faith.
It's just a bad environment in which to raise a family. I'm not that good of a parent. If we move, I'd consider it and so would my wife, but that's unlikely to happen.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
