and this seemed so yesterday.
Children are more of a burden than a blessing. Do you agree with the statement?
It is hard to deny the truth, but even more so if the facts are put right to our very faces. Disagreeing with the above statement would be blatant lying and it leaves me with no choice but to agree. Yes, children are a burden. Being labelled as a burden to both society and parents may seem a tad too harsh for the children of today. But in this time and age, it is no surprise that the ideals of parents, both as a couple, and individuals have changed drastically as time passes by. Our ancestors back then, were probably more worried about the survival of the human race, and were probably more enthusiastic about their appointed roles in procreation. Today, couples are less bothered about the dwindling birth rates, and even less interested in the various government-backed campaigns to salvage the situation. Many couples cite reasons such as cost, loss of personal freedom, and that children are a life-long responsibility as to why they continually refuse to fulfill their vocations in the cycle of procreation.
Having children is expensive. This is what seems to be most popular reason given by most couples in recent years. Some people do not realise that poor family planning might cause problems such as a financial liability in certain families. To put it crudely, a child is definitely not a “one-time purchase”. From the time of birth, hospital bills have to paid, medical fees to be settled there is a surge in expenses spent on basic necessities for the baby, and this is often followed by an onslaught of school fees as the child attends pre-school or kindergarten, all the way to university. Every parent would want only the best for their child, and thus, would ensure that little junior gets the best, if not, the priciest education. If all these do not frighten you, the thought of raising a child in his or her teenage years will definitely scar you mentally for life. Nowadays, teenagers are surrounded by materialistic propaganda in its highest form. This ranges from provocative advertisements for expensive branded clothing labels to celebrity endorsements for the latest mobile phone models. If these advertisements that are being broadcasted twenty fours a day and seven days a week, do not manage to brainwash these naïve teenagers into pestering their parents for their materialistic “desires”, I am sure that the peer pressure that the child faces in school, will eventually make him or her an unwilling consumer. Next, it doesn’t take a millionaire to figure that a good, proper university education is going to burn a large hole in one’s pocket, literally. To put their children through university, parents would slog endlessly to get extra wages, while others resort to desperate measures, like mortgaging their home. Many people would want to avoid such scenarios in their lives and thus, choose not to have children.
Another reason for parents deciding not to have children is the possible loss of personal freedom after childbirth. Without a child, parents are free to do as they please. For the men, downing a few bottles of beer at the pub with drinking buddies on a Friday night won’t be a problem at all. And for the ladies, a shopping spree at the Louis Vuitton boutique or perhaps a few new additions to the Ferragamo stash at home would not be of any significance. But with the birth of little junior, the only bottle dad is going to see is a milk bottle. And for mum, the only bag she will be carrying is that distasteful toiletry bag full of diapers and milk powder. Most young parents these days want to fulfill their materialistic wants and fancies. These young high-flyers are selfish to the extent that they would forsake humanity’s desperate plea to alleviate the problem of an ageing population crisis, and would chose to wine and dine then to ponder over the possibility that humanity might be snuffed out one day, and die. They would do all they can to enjoy the liberty of spending their money without a care in the world and that, even if it meant forgoing the birth of their child. This is the horrifying result of a generation that is far more educated than our predecessors, far more driven than our forefathers had been, but the least worried of the fate of the human race, and the most engrossed and lost, in their endless pursuits of money and material goods.
Having children is a life-long responsibility that may go awry or smoothly. A child is often described as a plant; if you nurture it well by adding water and fertilizer and letting it out in the sunlight, it will grow well. It is believed that it is the same as for a child, but in fact, it is contrary. Good parenting does not guarantee a good child and neither does bad parenting necessarily equate to a wayward child. It all boils down to other factors like the child’s attitude towards life, the environment the child is exposed to and possible sources of influence. A child has to be taken care of from the cradle to the grave, from childhood into adulthood, and this might be a physically and mentally demanding role for many parents. A typical child’s life has its ups and downs, and this often caused by problems in the child’s life. The children of today have more problems than the children of yesteryear, some of which were unheard of in previous generations. Some of these problems are infatuations, pre-marital sex, bulimia, anorexia, drug addiction, stress due to school and many more. Such problems arise due to the negative influence of the media, which may portray such forms of behaviour as “cool”, and that defiance is a way of seeking an “identity”. Others are growing problems that are surfacing in schools that these children attend. Stress due to excessive schoolwork and unreasonable expectations of their teachers and parents, is prevalent in recent years. Parents too, are also beginning to feel the brunt of it. Also, the generation gap between children and their parents may even strain parent-child relations. Some behaviour that is perceived to be cool and hip by youth may be seen as being rude and uncouth to their parents and elders, thus creating a rift between the two generations. It is definitely not easy to understand a child, and even harder to bring him or her up. And to avoid such difficulties, many parents choose the easier way out, and decide that having children is simply not their cup of tea.
As such, children are perceived as a burden, not a blessing. And given the dire circumstances of the dwindling birth rates, the rise of the ageing population, and expanding economy, there might be a time when the world would be populated by only the rich and old, with no heirs to inherit their wealth. And all that will be left will be a sad, lonely world, whose inhabitants may never hear the sound of happy children’s laughter. There might come a time, where humans might not rule the world with an iron fist, and animals might ascend to the throne, which is portrayed in Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes. This may seem all too distant now, but no one knows what the future holds.
It is hard to deny the truth, but even more so if the facts are put right to our very faces. Disagreeing with the above statement would be blatant lying and it leaves me with no choice but to agree. Yes, children are a burden. Being labelled as a burden to both society and parents may seem a tad too harsh for the children of today. But in this time and age, it is no surprise that the ideals of parents, both as a couple, and individuals have changed drastically as time passes by. Our ancestors back then, were probably more worried about the survival of the human race, and were probably more enthusiastic about their appointed roles in procreation. Today, couples are less bothered about the dwindling birth rates, and even less interested in the various government-backed campaigns to salvage the situation. Many couples cite reasons such as cost, loss of personal freedom, and that children are a life-long responsibility as to why they continually refuse to fulfill their vocations in the cycle of procreation.
Having children is expensive. This is what seems to be most popular reason given by most couples in recent years. Some people do not realise that poor family planning might cause problems such as a financial liability in certain families. To put it crudely, a child is definitely not a “one-time purchase”. From the time of birth, hospital bills have to paid, medical fees to be settled there is a surge in expenses spent on basic necessities for the baby, and this is often followed by an onslaught of school fees as the child attends pre-school or kindergarten, all the way to university. Every parent would want only the best for their child, and thus, would ensure that little junior gets the best, if not, the priciest education. If all these do not frighten you, the thought of raising a child in his or her teenage years will definitely scar you mentally for life. Nowadays, teenagers are surrounded by materialistic propaganda in its highest form. This ranges from provocative advertisements for expensive branded clothing labels to celebrity endorsements for the latest mobile phone models. If these advertisements that are being broadcasted twenty fours a day and seven days a week, do not manage to brainwash these naïve teenagers into pestering their parents for their materialistic “desires”, I am sure that the peer pressure that the child faces in school, will eventually make him or her an unwilling consumer. Next, it doesn’t take a millionaire to figure that a good, proper university education is going to burn a large hole in one’s pocket, literally. To put their children through university, parents would slog endlessly to get extra wages, while others resort to desperate measures, like mortgaging their home. Many people would want to avoid such scenarios in their lives and thus, choose not to have children.
Another reason for parents deciding not to have children is the possible loss of personal freedom after childbirth. Without a child, parents are free to do as they please. For the men, downing a few bottles of beer at the pub with drinking buddies on a Friday night won’t be a problem at all. And for the ladies, a shopping spree at the Louis Vuitton boutique or perhaps a few new additions to the Ferragamo stash at home would not be of any significance. But with the birth of little junior, the only bottle dad is going to see is a milk bottle. And for mum, the only bag she will be carrying is that distasteful toiletry bag full of diapers and milk powder. Most young parents these days want to fulfill their materialistic wants and fancies. These young high-flyers are selfish to the extent that they would forsake humanity’s desperate plea to alleviate the problem of an ageing population crisis, and would chose to wine and dine then to ponder over the possibility that humanity might be snuffed out one day, and die. They would do all they can to enjoy the liberty of spending their money without a care in the world and that, even if it meant forgoing the birth of their child. This is the horrifying result of a generation that is far more educated than our predecessors, far more driven than our forefathers had been, but the least worried of the fate of the human race, and the most engrossed and lost, in their endless pursuits of money and material goods.
Having children is a life-long responsibility that may go awry or smoothly. A child is often described as a plant; if you nurture it well by adding water and fertilizer and letting it out in the sunlight, it will grow well. It is believed that it is the same as for a child, but in fact, it is contrary. Good parenting does not guarantee a good child and neither does bad parenting necessarily equate to a wayward child. It all boils down to other factors like the child’s attitude towards life, the environment the child is exposed to and possible sources of influence. A child has to be taken care of from the cradle to the grave, from childhood into adulthood, and this might be a physically and mentally demanding role for many parents. A typical child’s life has its ups and downs, and this often caused by problems in the child’s life. The children of today have more problems than the children of yesteryear, some of which were unheard of in previous generations. Some of these problems are infatuations, pre-marital sex, bulimia, anorexia, drug addiction, stress due to school and many more. Such problems arise due to the negative influence of the media, which may portray such forms of behaviour as “cool”, and that defiance is a way of seeking an “identity”. Others are growing problems that are surfacing in schools that these children attend. Stress due to excessive schoolwork and unreasonable expectations of their teachers and parents, is prevalent in recent years. Parents too, are also beginning to feel the brunt of it. Also, the generation gap between children and their parents may even strain parent-child relations. Some behaviour that is perceived to be cool and hip by youth may be seen as being rude and uncouth to their parents and elders, thus creating a rift between the two generations. It is definitely not easy to understand a child, and even harder to bring him or her up. And to avoid such difficulties, many parents choose the easier way out, and decide that having children is simply not their cup of tea.
As such, children are perceived as a burden, not a blessing. And given the dire circumstances of the dwindling birth rates, the rise of the ageing population, and expanding economy, there might be a time when the world would be populated by only the rich and old, with no heirs to inherit their wealth. And all that will be left will be a sad, lonely world, whose inhabitants may never hear the sound of happy children’s laughter. There might come a time, where humans might not rule the world with an iron fist, and animals might ascend to the throne, which is portrayed in Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes. This may seem all too distant now, but no one knows what the future holds.
posted by Alex at
7:46 AM
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