Sunday, June 25, 2006
live within your means (national daycare)
Just a thought....but if you cannot afford to raise a child then maybe you should refrain from having one. I realize that some people are forced into single parenthood by someone leaving or dying. However I know many single parents who chose to be in that situation. I also certainly don't like the idea of subsiding dual income families so they can buy their kids the latest gaming system while dumping fuel into their gas-guzzling SUVs. Maybe in those cases someone has to stay home and raise the child. Maybe they don't have to give their kids EVERYTHING they want.
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3 comments:
oh so complexly Darwinian all of this stuff, don't you think?
I am one of those people who "chose" to be a single parent. Becoming pregnant wasn't planned, but it happened, and I saw it through. I considered giving my baby up for adoption, for two reasons. One, I wasn't sure I was prepared emotionally for motherhood, and two, the issue raised here; I wondered if it was fair to raise a child without having a solid financial cushion.
I loved my job, and as a single person with no dependants other than my pets, I was comfortable. The pay however, would be stretched beyond the limit with a child.
After much thought, I chose to keep my baby. Adoption wouldn't necessarily mean a better life for her. All the money in the world does not make a good parent.
I would have tortured myself for the next eighteen or more years, wondering if she was being loved and kept safe, or if some wealthy sleaze was putting her through hell.
It has been challenge in many ways, and a struggle money wise. I work but there is rarely much to show for it beyond the essentials. Because of that, her daycare was partially paid for by the government. still, that didn't leave us much.
The last several months before she started kindergarten I received the daycare subsidy. It wasn't used to "buy her everything" or to benefit myself.
It meant that I didn't have to ration out milk, or walk back from the grocery store carrying bags I could barely lift. It meant that I could buy her a new pair of sneakers once in awhile, instead of relying on someone else's castoffs.
I agree that there are many families out there that didn't need to receive it, and took advantage of it for selfish gain. I also agree that deliberately setting out to have a child when you can't keep your own head above water is ill advised.Some people choose it for selfish reasons, and expect the world to pay their way while they sit on their asses and reap the benefits. Some,like me choose it because they love their kids more than anything. In these situations, an extra hundred dollars can make a big difference.
It's not only death or divorce that can make single parenthood "acceptable or understandable".
Please don't paint all "by choice" single parents with the same brush. We are not all selfish, stupid people who think only of material gain.
-Brandi-
But why should I pay for the choices of others. My views are very Libertarian. The government should not be involved in these things. It should be charity driven. Let those who want to help do so.
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