Disclaimer: this is a personal rant to state my opinion
This is a personal rant to state my own opinion on something that I have spent some time thinking about. This entry is in no way ment to offend anyone, and I apologize if I do. Please keep that in mind while reading this.
I was watching the today show, and t here was an interview with the mother of the octuplets. I couldn't help but watch and feel a slight amount of revulsion. I have grown up the spoiled only child of a middle class family, so I am undoubtadly biased at the idea of having to deal with seven siblings and I admit, I am not wild about children, don't want to have any myself, but I like the idea of the family.
But as a budding sociologist, this case of a woman who already had six children having another eight, was something that I pounced on. I have my own personal theory about family sizes and what is healthy for children. I am no expert on the family structure, and as an only child, I cringe at the idea of having a younger sibling, though oddly enough I always wanted an older brother. My maternal side is non existant, so maybe I shouldn't be judging, but while watching this woman, I kept thinking about her six children that she has, all under the age of eight. I kept thinking, poor kids.
I can't fathom them having a pleasant life, living in a household with fourteen other children, eight of them the same age. Children need to be socialized, that is a proven fact, yet personally, I feel that every person should have there own space, should be able to be alone, and should not have to constantly worry about taking care of others. Even mothers should be allowed a day when they can just relax and not need to care for anyone but themselves. I keep seeing the elder children in the family having to raise the younger ones, always having the responsiblity to tend to the other children when mom is away. I have a very dear old friend who is 14 years older than her sister, she has expressed resentment toward both her mother and her sibling, not because she doesn't love them, but because once her sister was born, she was no longer the eldest child, she was the built in babysitter. I have seen the bitterness that she feels toward this title and fear that there are now three more built in babysitters, and there are 14 children that will not feel enough of there mothers love, because there won't be enough time for her to both work to support her children, and be there for them. I find this women remarkably strong for what she is willing to do, but I also see her as selfish, she has put her desire to have a large family above the needs of the children to be with there mother. Her attention has now been divided even further, and as a single mother, she will have a very hard time making ends meet with supporting so many children, and her time will be very limited. I feel that that is no way to grow up.
I wish mom and the children the best of luck in there life. It will be a very hard journey for all of them.
I was watching the today show, and t here was an interview with the mother of the octuplets. I couldn't help but watch and feel a slight amount of revulsion. I have grown up the spoiled only child of a middle class family, so I am undoubtadly biased at the idea of having to deal with seven siblings and I admit, I am not wild about children, don't want to have any myself, but I like the idea of the family.
But as a budding sociologist, this case of a woman who already had six children having another eight, was something that I pounced on. I have my own personal theory about family sizes and what is healthy for children. I am no expert on the family structure, and as an only child, I cringe at the idea of having a younger sibling, though oddly enough I always wanted an older brother. My maternal side is non existant, so maybe I shouldn't be judging, but while watching this woman, I kept thinking about her six children that she has, all under the age of eight. I kept thinking, poor kids.
I can't fathom them having a pleasant life, living in a household with fourteen other children, eight of them the same age. Children need to be socialized, that is a proven fact, yet personally, I feel that every person should have there own space, should be able to be alone, and should not have to constantly worry about taking care of others. Even mothers should be allowed a day when they can just relax and not need to care for anyone but themselves. I keep seeing the elder children in the family having to raise the younger ones, always having the responsiblity to tend to the other children when mom is away. I have a very dear old friend who is 14 years older than her sister, she has expressed resentment toward both her mother and her sibling, not because she doesn't love them, but because once her sister was born, she was no longer the eldest child, she was the built in babysitter. I have seen the bitterness that she feels toward this title and fear that there are now three more built in babysitters, and there are 14 children that will not feel enough of there mothers love, because there won't be enough time for her to both work to support her children, and be there for them. I find this women remarkably strong for what she is willing to do, but I also see her as selfish, she has put her desire to have a large family above the needs of the children to be with there mother. Her attention has now been divided even further, and as a single mother, she will have a very hard time making ends meet with supporting so many children, and her time will be very limited. I feel that that is no way to grow up.
I wish mom and the children the best of luck in there life. It will be a very hard journey for all of them.