-- Posted by mountainview at 9:43 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Do you also have the feeling people see having children as an achievement? I mean, sometime I feel people value parents more than other people in society and having children is the reason these people "get away with more things"? I mean.. It's not something special. Everyone can do it. -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 9:44 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Quote: from mountainview at 5:43 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 Do you also have the feeling people see having children as an achievement? I mean, sometime I feel people value parents more than other people in society and having children is the reason these people "get away with more things"?   I mean.. It's not something special. Everyone can do it. Yes having children is an achievement, especially if you are a woman, not because it's hard to make it happen but because it's hard work despite the fact that once you set the wheels in motion (easy) the hard work is unavoidable. Oh and not everyone can do it... -- Posted by EnticingMind at 9:44 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Technically not everyone can, my aunt and uncle can't reproduce. I guess it can be an achievement because, lets face it, kids have their horrible days/years. -- Posted by sadnessness at 9:44 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Yeah. My mum is happier about my academic achievements than she is about my trying to battle my mental health issues. To be honest, i think that's fucked up. Sure, i get straight A's, but it feels like she wouldnt love me if i started failing -- Posted by Tearra at 9:45 am on Nov. 29, 2008 r u gay?? -- Posted by SpM at 9:46 am on Nov. 29, 2008 In my opinion, it's more the recognition that any injury to the parent is passed down to the child in some form. So we give them extra money to raise their brood, and extra breaks because children are demanding little shits who don't make life easy. -- Posted by rileyana at 9:46 am on Nov. 29, 2008 um the child that i had 2 years ago was not a achievement it had down syndrome because i was on meds that say dont get prego but whatever -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 9:46 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Quote: from sadnessness at 5:44 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 Yeah. My mum is happier about my academic achievements than she is about my trying to battle my mental health issues. To be honest, i think that's fucked up. Sure, i get straight A's, but it feels like she wouldnt love me if i started failing She probably would. She probably thinks she is doing you a favour by putting this kind of pressure on you thinking it will give you a better start in life and not really understanding the stress it causes. -- Posted by mountainview at 9:46 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Being a stockbroker is difficult too. Being a landscaper is hard work too, yet why do we put parents on pedestals but not our landscapers and stockbrokers? -- Posted by punkypanda at 9:47 am on Nov. 29, 2008 lolz society is an ugly place -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 9:49 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Quote: from mountainview at 5:46 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 Being a stockbroker is difficult too. Being a landscaper is hard work too, yet why do we put parents on pedestals but not our landscapers and stockbrokers? I am pretty sure that we respect professionals as much as we do parents. But one difference is that having a child and taking care of it is work done for the child's sake. Whereas professional work is done for the sake of earning a wage and thus is ultimately selfish at heart. -- Posted by mountainview at 9:50 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Then why do we value our volunteers less than parents? Because that's still the case... -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 9:55 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Quote: from mountainview at 5:50 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 Then why do we value our volunteers less than parents? Because that's still the case... Because volunteers tend to be doing menial work and people are elitist about stuff like that. Generational memories of when only servants did that sort of thing... -- Posted by mountainview at 9:56 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Parents are negatively influencing society. Overpopulation anyone? I just don't get why we love these people so much? -- Posted by katrinadoodle at 9:57 am on Nov. 29, 2008 I don't see anyone treating parents any better than anyone else. Especially not teen parents. -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 9:59 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Quote: from mountainview at 5:56 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 Parents are negatively influencing society. Overpopulation anyone?   I just don't get why we love these people so much? Maybe because we like the fact that we are alive and are happy that other people get to receive that gift too? -- Posted by mountainview at 10:00 am on Nov. 29, 2008 So? Be thankful to your own parents, not the whole of society? -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 10:01 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Quote: from mountainview at 6:00 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 So? Be thankful to your own parents, not the whole of society? My parents aren't the only people to give others the gift of life. -- Posted by Smartie Lou at 10:16 am on Nov. 29, 2008 Not everyone can 'do it'. for many it is and achievement and i think it is a miracle every time someone is born -- Posted by islandgirl at 11:07 am on Nov. 29, 2008 I don't think that having a baby is necessarily an achievement- although the birth/pregnancy is definitely worth respect, I don't think that having a baby makes you successful If you manage to raise the kid well to become a good person and a productive member of society,  I would consider you a successful parent. If you have a baby and have nothing to support it, have no ability to give it opportunities in life, and manage to ruin your life at the same time- not so successful and not much of an achievement -- Posted by MissPrixy07 at 2:21 pm on Nov. 29, 2008 I believe that having children is an achievement. A lot of people get pregnant, and don't even have their kids, so when someone actually follows through and does what they're supposed to do, it's pretty damn amazing. By the way, my daddy is a landscaper, and a parent. I don't see anyone putting me before him.... -- Posted by Chava at 1:17 pm on Dec. 1, 2008 Having a succesful child is an achievement and having a skilled trade isn't as big of an achievement because you're not taking care of a human life day in and day out. You go for 8-10 hours and get a break. Parents work all day and night. We never get a break. Work 24/7 and we'll give you more credit. -- Posted by JennyColada at 1:10 am on Dec. 2, 2008 I feel like I can kind of see where you're coming from. A few of my friends have kids, and it seems like people always want to be so nice to them, buy them things, take them out, etc. Suddenly everyone wants to be their friend and give them hugs. When someone finds out that so-and-so has a kid, suddenly I'm not so interesting, and all people want to talk about is children (or perhaps it's just that all PARENTS want to talk about is their children?). At the same time though, I do think that raising a child successfully is the hardest job out there, definitely not something I am ready for. I think that, in a way, parents are really unrecognized for their hard work (after all, most children treat their parents like crap once they're over the age of 10). -- Posted by Bacon at 3:37 am on Dec. 2, 2008 Quote: from mountainview at 4:56 am on Nov. 30, 2008 Parents are negatively influencing society. Overpopulation anyone?   I just don't get why we love these people so much? Neither do I. However, I do believe it takes a lot of work to raise children. But I agree... Overpopulation is so rampant today because people either: don't know when to stop or believe its some kind of "achievement" to have children. In reality, it is an "achievement" to have children, but only in terms of survival of species.. An evolutionary achievement, if you will. But I believe that's beginning to have lesser value in humanity - especially from overpopulation.