Money needed to feed an infant's mouth, milk bottles, Gerber's baby food, little silver spoons, night cap, cradle cap, Johnson's Baby Shampoo, Johnson's Talcum Baby Powder, who will get a job to pay for all this, him or me?
Education, school clothes, new gym shoes to fit a growing foot. Dress up clothes for going out, bathing suits, a pool in the backyard, a swing set to play on, who will build the treehouse, him or me?
Clothes must be laundered, fabric softeners, mild child detergents, no irritation to a baby's soft skin. Laundry machines and dryers, needing constant repair, highly priced costly electric bills, tumbling blankets and winter coats at a Laundromat. Needing more hangers to hang up clothes, closet space needs to be expanded, who will do the laundry, him or me? Who will do the shopping, him or me?
Children are miracles, thinking about having a baby? Do you want to be a parent or do you want to have a parent, are you ready, will you ever be ready? What makes a good parent, a person who has been taught to be a parent by their parents, or is this type of person just a person who grew up too fast without having a childhood of his/her own?
Yes, it is fun to watch a child play a game, to cause a child to laugh, to put a Bandaid on a scraped knee, but when it comes down to it, are you really qualified? Should an unqualified parent be a parent? Are you ready to give up everything unselfishly and give it to another so s/he can grow, or will your actions actually stunt another and cause harm instead of good. It is something to think about, all the glamour, the baseball caps and hair bows, the trips to the beach and the car rides to school, the new shoes, the teaching and learning. Is this a job for anyone? Is it the job of the child to care for the parent? Should a child help his parent or should a parent help his child?
Soap bubbles, yo yos, dolls and children's books. Halloween costumes, candy, bubble gum, and toy guns. Children are miracles, little people, miniatures, dollhouses and toy stoves. Teaching a child to be a parent, needing a treehouse and a swing set, a big backyard, s/he needs her own room. Bills to be paid, cars to be fixed, computers to be purchased.
Parenting is not a job for just anyone, it is a job for someone who wants the job. Abortions and birth control, preparation, forethought, prevention, teen education. It is about wanting the job not being forced to do a job you are not prepared to do or do not want to do.
Children are miracles, let's keep them as miracles not as potential societal problems as unwanted children, with unwilling and unprepared parents. Baby booms, parents without spouses, children without parents, orphans.
The best form of birth control is teaching your child how to say "No." Teen education: Learning 75 different ways to say "No" and to get results.
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