The Future of Parenting... My List of "What Ifs"

Parenting is a struggle. And not just for couples who are financially, physically, and mentally unprepared for parenthood. Parenting is a struggle even for affluent and available couples who, on paper, seem to be completely ready to bring new life into the world. Parenting is stressful and in a world that is quickly developing an overpopulation problem, what if some couples chose to feel complete without children? If Americans were educated about the stress that comes with raising children and if birth control options were looked upon more favorably by Americans as a collective whole, would couples consider not having children as an option? In some ways, not having children could be more fulfilling to couples, while having children would seem absolutely necessary to others. IF, however, we viewed the choice to not have children more positively in the United States, we might find higher rates of life satisfaction and lower rates of depression among American adults.

How realistic is it to encourage people not to procreate? Most humans, and other species as well, feel an innate, subconscious desire to pass their genes down by making babies. Could we fight this need if it was more culturally acceptable to be in a committed relationship without the prospect of procreation? Another concern would be that more stable (and potentially more disciplined) couples would chose to be childless while couples deemed unfit to parent due to financial, circumstantial, or emotional instability (or those more likely to give in to their hedonistic urges) may continue to procreate without abandon. More children growing up in unstable households certainly doesn't sound like an ideal future for our country. Too many "what ifs..."

Obviously regulating procreation is unAmerican and wrong by most standards. It is unrealistic to assume that we could ever control population in this way, but the more simple solution is to slightly alter our attitudes toward procreation, parenting, and the choice to not have children. We need better access to birth control and abortion clinics in all areas, not just in more liberal leaning states and counties. Attitudes toward birth control and women who use birth control need to be more positive. And of course attitudes toward the choice to be childless need to become more positive. Instead of thinking of childbearing as "the next step" in the sequence of life, we need to think of it as a possibility or a choice to be made at the discretion of every couple when they feel ready. Parenting is difficult, stressful, and time-consuming-- it could be very possible then, that parenting is not for everyone. Having the choice to parent or not to parent could be a relief to future couples if our society starts considering that as a realistic option.