The Family Week 1

The first thing we discussed in class was population. The population of the world is growing more readily than ever. In fact, the world is supposed to reach 10 billion before 2060. Yet, for some reason, the fertility rate is dropping. When I first heard this I thought, that does not make any sense. Women are having fewer and fewer children than they used to. During the Baby Boom in 1946-1964, the average woman was having 3.8 children. That may not seem like very many, but that is actually a lot more than you think. The average now is 1.64. But why are they having fewer children? If you look around at the families you know, you can see that there are not as many large families anymore like there used to be. It used to be normal to have lots of kids. What happened? There are several reasons women are having less children including trends, careers, lack of motivation for marriage, finance, etc.

I’ve noticed a lot recently on social media, that when someone posts about having a large family, people call it “Mormon.” It’s become a stereotype that only LDS families have lots of children. I have also seen those families on social media getting hate for it. It makes me sad that bringing more people into this world is seen as something to make fun of. I can not wait to bring children into this world and have a family of my own someday. I can not comprehend why someone would not want to have any children. A lot of times I think about my own parents and where they would be if they never decided to have kids. I recently asked my mom what she thinks her life would be like if it were just her and my dad without me or my siblings. She told me that her life would be extremely boring. She continued to explain how there would not be much to look forward to and that she and my dad would eventually drive each other crazy!

In today’s society, people have strayed from traditional gender roles. Women do not all want to be housewives who take care of the children and have dinner ready for their husband when he gets home from work. Many women want to have their own careers and be successful. This leads to women becoming independent, and oftentimes do not even consider getting married. I believe that being an independent woman is a great thing. I also believe that you can be an independent person and have a spouse and children at the same time. My husband and I both have our passions and individual interests, but we still love each other and make a great team. We want to have children and raise a family, but that does not make us codependent. 

Finance plays a huge role when it comes to children. Children cost money. You have to pay for their clothes, food, their activities, school, etc. Not everyone can afford all of the things many other parents can. I grew up doing almost every sport there is. That is what I loved to do, but looking back, that must have cost so much, especially since I have 4 other sisters and they were all involved in activities as well. I do not blame anyone who chooses not to have a large family, but I do encourage every couple who is able to have children and can financially support them, should have a family. Being a parent is a lot of work, but there is no better reward than having a family to call your own.