CI Blog 5: Parents and Society

My past few blogs have discussed different types of parents, their parenting styles and pieces of advice regarding them. I think it is important that we now step back and take a look at how parenting fits into society as a whole and why parents are important in this regard.

The standards of child-rearing have changed immensely since our nation was born. For decades families have been forced to adapt to their surroundings to keep up with the ever-changing United States of America. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, many families lived on farms cultivating crops and raising livestock. At that time the reason to have children was not to create a better version of themselves or keep their name alive, it was for labor. Farmers commonly had anywhere from 6-8 children for the purpose of more hands on the farm without having to bring in outside help.

In the early 19th century when the Industrial Revolution started it was common for parents and children to both be working. Children worked simple factory jobs in comparison to the jobs that their parents held, but it showed to be exhausting and inhumane to force child labor nonetheless. The Great Depression brought about a time of complete family disorganization. Fathers were unable to provide for their families and the parental dynamic changed as marriage rates and birth rates declined in the early 1930s.

Today, families are still changing and adapting but in very different ways. The family as a unit has become more complex and society expects more from parents than ever before. At this time in society there are so many types of families, single parent, gay families, divorced and remarried families that there is not one specific definition of a family. Parents have a duty to their children to keep them fed, clothed, healthy and otherwise taken care of, but external entities such as friends, family members, and teachers often have an influence in how parents are doing their job.

While speaking with a family friend, Joann age 55, told me of her free range childhood. During the summers she would play in the neighborhood with her friends or go to the park without any parental supervision. If a child were to be running around a playground today the adults there would call the police claiming parental negligence. Now parents are expected to have 24/7 childcare, whether it be themselves, a babysitter or have their school age child at a daycare center. On the other end of the spectrum parents are criticized if they are too involved, dubbed helicopter parents, these parents just want to make sure that their child is safe.

Often times people without children are the first to judge parents. They have no way to relate, and cannot put themselves in the shoes of the parent. I find it necessary to remind people that before people become parents they live completely different lives and have a different place in society. Upon becoming parents they are forced to restructure their economic and personal lives for decades. A fair society should expect parents to care for their children and to sacrifice time and opportunity if necessary, but it should also help parents to preserve a reasonable range of life options during and after their years of care.

Cite: http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&zid=7acfdc9d4390b9e20a4818ed155eab29&p=UHIC%3AWHIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3404500173&source=Bookmark&u=nysl_ro_rush&jsid=11f17704edb9a99bc9

https://bostonreview.net/forum/anne-l-alstott-what-we-owe-parents